Summer is almost here and so is the season for weddings, cottages, camping, golf, outdoor patios, concerts and more! Follow these Manager Tips for avoiding Vacation Scheduling Headaches.
We all look forward to the summer and taking a break from work. Time away from work is important for everyone. Vacations can contribute to stress relief, make us happier, healthier and even more productive when we return to work.
If you are in charge of scheduling staff vacations, you may wish you could just cancel the summer vacation. Juggling multiple requests for vacation time and extra long weekends can be difficult. As a manager you want to keep your employees happy, but you also have a business to run. Here are a few tips to help avoid vacation scheduling headaches.
- Vacation Policy – Have a written vacation policy with information on how and when to request time off.
- Communicate – Make sure you communicate the vacation policy to all staff. Each year you should send out a reminder about the vacation policy well in advance of the busy vacation times – summer, before and after Statutory Holidays, and Christmas or other faith holidays.
- Deadline for Vacation Requests – To avoid last minute requests, some companies set a deadline for vacation requests.
- Minimum Staffing – Each area of your business should establish the minimum staffing level needed to operate.
- Back ups and Cross Training – Make sure your staff can fill each others roles to cover vacation and illness.
- Production Peaks – You know your business and if you have production peaks during the summer or other popular vacation times, you may need to establish black out periods where vacation requests will not be accepted.
- Vacation Calendar – Set up a master vacation calendar so you and your employees can view approved vacation, pending requests, black out periods, Statutory Holidays, Faith holidays, etc.
- Vacation Day Tracker – Set up a system that tracks vacation days earned and used, so that managers and employees always have up to date information. Many Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) and / or payroll systems automatically track vacation time and pay.
- Requests in Writing – Set up a system where employees request vacation time in writing. Managers are busy with many tasks and a verbal request for vacation time months in advance can easily be forgotten and create havoc down the road. Insist everyone use the vacation calendar and request vacation time in writing.
- 1 week block of vacation – Taking vacation in 1 week blocks is preferred to taking single days off work. The Ontario Ministry of Labour suggests employees take their vacation in 1 week periods. A balanced approach could involve asking employees to take at least 1 yearly vacation break that is 1 full week.
Managers and staff should work together to make sure production and service levels are maintained over the summer. Be flexible and book vacations early in the year. Good luck avoiding vacation scheduling headaches! Learn about the minimum requirements for vacation pay and vacation time at the MOL website.
