At HR Dept, we provide support and advice to small and medium businesses so, with summer (and hopefully better weather!) fast approaching, we are aware that a lot of businesses need to consider how this period will be managed.
Summer, like Christmas, is one of those crunch periods when many employees are competing for limited blocks of time away. So, have you thought about how you will manage your staff through the summer holidays?
What’s your annual leave policy?
This is the most basic step but it is worth checking you have a policy written down. While there are statutory rules you have to adhere to, your policy will guide you and staff in how annual leave works in your business.
For example, how to prioritise annual leave? First come, first served is a pretty fair way to do this, but maybe a rota system may suit your business better? Your policy may explain minimum staffing requirements, or busy times when leave will be refused for everyone. Conversely, it may include a shutdown, when everyone must take some of their annual leave.
Use HR software
If you are not already using HR software already to manage annual leave, you will consider it a godsend when you try it out! It will keep track of all annual leave, letting employees self-serve their own requests, and giving you an easy way to approve or decline them.
Even better, it is not just limited to annual leave management and will take the stress away from a whole load more of your HR admin.
Other leave entitlements
One of the main factors in busy holiday periods is school holidays, and the need for working parents to look after their children. There are other leave entitlements that can be used if they run out of annual leave – most specifically unpaid Parental Leave.
This entitles parents to up to four weeks a year (taken in whole week blocks and normally capped at 18 weeks in total per child). They must have worked for you for one year to qualify and give 21 days’ notice. You can ask them to postpone it if there is a good business reason but, if it relates to school holidays, they may have little choice.
For those who have another caring need – say someone with a disability or an elderly relative – Carer’s Leave could be an option, giving up to a week per year as unpaid leave as a day one right. It can be taken in as little as half day increments.
Another form of leave – Emergency Leave for Dependents – is not an appropriate mechanism for the summer break as it is limited to unforeseen circumstances, not long-anticipated school holidays.
A longer-term solution could be designing term-time-only flexible roles.
Reserve staff on standby
One way to keep your business staffed during peak holiday season is to develop a reserve of stand-in experienced staff. This could be through a relationship with an agency, suppliers who can pick up slack or perhaps staff who have retired but would appreciate a little work on the side.
Above all, try to be fair with your annual leave policies: Fair to all staff whether they have children or not – everyone needs a break; but fair to your business needs too and the employees who are left behind to hold the fort.
If you need help implementing any of the above or would like any other HR support, please get in touch.
Alison Schreiber, HR Dept, Durham & Newcastle South. Call 01325 526 036 or email: alison.schreiber@hrdept.co.uk