Don’t leave it until Christmas, review annual leave now!
It’s possible you’re reading this on a sun lounger somewhere, so you may have just spat your Pina Colada out at the C word but please stay with us.
For lots of businesses, December isn’t just busy because of Christmas absence; it’s busy because half the team realises they’ve still got annual leave to use up. If you haven’t checked holiday balances recently, now is a great time to do it.
Review Now To Beat Headaches Later
Checking annual leave balances during the summer gives you and your employees time to plan, it’s a great opportunity to
Identify anyone with a large amount of leave still to take.
Encourage employees to spread their remaining holiday across the rest of the year.
Remind staff of any annual leave deadlines or carry-over rules.
Make sure business cover is maintained during your busiest periods.
Rather than trying to solve the problem in December, you can avoid it altogether with a bit of forward planning.
Good Planning Benefits Everyone
Encouraging staff to use their annual leave throughout the year isn't just about keeping the rota full.
Regular breaks support wellbeing, reduce burnout and help employees return to work feeling refreshed. From a business perspective, it also means workloads can be managed more effectively instead of everyone disappearing at the same time.
Review holiday balances and speak to anyone with a significant amount of leave remaining and encourage them to start making plans.
It doesn't need to be a formal process, just a proactive check-in that helps avoid a last-minute rush later in the year; after all, no one wants to spend December playing referee over holiday requests while simultaneously trying to organise the office Secret Santa.