We are at that time of year again where many employees decide to take a break from their everyday work and take an opportunity to go on holiday.
Unfortunately, what many employers find is that several employees want to take annual leave at the same time, usually to coincide with school holidays. So what is the best way to deal with multiple requests?
Most employers deal with annual leave requests on a “first come, first served” basis, leaving some employees upset when they have managed to book a holiday only to find their employer will not allow them to take the leave.
It is particularly important at this time of year to reiterate to employees that they must not book holidays without having the relevant annual leave granted first by the employer.
Another way of dealing with annual leave requests, particularly around Christmas and New Year, would be to allow annual leave requests on a rota system, so that the same individual does not have the time off year on year with other individuals having to work every year.
Whichever system you choose to operate, you must ensure consistency in order to ensure that request refusals cannot be construed to be discriminatory.
It is therefore advisable to ensure your staff know how annual leave is granted, including whether any forms need to be completed beforehand, thus ensuring fairness and consistency between all staff.
