Easter is expected to be a hugely popular period for annual leave, as savvy employees look to double their time off to 16 days, by using the two bank holidays and just 8 days of holiday entitlement.

It’s time for HR gurus to plan ahead, to avoid getting swamped with Easter holiday requests. Here’s how:

Manage expectations

Ask staff to book their holidays as early as possible, so there isn’t a last minute mad rush just before Easter.

Employees should be made aware in advance that you will do everything you can to grant their requested days off, but it may not be possible if their colleagues have already booked time off, as staffing limits will need to be put in place to prevent becoming short staffed.

Allocate time off fairly

Accepting holiday on a first come first served basis is often the fairest way to do it. It gives everyone an equal chance to submit their holiday requests.

Doing away with paper holiday requests and going digital prevents requests from getting lost, and is the easiest way to keep track of who requested time off first.

Know your staff

It’s worth checking who took time off at the same time last year and who covered those shifts. You may feel it is necessary to switch staff around this year, to keep things fair. LeavePlanner can help you monitor holiday patterns quickly and effectively.

Offer flexible working times

Allowing staff to start earlier or later, or swap shifts over key holiday periods, may help to reduce absenteeism.

Arrange cover

Organising the right cover and staffing levels will help to prevent staff pulling sickies at the last minute.

Use an automated system

LeavePlanner makes approving and monitoring holiday requests quick and simple. Businesses can use the online calendar in real-time to keep track of outstanding holiday and maintain the right staffing levels.

Administrators can set a minimum attendance for departments, or blackout periods to restrict booking holidays during key times of the year. LeavePlanner can also be used to create working schedules and rotas to arrange cover, so you are not left short staffed.

Arrange your free trial today. For easy-to-use absence management software, call Steve on 01252 636 070 or email support@leaveplanner.com.

Pssst! Check out our new all-in-one system, HR Planner, which incorporates an easy-to-use leave management solution, designed specifically with SMEs in mind.