With summer in full swing, it’s time for businesses to prepare for the season’s challenges and opportunities. Our latest guide, “A Business Owner’s Guide to Surviving the Summer,” is now available for free download and provides practical steps to ensure a smooth and productive summer season.
Understanding Legal Requirements
Holiday entitlement is essential for employees’ health and well-being. In the UK, all employees and workers are entitled to at least 5.6 weeks of paid holiday per year, including Bank/Public Holidays. Employers should remind and encourage their employees to take their holiday, as untaken holiday is lost at the end of the holiday year. It’s also illegal to pay statutory holiday in lieu.
Key Points to Consider:
Create a Holiday Policy: Ensure everyone knows the procedures and parameters for booking holidays. This includes a “first come, first served” policy, the importance of having holiday requests approved before making any payments, and defining any blackout periods where leave may be restricted.
Communication is Key: Clearly communicate any updates or changes to the holiday policy. Make sure everyone knows how to request holiday and the internal timeline for approvals to avoid unnecessary worries.
Utilise Technology: Using tools like Breathe can simplify the holiday booking process by allowing automatic approvals and providing an online holiday calendar. You can also set blackout dates and send out reminders to book holiday.
Plan and Manage Workflow: Encourage early holiday planning to avoid last-minute disruptions. Have a strategy in place for managing workloads during busy holiday periods and consider temporary staffing options if necessary.
Promote Work-Life Balance: Ensure employees switch off completely when on holiday. Managers should lead by example by setting up out-of-office messages, informing the team who’s in charge, and ensuring employees know who will cover for them while they’re away.
By being organised and having robust processes and procedures in place, you can alleviate the stresses of the holiday season.
Download our guide now to help your business navigate the summer smoothly and ensure everyone, including yourself, enjoys a well-deserved break.
Holly Mapstone is an HR expert and specialises in helping those of you in the SME sector with all of your HR needs.
Consultancy allows Holly to be agile and to adapt her style and support to suit the needs of her clients. Building strong working relationships allows Holly to deliver improvements, while also aligning people strategy to business outcomes and promoting resilient and positive cultures.
Need Advice?
If you need a hand with any of this, or anything else when it comes to the people and practices in your business, we’d love to help. We are always happy to debate the pros/cons, dos/don’ts with you so please do talk to us if we can help in any way, we are here to support you. Just give us a call and arrange a free consultation. You can talk to Alison directly on 07967 221595 or email info@enlightenhr.com
