Three things to consider in relation to employee annual leave

With the school summer holidays nearly upon us, many business owners will be preparing for staff taking time off and perhaps even looking forward to taking a break themselves.

Be fair across your workforce

If forced to do this, it is vital to be fair and consistent to avoid claims of favouritism or discrimination. Having a policy that requires staff to give a set period of notice when booking annual leave is a sensible approach, as is operating a ‘first come first served’ policy for staff within the same team.

Ensure full allocation is taken

Some employers may be tempted to think this is a good thing, however in the long term, this is unlikely to be the case; tired and overworked staff will probably have low morale and may in fact have a reduced productivity level.

Holiday pay

It is also worth pointing out here that staff who fall ill during a period of annual leave can claim the time back for the effected days. However, in order to do this, the employee would need to have complied with normal sickness reporting policies so make sure you have up-to-date procedures in place. The above outlined points are just a few of the considerations in relation to staff annual leave. For more help or advice on a specific issue, please get in touch with us.