subject: The December Dilemma - Keeping Employee Leave Under Control at the Holidays [print this page] The December Dilemma - Keeping Employee Leave Under Control at the Holidays
As I write this article, it's early November. The leaves are changing, the turkeys are getting nervous -- and my employees are starting to ask for time off for Decemeber.
Last year, it was a nightmare. One day there were too many people in the office, the next it was a ghost town. And who was responsible for this mess up?
Me.
I had tried to keep track of who would be off when. I really did. But between the sticky notes and the e-mails and the texts and the passing in the hall ("Hey, I need to have off next Thursday..."), I made a mess of it all.
But a lesson learned is not wasted...
This year, I got it right. No, it's not December yet, but I have it under control. Here's my 4 step plan for taking the pain out of employee vacation tracking and planning during the holidays.
1) Start now. I don't care if now is November or April. It's never too early, and until you start saying yes to those vacation requests, it's not too late.
2) Figure out your policy. Are there blackout days when you absolutely need all hands on deck? Are there days when your customers are all elsewhere doing other things? Define the range of allowable days for ANYONE to take vacation during December.
Two things about this policy stuff: make sure the same rules apply to all employees (you don't want to start the new year with a discrimination suit on your desk), and be reasonable. Even if your business is going gangbusters during December, your employees have a life outside of work. And miserable employees provide miserable service.
3) Get something visual to put the vacations, blackout days and and holidays on -- I use a dry-erase wall calendar made just for tracking employee vacations. You might use a blackboard. Just get something and stick with it. That way, as soon as someone makes a request, you can put it on the calendar and see it.
The dry-erase or blackboard aspects is great when you have to make changes. Just don't hang it where you hang your coat or in a tight hallway or you may end up erasing everyone's vacation in one fell-swoop!
4) Spread the word. Let everyone know that you want to be fair and allow people to have December vacation time, but that ether are some rules. Explain how they can request time off -- a standard vacation request form, a certain e-mail subject, or just a box of your desk where they drop slips of paper. Whatever works for you.
Once you have the four steps in place, stick to them. When an employee stops you in the hall and says "Can I have off next Friday?" smile and remind them about the process.Then wish them a Happy Holiday. December Dilemma solved.
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