The best way to account for employee absences during the holidays is to plan ahead. Creating a plan allows you to make sure that your company still has enough employees to operate while allowing time off to those who request vacation leave.
Vacation leave is governed by the employer’s policies
Remember that while neither federal nor state law provides private employees with mandatory vacation time, you are still contractually bound to give workers vacation leave when an employment contract calls for it. An employer is responsible for the duties prescribed in its policies or contracts between it and its employees. It’s important to make sure that you are within the bounds of those duties.
In a 2009 opinion letter, the U.S. Department of Labor stated that because private employers aren’t required to give vacation leave, they can allot for time off and then later specify the days that the employee can use the leave. Nevertheless, it’s important that you and your employees come to a happy medium when determining time off. There are a few approaches you can take to achieve the best outcome for everyone during the holidays.
Plan ahead
You have the upper hand when allowing time off. It’s completely up to you to determine when and how much time off is given to an employee. However, keep in mind that a satisfied employee is a productive employee. If possible, map out employee time off in advance so you can be sure you don’t have scheduling conflicts. There are several software companies that have employee schedulers that might make this task easier. Applications range from Microsoft Outlook, which costs around $100, to Visual Staff Scheduler PRO 9.0, by Altus Business Solutions, for around $500. And of course, don’t forget, an old-fashioned paper schedule works just fine.
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Create incentives
There are different ways you can encourage employees to work certain days. Be creative with incentives; they don’t have to cost you a fortune. They can range from providing lunch to paying time and a half. During tough times like these, a majority of employees need the extra hours, especially around the holidays.
Skeleton crew
Determine how many employees you need to perform operations. The industry you are in will play a major role in your staffing numbers. If your business doesn’t normally close on holidays but it is possible to do so, explore that possibility.
If closing up shop isn’t possible, create a skeleton crew to run the business while other employees take time off. Identify important operations and the individuals required to run them. If necessary, create rotating schedules to allow all employees time off. For example, employee A gets Christmas Eve off but works Christmas Day, and vice versa for employee B.
Holiday help
Consider hiring temporary help. There’s always an influx of students around the holidays looking for a few extra hours to earn some Christmas cash. They’re usually cheap, and when the holidays are over, they head back to school. Also, consider temp agencies. They’re easy to use and can provide employees with flexible hours. In addition, they save you from dealing with the tax and payroll headaches new employees bring.
Bottom line
Most important, remember that as an employer, you must stay within the bounds of your company’s policies and contracts with employees. This is the primary law governing vacation and holiday leave.