Top 3 Tips for Holiday Vacation Requests

With the economy sputtering, vacation trends are changing this year. In a recent study by Office Team, researchers found that almost one-third of managers interviewed would not take any time off between Thanksgiving and New Years Day.

Placing job security over a tan, many workers are opting out or greatly limiting their holiday vacation time. "I can tell you from first-hand experience that people this year are a lot more concerned about their jobs and being at work though the holidays. Employees are apprehensive about being gone, and a lot of places are short-staffed anyway," The Napperville Sun quotes Fran Lionkatis. In reality, the law does not require employers to offer vacation days to employees but vacation, especially around the holidays, can become an issue.

Here are three tips for handing holiday vacation requests:

• 1. Equality is key. All employees are created equal when it comes to vacation. Whether you decide to determine the amount and timing of vacation by level or seniority, creating a system that equally distributes time is the best way to approach holiday vacation requests
• 2. Keep it legal. If you allow for vacation days, keep it legal. You are not required to give holiday vacation days, but once you decide to do so you need to abide by applicable state limitations.
• 3. Require notice. If business does not slow down during the holiday time, you may find yourself picking up the slack of vacationing employees. Requiring advance notice will help ease the increased work burden by allowing you to plan around schedules and create deadlines that keep the company and the workforce happy.

A happy employee is one that feels he is being taken care of. During the holidays this rule likely comes in the form of time off to spend with friends and family, and hopefully translates into a productive employee come the new year.

Related Resources:

• Holiday and Sick Leave (FindLaw)
• Employment Law: An Overview for Employers (FindLaw)