The summer season is greatly anticipated by your staff as they wait for warm weather and the opportunity to take time off and enjoy their summer. For companies, this means your employees will probably want to take as many vacation days as possible during the upcoming summer months. As a generous employer, you want to satisfy all requests to make everyone happy, but you also have a business to run. Balancing the two can be quite the challenge, but it’s one you’re certainly capable of handling.
Trying to figure out how to handle an excessive amount of summer time-off requests? Follow these five tips to effectively navigate the happiest season of the year:
Set a Deadline for Requests
Ask your employees to submit their vacation requests by the middle of May, so you know what to expect. It’s much easier to accommodate as many requests as possible when you have time to create a robust plan.
Create a Coverage Calendar
Decide how many people you need working each day during the summer to keep business running smoothly. Use this to create a coverage calendar listing everyone who will be working on any given day, to ensure all of your bases are covered. Make this calendar accessible to your staff, so they know who to contact without getting an out of office message.
Hire Temporary Employees
Fill in any coverage gaps you have by taking on temporary workers. Staffing agencies take care of all necessary training, ensuring these employees are ready to get to work from day one. This is a great way to give your team all the time off they desire during the season, without having business take a hit.
Allow Flexible Working Options
Many employees may be willing to work at least a half-day if they can do so remotely. This allows people visiting family out of town or parents who need to stay home with kids on summer break an easy way to do a few hours of work, without actually having to come into the office.
Offer Incentives to Work
Entice employees to work on days everyone wants to have off by providing incentives like overtime pay, gift cards, a free lunch or even an extra vacation day. Those who don’t actually need the day off may be happy to swap their request for a very generous perk.
Don’t let the summer season stress you out. The Wood Companies can help you fill your company’s employment gaps with the best talent in the area. Contact us to learn more about our staffing strategies in Michiana!
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