With the stress and strain of everyday life, employees need vacations more than ever. But if your vacation policy is unclear or you lack a specific employee vacation scheduling and tracking system, you may be the one feeling all the stress and strain. Clear, well-communicated vacation scheduling guidelines including a clear vacation request form and procedure will keep your staff happier and your business running more smoothly year-round.

Setting Your Employee Vacation Policy

If you haven’t already done so, establish a paid time off policy in writing, within your employee handbook. It should:

Keep in mind that you and your employees may still need to be flexible and understanding. For instance, you may need to revoke an employee’s approved vacation at the last minute if a coworker faces a medical emergency and your company can’t afford for both individuals to be out at once. If everyone knows and understands the company vacation policy, conflicts should be minimized, and the approval and scheduling process should be smoother.

Clear, well-communicated vacation scheduling guidelines including a clear vacation request form and procedure will keep your staff happier and your business running more smoothly year-round.

Employee Vacation Scheduling Pointers

First, accept the fact that you can’t please everyone. But with some planning and a good vacation tracking and scheduling program, you can minimize the problems.