Employees lie to get holiday dates
- November 03, 2016
59% of employees lie to secure best holiday dates!
In the run up to Christmas, it’s rather common for employers to restrict holiday during peak times to prevent a deserted office. However, employees are becoming sneaky in finding other ways to secure their preferred holiday dates.
Research by LondonOffices.com has revealed that up to 59% of employees are willing to lie about holiday, and insisted that they need particular dates off to avoid missing out on the better priced holidays and to secure time off before their colleagues.
Further to this, 42% of employees admitted to pulling a sickie rather than taking annual leave for a long weekend.
Holiday requests can be tricky, particularly in a small business. Often colleagues want to take holidays in the same week, especially in school holidays, half term and over Christmas and New Year.
So how do employees combat this problem?
6 Tips for Managing Holiday Requests
1.Make sure you are aware of your entitlements and when your leave year starts:
check your employment contract to avoid any disagreements.
2.Be aware of your company annual leave policy. Typical rules contained in annual leave policies include:
- 2 weeks maximum holiday allowance at one time (unless there are exceptional circumstances).
- Policy on whether or not holiday can be carried over from one year to the next, and if so, how many days.
- Busy times for the business where you may not able to take holidays.
- Check your company’s right to reschedule holidays or propose alternative dates where business needs dictate.
- Check notice periods for requesting holiday.
3. Share team holiday schedules:
Display a holiday planner in a public place in the office. This empowers team members to take responsibility for avoiding holiday clashes with their colleagues.
4. Be aware of company holiday deadlines for submitting holiday requests.
5. Does your employer enforce a first-come, first-served basis for approving holidays?
If so, plan ahead to avoid clashes with colleagues that want holiday at the same time (e.g. school holidays and Christmas)
6. Check if your employer allows for flexible working requests:
If you don’t have to be on site, you may be able to work at home during the holidays which can be a productive way to get things done without having to bring in additional staff.
To discuss your recruitment requirements, please contact our HR Operations team on 01293 572900 or email njf@alexanderlloyd.co.uk