Does the thought that summer’s coming fill you with dread? You need LeavePlanner’s Summer Survival Guide…

If you aren’t buoyed up by the prospect of the upcoming summer holidays, then you must be an HR pro. Even so, we can offer you some additional helpful insights. Keep reading!

Summer? Wake me when it’s over!

Human resources professionals often come to hate July and August. The reasons are obvious. They’re the ones tasked with keeping their offices ticking over when everyone else wants to get away. That means they can expect to get it in the neck, year after year.

Summer 2022 looks like being even worse than usual, because the COVID pandemic meant that lots of people skipped a proper holiday last year. They’re now hellbent on fun in the sun, and woe betide you if you get in their way!

Here are our 6 tips for sorting out the 2022 summer rota and dealing with any resulting problems.

Get ahead

The earlier you get to work on staffing plans, the better! If you didn’t begin already, now would be a good moment…

Clarify your expectations

Some businesses effectively close throughout July. Others try to maintain year-round productivity levels. Recent joiners may be genuinely unclear on which of the two groups their new employers belong to. Make your expectations known as early as you can.

Set out your policy

If your office is gripped by The Summertime Blues, one reason may be that staff feel they’ve missed the holiday boat. Make sure they know all the relevant procedures, set clear closing dates for receipt of their leave requests…and ensure everyone understands how you propose to allocate holiday time if you get more requests than you allowed for.

Find the exceptions

The assumption that every single one of your employees feels in need of a break may be pessimistic. With a bit of luck, there’ll be an uninterested minority around whom you can build your summertime rota. (If you have to bribe them with time-and-a-half or extended Xmas leave, so be it…)

Try to be reasonable

To maximise buy-in, consult wherever you can and win agreement whenever possible. It’s always better to accommodate your employees than to alienate them.

Have a ‘Plan B’

Regardless of how well things are going, you need to prepare a fallback…especially this year, with so many people going abroad in the aftermath of COVID. Organise ‘reserve’ staff members, trusty colleagues who are willing to be on standby and to cover other people’s shifts in the event of absences. You might even contact an agency to discuss temp hires, although that really is a last resort…

Of course, if you’re dealing with the logistics of multiple summer absences, LeavePlanner’s automated management functions make it even more of a help than it is the rest of the year. Call us to learn more.