In the week commencing Monday 19th August, BrightHR’s absence management software, which tracks over 1 million employees, has recorded a staggering 162% increase in annual leave bookings compared to the weekly average for 2024.
Friday, 23rd August is poised to be the most popular day off, with 1 in 10 UK employees planning to take leave. This trend continues the tradition of the Friday before the August Bank Holiday being the most booked-off day of the year for the past eight years.
As employees gear up for an extended weekend, employers face the challenge of managing a surge in leave requests. Alan Price, CEO at BrightHR, offers insights on navigating this busy period:
As employees plan to make the most of the long weekend, employees are urged to approve requests for annual leave. But in some cases, this might not be feasible…
Alan Price, CEO at BrightHR, says:
“Annual leave is key to maintaining a healthy workforce and avoiding burnout. However, during particularly busy periods—and especially so in the retail, tourism, hospitality, healthcare, and other sectors—it won’t always be possible to grant all leave requests. And issues also arise when multiple staff have submitted requests, leaving employers at the risk of being understaffed.
“In this case, employers will likely be in a position where they have to decline some of those requests for time off. It’s not a situation anyone wants to be in, but ultimately businesses do need to keep those wheels turning.
“But how they manage such scenarios is fraught with risk, especially if they let individual circumstances sway their decision as to whether they approve annual leave or not. One trap that employers tend fall in is that employees with children should be prioritised when it comes to time off. In reality, they are no more entitled than any other employee.
“That’s why it’s important to have an annual leave policy in place that clearly sets out how annual leave will be managed, outlining the process for submitting a request, and the criteria for accepting. Many companies opt for a first come, first served approach, or they may pay particular attention to those employees who haven’t had time off in a while. They may also set out their maximum cap on the number of employees who can be off at the same time and ask that requests are submitted within a certain timeframe.
“If this policy is widely communicated to the team, alongside a fair and documented process, this should drastically reduce the risk of last-minute requests scuppering rota plans and depleting team capacity, as well as anyone feeling discriminated against for having their request declined.
“In addition, absence management and holiday planners can help managers plan their staffing levels which is particularly important during particularly busy periods like around the August bank holiday and at Christmas. Even the busiest workplaces can see, in seconds, their team’s absences, and when staff lodge a request, such a system can also flag any holiday clashes, stopping any holiday leave chaos before it even has a chance to happen.”