Employee Vacation Management: Tips and Software Solutions

What if we told you that you didn’t have to worry about vacation management?

Our PTO management software offers all the features you need to streamline and automate vacation management in your company.

Vacation calendars can be shared within the team so that everyone knows when colleagues are going on vacation, avoiding undue requests during absences. You can also coordinate vacations to avoid all team members being absent at the same time.

All vacation requests are managed directly on our user-friendly HRIS. With self-service, employees can submit their requests in just a few clicks, including on the Folks mobile application. Approval of leave requests by managers also takes just a few seconds: an automatic email is sent, and the supervisor can approve or reject the request they received.

Every employee can track their working hours and unused vacation time.

Timesheets directly record public holidays observed by the company, enable teams and managers alike to keep track of hours worked, and PTO banks are updated in real time on the platform.

Say goodbye to email exchanges about vacation planning between employees and the HR department!

During the summer, some weeks are more popular than others, and many employees request the same days, especially in some industries.

How can you ensure you are being fair in such cases?

Well, set the rules in advance! Whether you award vacation weeks on the basis of seniority or on a “first come, first served” system, make sure that your employees know what to expect. That way, you’ll avoid disappointment and conflict.

Time-off policies should be shared in the employee handbook and you can send reminders during popular vacation periods.

Give your employees deadlines for leave requests. This applies even more if you grant vacations according to seniority.

The further in advance you plan, the better you’ll be able to plan the absence of employees in key positions within your company. We also recommend that you communicate the vacation schedule to your employees, who may also have to adapt during a colleague’s absence.

When employees are able to schedule their vacations in advance, you can plan their workload to ensure that all important projects are completed before they leave. This will allow your colleagues to leave with a lighter mind, and ensure that they won’t be overwhelmed by their workload when they return.

In some companies, delegating tasks and shifts is essential to the organization’s productivity. Don’t hesitate to meet with team members to distribute the workload fairly.

Although the law doesn’t allow an employer to replace vacation time with compensation (except in a few specific cases), it’s still common practice in the workplace.

We’ve mentioned it before, but we have to insist: vacations have enormous benefits for employees. When they return from vacation, they are well-rested, motivated and more productive. Not to mention the gratitude they’ll feel when they realize that their well-being is important to their employer. You should encourage them not only to take vacations, but also to use all their available leave entitlements (parental leave, sick time…).

Psst… Click here to discover how you can motivate employees as they return from vacation!

A final meeting before your colleagues leave for vacation (especially during the summer or at the end of the year) can make all the difference in the world to ensure that everyone’s projects and tasks are aligned, and that you get together one last time. In addition to helping you plan employee vacations, these meetings can be a good opportunity to organize a team-building activity.

In addition to absence management software solutions such as Folks HR, you can implement time management solutions that allow you to allocate shifts between colleagues and fill in working hours when an employee goes on vacation.

It’s also important to use effective communication tools to send out reminders at the time of vacation departures and ensure that everyone can enjoy a stress-free, uninterrupted vacation.

The three essential criteria for good employee vacation management are structure, planning and communication. By having a vacation policy and the right tools in place, and by following our previous tips, you’ll be able to approach the vacation period with complete peace of mind. Don’t forget that vacations are important for keeping your teams motivated, and avoid stress and organizational headaches by implementing flexible and affordable employee vacation management software!