So, what can SMEs do to manage the inevitable ebb and flow of their staff? Here are some practical tips.
Annual leave
Holiday requests tend to spike during the summer months, and SMEs need to be prepared. But managing these fairly can be challenging, especially when some hyper-organised employees book their entire years’ leave in January, while others submit requests at the last minute.
To maintain fairness, it’s vital that employers:
- Have clear policies outlining how far in advance leave must be requested, and reserve the right to decline or negotiate leave dates based on business needs
- Consider limiting how much time off can be taken in one go
- Remind staff not to book holidays or make arrangements for travel until their leave has been formally approved
- Ensure the policies around taking annual leave are fairly and consistently applied
- Ensure holiday booking procedures are inclusive and do not disadvantage any group
Switching off
Although the Government has scrapped proposals to introduce a formal right to switch off, the debate raised an important question about rest periods and breaks from work, including holiday?
Holidays are a legal entitlement – not just a perk – and are vital for maintaining health and safety at work. Employers have a responsibility and need to be proactive to ensure staff can take their statutory leave without feeling guilt or pressure to stay connected. However, supporting this can be challenging in practice. To help, employers should:
- Encourage employees to take leave – and spread it regularly throughout the year
- Train managers to plan for absences and put suitable cover in place
- If leave is cancelled or disrupted due to emergencies, encourage staff to re-book at a later date
- Require handover notes and calendar updates to help maintain continuity
- Consider access permissions to email mailboxes and IT systems if staff will need to cover each other’s work as a result of holidays Employers should be mindful of staff who persistently work during periods of annual leave and discuss with them ways to ensure they are taking meaningful rest breaks away from work, to reduce the risk of burnout.
- If staff do continue to work whilst on holiday (particularly from another jurisdiction), consideration must be given to the data protection and confidentiality risks that this may pose to the business.
Managing remote and overseas working
Remote working is now commonplace in many businesses – but summer often brings a surge in requests to work remotely, particularly abroad. These requests require careful management to prevent a free for all. Employers should consider:
- Introducing or updating existing policies that deal with your organisations approach to remote working, hybrid working and homeworking
- Setting out a clear process for staff wishing to make a request to work somewhere that is not their usual remote working location (this would usually require obtaining prior written approval)
- Setting clear expectations and guidance around data security, confidentiality and equipment use
- Addressing any data protection issues related to working abroad (which, depending on the risks, may mean requests cannot be accommodated)
- Whether it may be necessary to seek tax and immigration advice for long-term overseas arrangements (typically a longer-term or permanent change to a working location would need to be dealt with as a flexible working request which, if approved would result in a contractual change to the employment relationship)
- Taking a consistent, fair approach to dealing with such requests – while reserving the right to withdraw the privilege if performance is affected or the arrangement is not working well
Conclusion
By preparing effectively, summer doesn’t need to be a source of disruption for SMEs. Planning ahead, setting clear expectations, and communicating policies effectively will enable employers to ensure smooth operations and business as usual – even when some of the team is absent. A proactive approach when it comes to managing leave requests and remote working, as well as ensuring a proper switch off, will help protect both staff and business continuity during the summer months.
