No matter the size of your buisness, you likely spend a large part of your day as a manager dealing with more than one employee’s time off request.Everyone gets sick, has family obligations and frankly, can benefit from time away from the job. In fact, Harvard Business Review found that to be truly engaged at work, our brains need to take a break from the everyday grind in order to gain fresh perspective and energy. Handling a Time Off RequestInstead of seeing a time off request as a nuisance, consider it an essential and expected part of maintaining a happy and productive workplace.Streamlining the time-off request process, using a standard time-off request form and having a clear time-off policy can prevent headaches for both you and employees who need to take time away.More often than not, employees are left wondering how, where, and when to request time-off from their managers. They’ll likely ask a fellow staff member who may pass along inaccurate information or else they will avoid a formal request altogether and simply call in the morning they need to be away.Having a set, documented procedure for when staff request a day off from work ensures staff understand their responsibilities and helps prevent understaffed shifts, unhappy employees, and unnecessary stress.
Online Time Off Request Form
How to Make a Time Off Request Policy In 5 StepsEstablish Some Rules for Requests for Time Off: 1. Create Submission GuidelinesWill you accept verbal and text message requests, require employees to fill out a time-off request form, or use an app (more on that below)? Make sure your staff know the exact communication method to use when asking for time off and forms of requests won’t be accepted.
Define Advanced NoticeFind parameters about how much of a heads-up employees are required to give before their requested time-off. Some operations are concerned about having enough time to find coverage while others don’t want requests made too early to give all staff a chance. Show What’s Off LimitsTake a look at the business and make sure to schedule ‘blackout’ dates when you will need to limit time-off requests such as during peak times and high season. You may also want to establish rules so that two vacations in one department (kitchen, wait staff, bar) aren’t taken at the same time.
Time Off Request Form Google Forms
Also, consider whether your employees are contracted to work a certain number of hours each month. Track Absentee FrequencyHave a system to track how much time-off each employee requests so that you can discover any imbalances that are putting too much strain on other staff members and prevent bad habits from forming. Prevent Overlapping RequestsDespite your best plans and procedures, more than one employee is likely to request a day off from work simultaniously, particularly around the holidays and peak vacation times. To avoid conflict, make a clear policy about who gets first dibs.
You may want to leave it as “first come, first served” but don’t neglect other factors.Consider the reason for the request as medical needs should get higher priority. You can also factor in employees’ seniority and whether they are able to reschedule their time-off for another week. Use your managerial discretion but be consistent so that the policy is seen as fair. Employee Time Off Request Form TemplateA manager’s job is harried enough without fielding time-off requests from every form of communication imaginable – texts, emails, casual conversation, phone calls and handwritten notes. Streamline the request process and make sure you’re collecting the same information from all employees requesting time away from the job by using a standard time-off form.Generate and customize your own standard time-off request form for your buisness or simply download our readymade.
Time Off Request Calendar Template
Paid Time OffVANDERBILT UNIVERSITY HUMAN RESOURCES POLICIES AND PROCEDURES SUBJECT: PAID TIME OFF EFFECTIVE DATE: Oct. 1, 2016 POLICYPaid Time Off (PTO) gives employees paid time for vacations, personal time, and sick time (for the employee’s own illness, injury, or for caring for eligible family members). EligibilityRegular full time, part-time and term staff begin to accrue PTO immediately upon employment (prorated based on FTE.