Summer has started and so has summer holiday madness! In the workplace, some employers may notice a correlation between hot, sunny days and poor attendance levels. As temperatures rise, so too do absence levels. It can be a tough one to manage, when you have no proof that your employee pulling a sickie is actually down the beach (unless you spot them on social media, when they are meant to be at work!) so we’ve put together our top tips on managing summer holiday madness …
Do’s
- Treat all employees the same, don’t let some departments have staff who disappear on holiday leave giving just 5 minutes notice, whilst other departments insist on notice as per your policy.
- Be strict with those who have a tendency to always go on holiday a day early by phoning in sick or returning a day late, again by phoning in sick. Don’t let them get away with it as your other staff will say you are a poor manager.
- Be tough on sickies pulled on lovely sunny days. By all means, if it suits business needs, invite employees to come in early so they can then leave early, but don’t let them just pull a fast one on the hottest days of the year.
- Try to be flexible. Your dress code can be relaxed at times if that is in the interests of all your staff and your working hours might also be more relaxed at times if that won’t impact your customers. A little flexibility and understanding can sometimes go a long way when it comes to employee relations in hot temperatures.
- Go out of your way to make staff more comfortable if the temperature spikes. It won’t break the bank if you go and buy a few bags of ice, or order in a new fan. Your employees will remember that you don’t just treat them like automatons when they are finding conditions tough to work in.
Don’ts
- Underestimate how just a few employees shirking work on hot days can impact your overall productivity.
- Hesitate to ask for a doctor’s note if an employee says they were ill on holiday and now want their holiday reimbursed.
- Put up with summer whingers who spend more time talking about the weather, heat, their holidays or pollen than doing their job.
- Have unrealistic expectations of temps. They are human beings and if it would take anyone else a few days to grasp the basics of the job being covered whilst the job holder is on holiday, then temps are going to need time to get up to speed too.
- Mess up when calculating the accrued holiday (and bank holidays) of your part time workers, including your term time only employees. It is so easy to get those calculations wrong.
And Finally…
10.5 It is very common for people to rethink their employment options whilst relaxing on holiday. If you are tempted to entice someone threatening resignation to stay through offering more money, then be aware that 80% of those who are persuaded to stay in this way, will have left within 12 months anyway.
We have a range of documents to support with managing holidays and absence: