When the pandemic hit, many people had already started putting in for summer vacations. All that ground to a halt pretty quick. Now that restrictions on air travel have started to lift, managers may have to deal with more summer vacation requests soon.
SHRM has some useful advice for managers who may face a sudden flood for PTO requests. Here are five recommended ways.
First, set firm guidelines about how many people can be out of the office at one time, and how you’ll prioritize requests for time off. However, be careful not to make it too restrictive.
Second, you can encourage your employees to take shorter vacations so that everyone gets a chance to enjoy the summer weather. You could do a straw poll to see what employees think is a reasonable amount of time.
Another thing you can do is offer an incentive to take vacation later in the year. The company mentioned in the article offered five extra paid vacation days if they delayed their vacation.
If you have a use-it-or-lose-it policy, your employees may feel pressured to spend it as soon as possible. The pandemic kept us locked in and working, so everyone has time to burn. Consider lifting this policy, at least until the PTO levels balance out.
Finally, make plans now for how you’ll handle things when people are out of the office. Ask for things like daily task summaries and upcoming deadlines before an employee goes on vacation. That way, nothing is missed while they’re gone.