Five Strategies for Vacation Planning

As summer arrives you may you’re the one who gets burned when planning summer vacation schedules. See what you can do to prevent fighting over those prime dates like Memorial Day.

Everyone loves summer, especially employees who are looking forward to their summer vacation. The problem is that everyone wants to go on vacation at the same time. You know, Memorial Day, Labor Day and the 4th of July. Or, they want time in August to get the kids ready for school. And, not everyone can be accomodated. Here are five strategies that will make your summer planning like a day at the beach:

1. Do the Work-Flow Planning. Examining the work-flow, or knowing the busiest times for your business, is critical both as you develop the policy, and, later, as you begin to consider requests. The more you know, the more you’ll be able to anticipate problems and spend time finding creative solutions.  
2. Create a Vacation Policy Set a policy for employees to follow when asking for a vacation, that examines when you need your staff the most, what your criteria is for selecting schedules and includes any exceptions. One of the biggest employee complaints is perceived favoritism. Be specific and fair. In fact, if you really want to get your employee’s buy-in, ask them for feedback as you develop the policy.  
3. Communicate your Vacation Policy. To paraphrase an old saying, communicate your policy ‘early and often’. Let employees know and ask questions about the policy early long before summer arrives. That way they will have time to adjust their plans if necessary. Present a written policy and discuss it at your next meeting.Repeat or reference the policy often to avoid misunderstanding(you know people rarely pay attention the first time.)  
4. Schedule a vacation request period. That way everyone has an equal shot of getting their prefered time.
5. Look for creative solutions. So everyone wants to be gone for the last two weeks of July and you can’t do it. Be creative. Offer a special bonus for those who volunteer to postpone or switch their vacation. Expand the lunch hour. Buy lunch more often. Just make sure you have some options that let people really enjoy the laid-back summer vibe.

Think your shop is too small to fight over vacation scheduling? Think again. It’s even more important to plan for a small shop where everybody wheres multiple hats. Follow these strategies and this summer you’ll have it made in the shade.