Summer Holidays and Team Members Leave – Have You Planned Properly?
For many business owners, summer is a balancing act. While everyone deserves a well-earned break, the business still needs to operate smoothly. Without a clear holiday plan, you can quickly find yourself short of team members, missing deadlines or placing unnecessary pressure on the team members who are still at work.
The good news? A little planning now can make all the difference.
Start Planning Earlier Than You Think
The earlier you begin discussing summer holidays, the more options everyone has. Encouraging team members to submit leave requests well in advance makes it easier to identify potential clashes and avoid having too many key people away at the same time.
Think about the busiest periods in your business. Are there customer deadlines, seasonal peaks or major projects that simply can’t be delayed? By mapping these out first, you can approve leave fairly while protecting the day-to-day running of the business.
Review Your Current Workload
Summer is the perfect opportunity to take a step back and review what’s on your team’s plate.
Are there projects that could be completed before the holiday season? Can deadlines be brought forward or pushed back? Are there routine tasks that could be automated or shared across the team?
Planning your workload rather than simply reacting to it helps reduce stress for everyone and ensures your customers continue to receive the level of service they expect.
Avoid Relying on One Person
Every business has people who seem to know everything. While that’s invaluable, it can also create a bottleneck when they’re on holiday.
If only one team member knows how to carry out key tasks, manage customer enquiries or complete a critical piece of work, their annual leave can quickly become a challenge for everyone else.
We’ve put systems in place to make holiday planning as straightforward as possible. We use BreatheHR, which allows our team members to request annual leave, keep track of their remaining holiday entitlement and see when colleagues are already off. Having this visibility helps everyone plan ahead and reduces the likelihood of unexpected clashes.
Alongside this, we operate a buddy system across each department. Whether it’s our Lead Advisers, Accounts Incharges, Payroll team or Administrators, team members work together to plan their holidays so that not everyone within the same team is away at the same time. This helps us maintain the high level of service our customers expect, even during the busiest holiday periods.
Our buddy system also means there’s always someone familiar with that role who can step in to answer customer queries, keep work moving and provide support while a colleague enjoys a well-earned break.
You don’t need sophisticated systems to make holiday planning work. Whether you use HR software, a shared calendar or another method that works for your business, giving your team visibility of planned leave and encouraging them to work together when booking holidays can make a huge difference.
Don’t Forget Payroll Deadlines
One area that often gets overlooked is payroll.
Holiday schedules don’t stop payroll deadlines, and neither should your planning. Making sure payroll information is submitted on time, holiday pay is calculated correctly and any absences are communicated in advance helps avoid unnecessary stress at the end of the month.
Our dedicated payroll specialists, Liz Butler and David Goult, work with businesses throughout the year to make payroll straightforward, accurate and compliant. Whether you’re managing a handful of team members or a growing workforce, having expert support can provide valuable peace of mind.
Use This Summer to Improve Your Processes
If holiday planning feels chaotic every year, it’s probably a sign that your processes need reviewing.
Ask yourself:
- Are holiday requests managed consistently?
- Does everyone know who is covering each role?
- Are key tasks documented?
- Can the business continue operating smoothly if someone is unexpectedly absent?
Making small improvements now can save countless hours and headaches in the future.
The most successful businesses don’t just prepare for summer—they build systems that work all year round.
Final Thoughts
Summer holidays should be something everyone looks forward to, including business owners. With a little forward planning, clear communication and the right systems in place, you can keep your business running smoothly while your team members enjoy a well-deserved break.
It’s also a great opportunity to step back and ask whether your current processes are really working for your business. Sometimes, a few simple changes can have a lasting impact on productivity, customer service and team wellbeing.
Need Help Planning Ahead?
We work proactively with business owners to help them build stronger, more efficient businesses. Whether you need support with payroll, management information or planning for future growth, we’re here to help.
Get in touch with GreenStones today to find out how we can help your business run more smoothly this summer – and throughout the year.