Major holidays occur throughout the year, so it is always a good time to revisit how you manage holidays for your remote team. You might even have employees spread out throughout the world, so it is essential to have a plan in place for giving employees the proper holidays without creating an HR nightmare. Here is how your company can reinforce attendance & PTO policies for your remote team around the holidays.
Discuss Expectations With Your Team
Ask your remote employees about which holidays they would like to take and if there are public holidays that need discussion. Discuss opportunities for leave days and public holidays, so there is no misunderstanding. If there are jam-packed days and you need your whole team, be upfront with your employees to ensure their support.
If your staff takes time off simultaneously, it can have disastrous results for your company’s productivity. Restricting the number of employees that can take time off at any given time is essential. Encourage employees to put in their requests in advance.
Set up a Tracking Process
You must establish processes for your remote team to request holidays and for you to track attendance and holiday days. Yes, multiple apps track when a person is at a computer or not, but it is better to have employees book days in advance. Use a vacation tracker to give you an overview of your team’s attendance and future time-off plans. A tracker can help you manage staff workloads efficiently. Some vacation trackers provide a list of all holidays in specific countries, which is a terrific starting point when allocating days off. Other benefits include:
- Equitable PTO for all employees
- A proper way for employees to request time off
- Track employee vacations
- Avoid shift coverage gaps
Communicate the Holiday Policy
Once you know how you will give remote team members holidays and you know how you will track them, you must communicate the policy to employees. Here are items to clarify in your holiday policy:
- How much notice should an employee give for taking time off?
- Are there restrictions to requests?
- How should remote employees request time off?
- What is the difference between company-paid holidays and other types of leave?
- Do holidays count as PTO?
Try to communicate your holiday policy often and early to employees. If possible, introduce remote employees to it through their job offer letters. Highlight the holiday policy in your employee handbook. Having a plan for handling holidays helps your remote team take time off that matters to them. It starts with a fair and inclusive holiday policy.
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