Christmas Leave: Essentials for Employers

The holiday season brings high demand for leave, making planning and clear communication essential to avoid last-minute issues and ensure fairness.

Early planning and consistent decision making will most likely help to balance the needs of both the business and its people.

With careful preparation, employers can reduce stress, keep operations running smoothly, and make sure their team feels valued and supported during the festive season.

In this blog, EEA legal sponsors HCR Wright Hassall outline eight key essentials to help you manage Christmas leave effectively and fairly.

Review and communicate your holiday policy - Ensure your holiday policy clearly explains how to request time off, required notice for requesting holiday, and any restrictions during busy periods.

Encourage early planning- Encourage employees to submit their holiday requests as soon as possible, reminding them of the required notice for requesting leave, where applicable.

Apply a fair system for allocating leave - Assign time off using a transparent and clear method. You may choose a “first come, first served” system or a rotating priority, taking into account previous years.

Balance the business need with staff availability - Offer options like alternating shifts, temporary flexible hours, or small incentives for those working over Christmas.

Be mindful of individual needs- Consider diverse holidays and commitments to foster inclusion and avoid indirect discrimination.

Manage carry over and extended leave requests throughout the year- Encourage employees to take time off throughout the year to avoid a surge of holiday requests in December as employees seek to use up accrued holiday before the end of the year.

Communicate clearly and early - Communicate promptly, confirm approval or alternatives, and explain the business rationale if requests are denied.

Be aware of the risks: Discrimination claims: Employees must not be treated unfavourably due to their marital status, religion or other protected characteristics. Grievance and conflict: Apply your policy consistently and keep record of your decision-making processes to uphold transparency. Operational risk: Core duties maybe overlooked if holiday requests are managed poorly and too many employees are away at the same time. Burnout: Declining leave requests repeatedly or overworking the same team member can result in fatigue and stress and may ultimately result in burnout, particularly during the winter months. Reputational impact: Word of mouth can be crucial for businesses. Being a fair and responsible employer strengthens your reputation in the recruitment market and helps to attract staff.

If you are an Equestrian Employers Association member and need guidance on updating your holiday policy or managing conflicting requests, please contact the team. We will be happy to help!

Did you know...

In November, we joined Top-50 UK law firm HCR Law to become HCR Wright Hassall, which brings greater strength, depth and support for our clients. It’s an exciting step for us, meaning we can offer a wider pool of expertise, more resources and an even greater capability to help you achieve your goals.

 Whilst things have changed, the important parts remain the same. We’re still based in Leamington Spa, continuing to offer the legal services our clients know us for but with the added benefit of more than 1,000 lawyers and colleagues across 12 offices in England and Wales, including an employment team of 40 individuals. Whatever legal support is needed, we’re ready to support you as EEA members - and now with even more specialists on hand.