Summer is approaching, which means many employees are looking forward to their well-deserved summer holiday. If you're in charge of planning holidays in your company, it can be a challenge to make it all come together. How do you make sure the employees' wishes and the running of the company fit together? Let's dive into how best to handle holiday planning.
The main holiday – what do the rules say?
Before you unfold the really big calendar, it's important that you know the rules for holiday planning. Under the Danish Holiday Act, employees are entitled to three consecutive weeks of holiday in the period 1 May to 30 September. Employees may, however, decide themselves to take only 1 or 2 weeks of holiday in the main holiday period, but as an employer you must give them the option of 3 consecutive weeks of holiday if they want it.
If employees would rather hold the fort at the office while everyone else is queuing at the zoo during the main holiday, they're free to do so. The main thing is just that the company and the employee agree on when the main holiday is taken instead.
As an employer, you must give notice of the main holiday at least three months in advance. So it's a good idea to ask employees for their holiday wishes as early as late winter.
Other holiday – flexibility with structure
Besides three weeks of summer holiday, employees are entitled to another two weeks of holiday, called “other holiday”. Unlike the main holiday, other holiday only needs one month's notice, and employees are entitled to take these days of holiday in periods of at least five consecutive days, unless you agree otherwise.
Holiday closure
If the company plans to close for the holidays, you can require employees to take holiday during this period. This also applies even if the employee hasn't accrued enough holiday. Remember, though, that the holiday closure must be announced in good time, and you may be obliged to give holiday pay in advance.
Make holiday planning easy with Zenegy
Planning holidays in a company quickly turns into a big muddle of emails, spreadsheets, Post-its and carrier pigeons. With Zenegy's employee app, your employees can easily request holiday, which makes it quick and easy for you, as the person responsible for holidays in the company, to keep track of everyone's wishes. You can also see a calendar of everyone's requests, so you can easily tell whether the holiday plan comes together. As an employer, you get a clear overview of holiday requests and can approve or reject them in a few clicks.
By following these guidelines and using the right tools, you can ensure smooth holiday planning that takes account of both the employees' needs and the running of the company. Have a good summer!
