Holiday Management Checklist

 A practical guide for managers and organisations

Use this checklist to ensure your holiday system is fair, transparent, and efficient and to save yourself hours of time throughout the year.

1. Build the Foundations

☐ Define your minimum staffing levels
☐ Identify peak periods where leave is restricted
☐ Map skill requirements for each shift or team
☐ Decide how many people can be off at the same time
☐ Establish rules for part‑time staff and flexible workers
☐ Clarify how Bank Holidays will be allocated
☐ Set clear deadlines for requesting leave
☐ Plan your cover

2. Create a Written Holiday Management Plan

☐ Document the rules before any requests come in
☐ Ensure the plan applies equally to everyone
☐ Include examples so staff understand how decisions are made
☐ Add procedures for unusual or emergency situations
☐ Make sure the plan is easy to read and easy to find

3. Communicate the Plan Clearly

☐ Share the plan with all employees
☐ Explain the “why” behind the rules
☐ Give staff time to ask questions
☐ Confirm everyone understands how to check availability
☐ Make the process transparent so staff know what to expect

4. Apply the Rules Consistently

☐ Approve or decline requests based on the plan not personal preference
☐ Avoid making exceptions for individuals unless it’s a rare, rule‑based event
☐ Record decisions so you can demonstrate fairness
☐ Ensure all managers follow the same process

5. Make It Easy for Employees

☐ Provide a simple way for staff to check if their request is likely to be approved
☐ Encourage employees to propose solutions, not problems
☐ Allow staff to see who is already off (where appropriate)
☐ Give clear timelines for approval

6. Review and Adjust Annually

☐ Analyse holiday usage and pinch points
☐ Review fairness across teams
☐ Check whether minimum staffing levels still make sense
☐ Update the plan based on operational changes
☐ Re‑communicate any updates to all staff

7. Protect Fairness at Every Step

☐ Ensure rules were written before requests
☐ Apply the same criteria to everyone
☐ Avoid ad‑hoc decisions that create resentment
☐ Keep the process transparent and predictable
☐ Remember: fairness is about minimising unfairness

Why This Checklist Matters

Holiday management doesn’t need to be reactive. Holidays can and should be organised events. You know exactly how much holiday each person is entitled to: this is not a surprise. So you can predict what will happen and take steps to make it happen in the best way possible for everyone. 

A good holiday management plan takes all of the strain out of holidays, for managers and employees. It saves hours of management time, time that is better spent doing other things. It boost efficiency, productivity, fairness, moral, trust. If you want to find out more reasons why a holiday management plan is so important look at my blog: Why Every Organisation Needs a Holiday Management Plan (And Why It Pays for Itself)

Want a Ready‑Made Plan?

If you want a complete, field‑tested Holiday Management Plan — including rules, variations, templates, and worked examples — my book 📘 Holidays and Absence Management gives you everything you need.

You can use it straight away or adapt it to your organisation.

Either way, it saves you the time, stress, and guesswork of building a system from scratch.