With the news of the COVID-19 vaccines providing a light at the end of the tunnel, we’ve reviewed what that means for workers and their 2021 holiday plans. Let's take a look at what we’ve found…
An Overview
Our data shows that there’s already been a surge in 2021 annual leave requests by UK workers, following the news that a COVID-19 vaccine is beginning to roll out.
In total, 42,010 BrightHR users have booked annual leave for next year, with an average of 10 days requested so far.
Despite making holiday plans for 2021, many employees still haven’t taken all their annual leave for 2020 yet, with employees averaging six leftover days.
Plus, with lots of businesses resetting their holiday allowance in January, these employees are running out of time to use their remaining days off.
Just over a fifth of employees have until the end of the financial year to use their remaining days off, while some employees get their leave reset on their work anniversary—something our HR software can help you manage.
Age breakdown
We found that 18 to 24-year-olds were more likely to have used their full holiday allowance by now, than their older co-workers. This age group averaged 3.69 days compared to the overall average of 6.17.
As you can see, 25 to 34-year-olds were the next age group with the most holidays remaining. While those aged 55+ had more than eight days left to take.
What's the verdict?
Alan Price, CEO of BrightHR, said: "It's early days but with news of a COVID-19 vaccine being approved, we have already seen a surge in annual leave requests for next spring and summer.
"As we approach 2021, employers need to keep on top of annual leave requests to avoid any holiday clashes, and I would advise employers to lay out clear guidelines on booking annual leave in their workplace policies.
“Having an appropriate annual leave policy in place will encourage staff to follow the correct booking procedures and provide the necessary framework to decline holiday requests that fail to comply with the business rules.
“After a tough 2020, employers should encourage staff to make the most of their annual leave, as time off work can be hugely beneficial for employees to rest and refocus their minds. Therefore, clear channels of communication must exist to ensure leave can be taken with minimum impact on the business.”
Make your holiday management a breeze
BrightHR’s online software makes managing your staff holidays quick and easy. You can approve leave requests at the tap of a button and see exactly who’s off to avoid any holiday clashes.
And if you decide to let staff carry over annual leave into 2021, BrightHR makes that simple too. Just enter how many days an employee wants to carry over and BrightHR instantly adds this to the next year’s balance.
To see how easy BrightHR makes your holiday management, book your free demo today.