
If one individual has already requested off three other shifts during that month, while the other is only requesting off this one shift, you may decide to go with the latter.Īfter downloading this form and filling in the blanks, you can easily customize the style, typography, details, and appearance of your Time off request form.
Number of Prior Requests: Another potential policy is to consider how many time-off requests each employee has already submitted - or is expected to submit. For instance, if one individual is requesting time off to attend their sister's wedding, while the other has a friend in town that week, you might prioritize the former, as that reason seems to be more pressing. Reason-Based: If multiple people want the time off for different reasons, consider comparing the reasons and selecting on that basis. This policy will also encourage employees to submit their time-off requests further in advance, which is a bonus for you. Whoever submits the request first gets the days off. First Come, First Served: The simplest way to handle this scenario is on a first-come, first-served basis. Here are some ways to handle overlapping requests: However, if too many staff members are asking for the same shifts off, you might have to make some hard decisions regarding who gets their request fulfilled. This might be okay if it's only a couple of people who can easily be covered. Similarly, regardless of it being a busy time of year or not, there may be times when more than one employee requests off the same days. Create a system for handling overlapping requests. However, it's important to remain fair if you're going to make that a strict regulation, it's never okay to bend the rules for one or two employees but not others.ģ. Thus, if you have to block off some time frames during which employees aren't allowed to request time off, you should make that clear right when potential employees interview. It's difficult to keep up demand if there aren't as many people staffed on shifts. Just because those are times when more employees want work-free days doesn't mean business is slowing down. Those typically include the holiday season, school vacation time, and during the summer months. It's obvious that there are certain times of year that employees may be Hunger-Games-style battling to be the victorious one with time off. Make clear any time frames during which employees cannot request time off.
The timeframe can also be dependent on how many days are being requested off you might only need to know two weeks in advance if it's one or two days but require several months' notice if someone is taking a two-week vacation.Ģ. That can depend on your individual business and may range anywhere from two weeks to two months. The first rule for handling time-off requests is making it clear how far in advance you will be accepting requests. Establish how far in advance and how often time off should be requested. When writing a leave request, have a look at the below suggestions:ġ. A Time Off Request helps keep everything organized. If you're an employer, providing these documents to your workers can make everything easier for them, and help ensure you receive proper notice of any absences. A Time off request form is a formal way to inform your employer that you're taking a vacation or sick leave.