Vacation planning: how to do it right
Vacation planning is an important topic in the company. Every employee has individual wishes and would like to take their vacation entitlement at certain times. We answer all the important questions on this topic in the following article.
What you need to consider
Employees are free to decide when and for how long they wish to take their vacation. They are also free to decide how they take their leave throughout the year.
The statutory vacation entitlement stipulates that employees’ vacation requests have priority. This and other regulations are set out in the Federal Leave Act.
Accordingly, employees with a 5-day week are entitled to a minimum of 20 working days’ leave per year.
The employer must ensure that not all team members take their vacation at the same time. After all, the company must continue to operate despite the vacation.
The boss still has the final say in the allocation of vacation dates and so in some situations he has to find a compromise.
Can the employer demand vacation planning?
It is perfectly possible for the employer to set a deadline for vacation planning. This allows them to take into account the different vacation requests of all employees.
If an employee does not notify the employer of any requests within the specified period, the employer may use the employee’s vacation days.
How far in advance do you have to submit them?
In principle, the motto here is: the earlier, the better. Because only with sufficient lead time can the company plan and respond to all wishes or find acceptable compromises.
Is vacation planning binding?
The rule here is that approved leave may not be revoked even in the event of a sudden staff shortage. Approved leave is therefore safe.
Only if the continued existence of the company is threatened may the employer revoke leave that has already been accepted. However, this happens in very rare cases. In such a situation, the employer must reimburse all costs incurred by canceling the trip.
This also applies vice versa for employees. Once the leave request has been approved, this is binding for both parties.
Also make sure that you receive a response from the employer to the leave request. A request that is not responded to is not automatically accepted. You always need approval from your line manager for it to be valid.
If an employee takes leave without the employer’s consent, they risk at least a warning and, in the event of a repeat offense, even immediate dismissal.
Always obtain written permission for the vacation; an e-mail is completely sufficient.
Bridging days allow more vacation
More vacation with bridging days. This is possible every year, including this year (2022).
Every year brings 9 public holidays throughout Germany. In some federal states, there are additional public holidays that provide even more days off.
If public holidays are, for example, on a Tuesday or Thursday, or even a Monday or Friday, then an extended weekend is a good idea.
In 2022, the following 4 public holidays are on a Tuesday or Thursday:
- Epiphany (January 6)
- Ascension Day (May 26 – public holiday)
- Corpus Christi (June 16)
- All Saints’ Day (November 1)
It also happens every year that some public holidays fall on the weekend. In 2021 this was 5 days, now in 2022 it is only 3 days. A brief look ahead to 2023 shows that only 1 day, namely New Year’s Day, falls on a Sunday.
Use the Easter holidays
Easter is a particularly popular vacation period. Good Friday and Easter Monday are practically an invitation to take a long vacation. Employees who take the 4 working days before Good Friday and the 4 working days after Easter Monday off get 16 days off with 8 vacation days.
If you only take 4 vacation days, you can still get 9 days off.
Vacation planning for Ascension Day and Whitsun
As always, Ascension Day falls on a Thursday. If you take the working days before and after May 26th off, you can take 9 days off in a row with the 4 vacation days taken.
Do you want your vacation to be a little longer? That’s possible if you also take Whit Monday (June 6) off. This way you can enjoy 12 days off from May 26 to June 6 and have only taken 6 days off.
Use long weekends
Would you prefer to enjoy several short weeks and extended weekends? Then take advantage of public holidays such as Good Friday, Easter Monday, Whit Monday, Ascension Day and German Unity Day.
These days are either on a Monday or a Friday, which makes them ideal for long weekends.
