Minimizing Conflict During Vacation Season

Photo by Ethan Robertsonon Unsplash

Workplace conflict doesn’t take a vacation. Over the next three months,  most of your coworkers will be spending their PTO with long weekends or week-long vacations. While there’s nothing wrong with taking some vacation time throughout the year, there is some workplace etiquette to be mindful about. Here are common workplace conflicts and ways to minimize the conflict during the vacation season.

 “My vacation request was denied, but my coworker’s request was approved.”

It’s easy to feel like the boss has a personal vendetta against you when your carefully planned vacation is now ruined because you can’t get the time off you planned. However, that may not be the case. Several companies have a detailed vacation policy that stipulates when vacation can be taken, how employees can request vacation, and the management protocols if there are scheduling conflicts.

Two commonly used methods to manage the requests 

• Seniority. This can be the perfect method if multiple leave requests conflict. If you determine that the proper resolution is seniority or the importance of leave request (vacation vs. wedding), make sure this information is clearly stated in your vacation policies. Failing to communicate PTO decision-making processes can discourage new staff or breed resentment from others

• First-come-first-serve. Under this method, the employee who submits the request first will be granted the leave. This is the most common vacation request model. Encourage your employees that the sooner they can submit vacation information, the more likely it is that they can go on vacation when they plan. 

Companies can set aside a time of year for employees to submit requests for popular vacation seasons. These companies set clear deadlines for vacation requests and can better plan for the vacation season. This is also an efficient way for the project managers to determine a favorable production schedule. 

 “My coworker left for vacation in the middle of a major project, and now we won’t meet our deadline.”

When you’ve worked for weeks or months on a major project, and one of your key team members takes off work that will affect meeting a deadline, teams can often feel frustrated and betrayed. Etiquette dictates that employees communicate with their team before leaving for vacation. Was this a vacation planned before your team was assigned? Was there plenty of notice when you assigned this project and when you were expected to complete it? 

If you’re going on vacation, keep in mind that you’re entitled to use your paid time off and vacation days. However, you boost team morale when you consider your team when your plan your time off. Give your supervisor and HR department plenty of notice, especially when working on a major project. If your vacation is planned and approved before the project is assigned to you, do what you can to work ahead and complete the project before you leave. If that’s not possible, communicate with your team members when you’ll be gone and when they can expect your return. 

Note: You have no obligations to remain in contact with your team while on vacation. If there is helpful information, make it available to your team or communicate how your team can find that information before you leave.

 “My employee saved all their vacation days and will be gone for more than one week.” 

This problem may be more common in companies that do not allow rollover paid time off or vacation days. Leaders, check your vacation policies for any restrictions that state employees cannot use their vacation days for more than 5 consecutive days. If there is no such policy, there is nothing you can do until the next employment year begins and you can amend the policy if it’s causing harm to your business or production cycle. 

Oftentimes, if an employee has no urgent responsibilities or hasn’t taken a significant break during their employment year, there’s nothing wrong with their using the vacation days allotted to them even if it is inconvenient for the company.

Conclusion

The key to minimizing conflict around vacation season is clarity. Leaders have a responsibility to provide clarity with vacation policies. It may be helpful to send a reminder email or mention during a staff meeting about vacation policies in the spring when most people are making their plans. Employees have a responsibility to communicate their time-off plans with their teams to maintain peace and goodwill among the team. Employees should also be mindful and plan around any high-demand production cycles 

Vacation season doesn’t have to be a season of conflict. Enjoy your time away from the office and prepare as a team to minimize conflict during the vacation season.

At ONE EIGHTY, we encourage leaders to communicate with their employees using quarterly evaluations or weekly meetings. Whether your employees are in-office or working remotely, they need access to their supervisors and need to know when supervisors are available to resolve uncertainty. Regular check-ins and feedback surveys could help keep lines of communication open.