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| CRBJ Home > December 2006 | |||||
Don't bend the rules on vacationsBy Amanda Kramer
scheduling vacations over the holiday season? A. Having a strict vacation policy and following it every time is the best way to deal with scheduling time off over the holidays, say area human resources experts. If a business has a labor union, explained Vice President and Principal Mila Stahl of the Human Resources Group Inc., in Madison, the contract should address how and when members can take their vacations. However, if a company is non-union, then Stahl said standards for taking time off generally depend on an employer's culture and practices. Often, she said, individuals who are first in with their vacation request will be given priority consideration. Some-times, seniority can be taken into account. Also, she said, supervisors may want to consider a host of additional factors like the number of weeks the employee has for time off, holidays or other "prime times" the employee is scheduled off in the same calendar year already, operational requirements that dictate coverage of a particular department or production line, and an employee's special events like their anniversary, a graduation or a wedding. Overall, though, Stahl said, it's important to try to be as open and as fair as possible. From a religious standpoint, said business consultant Gladis Benavides, managers must remember that holidays aren't simply Christmas. Keep in mind special requests from employees of various religions. Then, she said, create a policy that incorporates various traditions and stick to it. "When I investigate complaints of discrimination, it was usually something where they weren't following a specific policy," Benavides said. "And that can get sticky." Amanda Kramer is a freelance writer who will find experts to answer your workplace-related question. kramer.news@gmail.com madison.com ©2009 Capital Newspapers. All rights reserved. |
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