Improve your leave management

leave management
Managing leave entitlements can be challenging for businesses, especially with multiple public holidays throughout the year and varying employee expectations. Ensuring fairness while maintaining operational needs requires proactive leave planning and a clear understanding of Fair Work obligations.

Key Considerations for Leave Management

Managing Annual Leave Requests Fairly

Balancing employee leave requests with business needs is crucial. Best practices include:

Understanding Public Holiday Pay Rules

Public holiday entitlements vary depending on an employee’s award or enterprise agreement. Key considerations:

  • Employees who work on a public holiday may be entitled to penalty rates or a day in lieu.
  • Employers cannot automatically refuse leave requests for public holidays but can negotiate alternative arrangements based on business needs.
  • Part-time and casual employees’ entitlements depend on their usual rostered hours.

Not Working on Public Holidays

Employees should be given the choice to work on a public holiday or not.

Employers can request employees to work on a public holiday, but the request has to be reasonable.

An employee can refuse a request to work if the:

Managing Excessive Leave Balances

Large leave balances can create operational and financial risks. Employers can:

🔹   Encourage employees to take leave at quieter times to prevent burnout.

🔹   Direct employees to take leave in line with the Fair Work Act, provided you follow award or agreement requirements.

🔹   Offer incentives for planned leave, such as extra time off for employees who take leave during low-demand periods.

Actionable Next Steps: Proactive Leave Planning Guide

By planning ahead and applying a fair and structured approach, businesses can balance operational needs while supporting employees’ right to time off.

How can Businessary help you?

Find out more about any of the above or reach out to Lana Rajsic for a no obligation discussion by booking a time here.