Three tips for effective vacation planning and control

Complying with legislation, designing a paid time-off policy and making the most of technology – these are all part of effective vacation control

Vacation planning and control are important personnel department tasks that need to be handled properly not only to keep employees satisfied and productive, but mainly to fully comply with legislation.

Keeping control over this process is essential, as a company needs to always keep track of which human resources it can rely on over the months. A misguided forecast can seriously impact deliveries.

Imagine, for instance, having a major project to finish and having to grant vacation leaves to two employees who are important to its implementation, both at the same time. And, worst, finding out that they are about to reach the legal deadline to take their vacations.

To avoid such problems, vacation planning and control must be carried out efficiently. Check out three tips for your business below:

1. Get acquainted with the legislation

As per the corresponding legislation, employees are entitled to vacation after a twelve-month period of service. They can make their requests themselves, but it is up to the companies to express their approval.

One point of attention is article 137 of the Brazilian Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT), which provides that whenever employees' vacations are granted after the legal deadline, employers shall pay double the respective compensation.

The Labor Reform ( Law No. 13,467/2017 ) established that, upon being given the employee's permission, vacations can be granted in up to three periods, one of which cannot be less than 14 calendar days and the others cannot be less than five.

In addition, it is now forbidden to start vacation two days prior to a holiday or a paid weekly rest..

This information is invaluable when it comes to planning out vacation leaves for a company’s staff. It is also worth counting on labor counseling to ensure the compliance of practices and work routines with the legislation in force.

2. Have an internal paid time-off policy

Designing a paid time-off policy for vacation management not only is useful for outlining procedures that comply with legislation, but also doubles as a reference for employees.

Employees must request vacation time at least 30 days in advance. Some companies may find this unhelpful if they need to schedule longer terms for projects. In this case, their policies must propose a different period for the submission of requests.

Documents must be straightforward when accounting for the inflows of requests, the scale of vacation approvals, the possibility of splitting vacations into three periods, the deadlines and the criteria for approval, among other steps and processes.

3. Use technology as an ally in vacation planning and control

Vacation management can become rather complex when it is done through extensive spreadsheets and e-mail traffic. The risk of failures and loss of information is substantial.

Relying on a system for vacation planning and control is a practical and viable solution for companies of all sizes. This is a way to eliminate problems when it comes to ensuring this right to workers.

How does vacation planning and control work in practice?

On a daily basis, each manager is presented with a vacation control chart, and they can keep track of their staff’s acquisition periods and vacation requests on a dashboard, using a computer or cellphone application.

From their desktops or apps, the staff may submit their requests, track approvals, and download vacation notices, using very simple commands. See the screenshot below:

In other words, employees are granted more autonomy and companies benefit from cutting out their paperwork, without relinquishing control over this important personnel management process.

Some benefits of employing technology in vacation management are listed below:

Streamline vacation management

Domingues e Pinho Contadores has provided support to clients in adopting technology for improving personnel management, vacation control being one of its solutions.

The HR/PD staff for system implementation is responsible for customizing this technology and they work alongside DPC's labor department, so clients who opt for this feature are given even more security.

Count on DPC to implement vacation management tools in your company. Talk to an expert: dpc@dpc.com.br.