ABC Corporation changed their annual leave policy to state that you couldn’t take more than 10 consecutive days holiday, they made the change with the best of intentions, they wanted staff to take breaks more often, rather than just taking 3 or 4 weeks of leave so that they would be less likely to get ill or get overwhelmed from working in a fast-paced industry.
However, there was an outcry from all of their staff with families from countries that required a long haul flight to visit.
Denise has elderly parents who live in Jamaica, she visits them every January to take care of them, ensure any repairs that are needed for the family home are completed.
Ahmed’s wife and children still live in India as they have family support there, he goes back twice a year and his wife brings the children to London for the summer holidays. Countless others have family in America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia that they visit, but also staff who took their children back to the land of their (or their parents) birth, so that they could spend time with family, learn about their culture and experience a different way of life.
The leadership team that decided for the policy change were all British, a family visit for them was car ride or short-haul flight. They hadn't even asked their staff reps for input, as they saw it as an operational matter.
After staff, some of whom had already booked their flights and had extended leave approved, explained why they preferred to take extended leave the policy was revoked, but the change led to a drop in morale as staff felt like they weren’t being treated like they were capable of choosing when and how to use their annual leave.
To avoid a misstep with your team, it is important to do the following:
Consult with staff, regarding any change that will affect them, whether or not you think it will be well received, you don't know everyone's personal circumstances.
Pilot new schemes to see how they work in reality, there may be positive or negative impacts that you do not realise until you try.
Review your policies annually to see if they are fit for purpose and remain competitive, as your business grows you’ll need to check that your policies are fit for purpose.
You need to ensure that your policies and processes do not disadvantage any members of your team, including those with protected characteristics (age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity).
If you need help making sure your policies are up to date and relevant for you and your team, schedule a call