Oct 30, 2023
The holiday season is an important time for many people to spend time with their family and friends to relax and recharge for the year ahead. It’s also a busy time for many businesses, especially those in retail and hospitality, so balancing your business’s needs with your team’s needs can be challenging but not impossible.
If you’re planning on closing during the Christmas and New Year period and your employees are covered under an award, you’ll need to check the relevant rules for that award to ensure compliance.
In May of this year, rules around shutdown periods for 77 awards (including building and construction, hospitality, hair and beauty, and real estate) changed, and you can only direct an employee to take leave during shutdown periods if their award or registered agreement allows it.
One key change is that employers must give 28 days’ notice of the shutdown period unless an agreement for a shorter notice period has been reached with the majority of affected employees.
A few other things to keep in mind
If your business won’t be closing over the holiday period, your employees may request to take annual leave during this time. Employees will need to request leave in advance in accordance with their award, registered agreement, company policy or employment contract.
It’s important to remember that an employer can only refuse an employee’s request for leave if the refusal is reasonable.
Similar to refusing an employee’s leave request, an employer’s cancellation of approved leave must be reasonable. You’ll also need to consider whether the employee has incurred any expenses concerning the leave request and how much notice you’re giving the employee.
Likewise, if the employee wishes to cancel an approved leave request, the employer shouldn’t unreasonably refuse the request.
Workforce planning around the holidays can be tricky. You may have multiple employees who want to take the same period off, making it challenging to create rosters and ensure you’ve got appropriate coverage.
Reducing stress during this time of the year comes down to being reasonable, good communication and robust employment policies. Communicate with your employees early about the business’ needs and expectations during the busy Christmas and New Year period. If you don’t shut down during this time, ensure your company policies and employment contracts set out how leave requests are managed during high-demand periods.
If you need any help with preparing your business for the holiday season or would like to find out more about our successful recruitment campaigns, call our HR experts on 1800 868 254 or talk to an expert.
Guides to help you uncover human resource insights, and make the right changes to improve team delight.
Amelie is our Marketing Lead and currently studying for a B.A. in Business and Visual Arts. She brings her visual arts skills and eye for colour and detail to our graphics and design for the business.
Amelie uses her skills as a digital native in our Marketing team and works across our social media channels. Amelie provides administrative support and assists the recruitment team in finding great candidates.
Sarah joins the team at Total HRM following her time in a regional real estate company, most recently in HR. She brings a solid understanding of the unique dynamics and challenges within small and medium-sized businesses.
Prior to real estate, Sarah worked in the airline industry, providing her with excellent skills in customer service and how to remain calm in a crisis.
Known for her positive energy, Sarah approaches her role with enthusiasm and a genuine desire to support and uplift those she works with. With her experience in HR and recruitment, Sarah is committed to fostering a culture of inclusivity, professional growth, and employee well-being. Her ability to connect with people and create a positive work atmosphere contributes to the overall success of teams and the business as a whole.
Ashly is one of our most experienced HR Business Partners with over 20 years of experience in manufacturing and hospitality, both local and overseas, ranging from large multinational companies to small family-owned operations. Throughout his career, Ashly regularly led teams with over 30 employees while continually growing the business and aligning business strategies with employee capabilities.
Ashly has qualifications in Applied Management and Human Resources and a strong leadership and people management background. Ashly combines his experience with his qualifications to develop great workplace cultures while delivering practical support.
As our Business Services Manager, David keeps everything that is Total HRM ticking along – from overseeing administration and finance functions, liaising with clients and suppliers, to IT troubleshooting and keeping everyone on track to deliver effective customer service to all our clients.
In a business landscape of ‘information overload’, Kim’s pragmatic approach simplifies the ever-changing HR trends and legislation to obtain meaningful and maximum benefits for her clients.
Kim is well known for her ability to understand the ‘real’ issues within businesses and to provide solutions for sustained business growth.
Kim has over 20 years of experience in human resources and 15 years of business consulting experience, and she holds post-graduate Business and Human Resource qualifications.
She has vast and varied experience in senior consulting roles across varying disciplines and HR management positions within retail, manufacturing and professional service sectors.
Linda is the Managing Director of Total HRM and has worked for over twenty five years in business and consulting, including executive and senior management roles. She has worked here and overseas in numerous industries, including mining, energy and government. Her experience in areas such as production, strategic planning, finance, OHS/WHS, and lecturing in Human Resources Management at La Trobe University provides her with a unique blend of business and HR capability.
Linda has led comprehensive organisational restructures and implemented programs to improve the effectiveness of businesses with clear alignment between individuals’ contributions and organisational outcomes. She works with various local boards and executive teams in the region. She is a Certified Professional Member of the Australian Human Resources Institute.