Whether your business is large, small or something in between, it is absolutely essential that employee holiday planning is done effectively.

If holiday planning goes wrong then it could, at the very least, cause some issues in the office; it will be tough to complete particular tasks, and it could lead to certain projects having to be postponed.

A perfect example of this happening, and the subsequent disastrous fallout, occurred in 2018 when Ryanair was forced to cancel thousands of flights because it didn't have enough pilots available.

And, while not all of this was related to pilots being on holiday, the issue was largely caused because the HR systems had not been designed in a way that could foresee times when there would be an employee shortfall. The problem was only spotted when it was too late to find a remedy. In this instance, a staff holiday planner or absence management software would have been incredibly useful.

So, with that example in mind, let's take a look at how you can ensure such a situation doesn't befall your organisation.

It seems like an obvious point to make, but the importance of forward planning cannot be overstated. This means more than simply figuring out when holidays are due, but also being aware of crucial business projects, deadlines and events on the horizon. It may be that you will have to complete work well in advance of its due date if employees are going to be away, but the sooner you know that the easier it will be to accomplish.

If you are a small operation, or if there is a particularly crucial time coming up at some point in the future, make sure to tell employees far in advance that they will not be able to take time off during this period. If you explain the reasons and give members of staff time to plan holidays accordingly, you will likely not run into significant issues. An efficient employee holiday planner will be able to alleviate most problems around this.

If your company cannot cope with having certain employees out of the office during a particular period of time, consider offering them incentives to keep them sweet. This could be bonus pay, extra days off later in the year, or the ability to carry holiday days over to the following year.

If you do need to cancel any employee's leave, or you require them to be around, make sure you divulge all information as soon as is viable. Don't get into a situation where you are coming across as unreasonable or duplicitous - be open and honest from the outset.