Holidays’ Definition
A holiday is a time to rest often given to students and working professionals on special occasions or events. During holidays, people take a break from their routine duties and responsibilities to sit back, relax, and celebrate.
Wait! Is it November already?
We are in that time of the year again when HR managers rigorously work on compiling the holiday list for the upcoming year. Let’s face it, it is easier said than done.
However, do not worry, for we are here to simplify the entire process for you. From giving you a clear picture of the term holiday to giving you ten effective tips to prepare the holiday list, we will make your task less daunting and much more manageable.
So, shall we dive in?
Let’s explore:
Understanding Holidays Meaning!
For working individuals, holidays are not just time off work. It is a time for them to rejuvenate and enjoy cultural inclusivity.
Needless to say, businesses can build a more positive working place and keep their people happy and engaged by providing them holidays.
Holidays play a vital role in balancing the work and personal lives of working individuals while enabling organizations to reflect their values.
There is a reason why employees eagerly wait to see the list of holidays. So, let’s know the importance of these holiday lists in the next section!
Importance of Declaring Holiday Lists
The significance of sharing holiday lists with employees cannot be overstated. Preparing and sharing this list aids both HR managers and employees in ensuring efficient planning and effective time management. In simpler words, holiday lists help businesses to maintain efficiency, while avoiding last-minute scheduling conflicts.
What is Restricted Holiday in India?
A restricted holiday, also termed an optional holiday, is a type of holiday that allows working individuals to take leave depending on their religious or cultural beliefs or individual preferences. Not to forget, these holidays are always subject to a company’s policies.
The concept of restricted holidays is completely opposite to public holidays. While public holidays are observed across the country, restricted holidays are more personalised as well as flexible.
Restricted holidays promote inclusivity by giving an equal chance to employees to celebrate their important festivals and occasions.
10 Steps to Prepare a Holiday List
Here’s a quick step-by-step process to prepare a holiday list effectively:
Review:
First things first, analyse the data of the last three years. This will help you to get a clear picture of the holidays that have worked well for your employees. In addition to this, you can also get in touch with other HR professionals to know about their holiday plans and understand common trends and best practices.
Gather:
Your list of holidays must align with the laws. So, the second step is to gather details about public holidays declared by your state government and central government from authentic sources.
Research:
Trends and practices differ from industry to industry. So, if you are moving to a new location, it is extremely crucial to conduct thorough research on the industry practices in that area.
Align:
If you, as an organization, prioritize family time, try to tag holidays just before or after weekends. This, in turn, will give employees extended weekends. However, do not forget to check that these additional leaves stay compliant with both national and local labor laws.
Proposal:
This is when you will create a holiday list for review and approval. Given that you have a lot of details and information, you will face no challenge preparing the list.
Essentials:
Your proposal holiday list must have the title, date, day, and any additional remarks. If you wish to suggest any changes to the existing holidays, give a relevant reason and supporting data. This will help management to make better decisions.
Approval:
Get approval for your proposed holiday list from the higher management. Also, maintain copies (both soft & hard) of the approval as a record for reference and internal/external audits.
Communicate:
Try to share the holiday list for next year on or before 31st December. This is, especially, important for companies that observe the 1st of January as a holiday.
Publish:
Do not forget to share a copy of the list of holidays with every employee. This will help you to promote transparency and accountability across the workplace.
Automate:
To make all the aforementioned steps easier and faster, rely on one of the simplest software in India. Such systems are designed to streamline the leave management process, making it more efficient and accurate. With the right software, you can make and share the list of holidays in no time. Plus, you can also make sure your employees have access to these lists using employee self-service portals.
We hope now you know what is a holiday, the importance of holidays, and the process of preparing a holiday list for your company.
To make the holiday list 2024 like a pro, do not hesitate to rely on HROne. With HROne, you can automate the entire process of leave management.
While HROne takes care of everything, you can sit back and relax even on a regular workday.