As we head into the winter period, holiday requests can surge, sickness levels rise, and for many SMEs, commercial pressure peaks.
Many of you may experience colleague burnout, clashes and conflicts over time off, and unplanned absences that hit productivity just when you need things running smoothly.
Your employees might be juggling personal commitments, financial pressure, and even end-of-year fatigue. If you don’t have a clear plan for wellbeing and fairness now, you’re likely to feel the impact in January.
3 Ways to Get Ahead:
- Map critical cover early
Figure out who must be available and communicate that clearly. Managing expectations now means fewer last-minute conflicts later.
- Be transparent about time off
Avoid tension by being clear about how holiday requests are prioritised. Fair doesn’t always mean equal, but it does mean consistent.
- Check in, not just check calendars
If someone’s slipping into silence, showing signs of stress, or withdrawing, try asking the question: How are you really doing?
The Business Case
- Absence costs SMEs up to £1,400 per employee per year, with peaks in Q4 (Expert HR, 2024).
- 1 in 4 employees say unfair treatment around time off affects their engagement (CIPD, 2023).
- A 10-minute check-in now can prevent a 4-week absence in January.
Fairness, wellbeing, and clarity aren’t just nice-to-haves in winter; they’re how you protect performance and be successful into the New Year.
Talk to us about how to keep things fair and productive through the winter season without burnout or blowups.