With the school holidays in full swing, August is often the month when many employees take a large portion of their annual leave. Those without school-age children may avoid peak travel costs by booking outside of August—but they still feel the impact when colleagues disappear for a week or two.
But what happens when some employees haven’t taken much leave at all?
If anyone on your team still has more than half their annual leave allowance left at this point in the year, it may be time for a gentle reminder. Annual leave is a legal right for an important reason: rest is essential for health, wellbeing and long-term performance. Not taking leave isn’t a sign of commitment—it can be an early indicator of burnout.
Remember, holiday entitlement is governed by the Working Time Regulations 1998, a core piece of Health & Safety legislation that also sets limits on working hours and mandates appropriate breaks. These rules exist to protect employees from fatigue and employers from risk.
There’s also a practical consideration…
If everyone saves their holiday until winter, you may find yourself severely understaffed at Christmas. Keeping an eye on leave throughout the year helps ensure an even spread of absences and supports smoother business operations.
When annual leave doesn’t stretch far enough
For parents and carers of school-age children, annual leave alone rarely covers school holidays, inset days and unexpected closures. Some employees may turn to unpaid parental leave to bridge the gap. Others—more worryingly—may see sickness absence rise as they try to juggle childcare pressures.
If any of this sounds familiar, it may be the right moment to review your Employee Handbook to ensure your policies are clear, accessible and comprehensive.
What Should a Good Employee Handbook Include?
A well-structured handbook is more than a box-ticking exercise—it protects your business, supports your managers and gives employees clarity and confidence.
A robust handbook should cover core HR and employment policies such as:
- Disciplinary / Code of Conduct
- Data Protection / Privacy / GDPR
- Email and Internet Use
- Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
- Grievances
- Health & Safety (onsite, hybrid, remote)
- Holidays
- Sickness & Attendance
- Time Off for Dependants
- Adoption Leave & Pay
- Alcohol & Drugs
- Anti-Bribery
- Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
- Capability
- Carers Leave
- Compassionate Leave
- Dignity at Work
- Dress & Appearance
- Driving for Work
- Flexible Working
- GDPR Record of Personal Data
- Gifts from Clients / Suppliers
- Leaves of Absence
- Lone Working
- Maternity
- Menopause
- No Smoking
- Parental Bereavement Leave
- Parental Leave
- Paternity Leave
- Recruitment
- Redundancy
- Reimbursement of Expenses
- Religious Observance Room
- Severe Disruption
- Shared Parental Leave and Pay
- Social Media
- Stress & Mental Wellbeing
- Training & Development
- Whistleblowing
(Yes—it’s a long list! Which is why many small businesses tell us they don’t know where to start.)
Not Sure Where to Begin? We Can Help.
If you don’t yet have an Employee Handbook, or if yours hasn’t been reviewed for a while, now is an ideal time to put this right.
At Pure HR, we offer a range of options:
- A simple, essential handbook covering the must-have policies
- A comprehensive version for more complex or fast-growing organisations
- Tailored updates whenever employment legislation evolves
- Ongoing support to ensure your handbook remains a living document that reflects current laws and internal practices
We remove the burden and give you peace of mind that your policies are clear, compliant and ready to support managers and employees alike.
Let us help you stay protected and prepared
A well-crafted Employee Handbook not only helps your team navigate busy periods like school holidays—it also strengthens your culture, protects your business and ensures consistency across the year.
To find out more about the Pure HR Employee Handbook service, call Steph now on 01794 329470.
We’re here to help you stay compliant, confident and ahead of the game.
