Managing staff holidays is one of the most important decisions a company makes each year. Those who plan ahead save themselves a major headache in July.

The time comes when, in many companies, a conversation begins that should have taken place earlier. Everyone wants to go away in August, nobody wants to cover for anyone else, and the shift manager tries to juggle a schedule that simply doesn’t add up. The result is predictable: internal tension, compromised operations, and customers who notice that things aren’t running as smoothly as the rest of the year. It is neither a new nor an inevitable problem. It is a planning problem. And the good news is that it can be solved if tackled in good time. May is the month when most employees want to know exactly when they’re going away. That means now is the window for the company to take the initiative, organise the rota and prevent simultaneous requests from turning a normal process into a human resources crisis that nobody needs in the middle of summer.

What is lost when the knowledgeable ones go away

There is a reality that few companies articulate but all are aware of: when a long-serving employee goes on holiday, something goes with them that isn’t in any manual. Knowledge of clients, the rhythm of work, ways of resolving situations not covered by any protocol, the operational memory that makes things run smoothly without anyone having to explain them every time. That cannot be replaced overnight.

The replacement may be capable, may be keen, and may be well-trained. But they lack the context. They don’t know which client needs a call before any proposal is sent, nor do they know that the supplier on duty responds better to an email than a phone call. That knowledge is a real asset, and its temporary absence comes at a cost that should be acknowledged without dramatising the situation or blaming anyone. Simply manage it.

Agree before everyone asks for the same thing

The first step towards a summer rota that works is to anticipate requests. Opening the holiday application process with clear criteria and a visible calendar for the entire workforce reduces tension and allows the company to make decisions with sufficient lead time to cover them properly.

Determining which roles are critical, which periods cannot be left without senior cover, and which staffing combinations guarantee the minimum necessary operational capacity is a time-consuming exercise but one that saves problems. It is not about denying holidays or imposing schedules without consensus. It is about managing a limited resource—summer time—with the same care as any other company resource.

The combination that works: veterans and new recruits

Here is one of the opportunities that summer offers and which few companies consciously take advantage of. Staff turnover need not be merely a staffing issue. It can also be an opportunity to bring in new profiles to work alongside more experienced employees before they leave, absorbing the context, learning how things are done and bringing an energy that established teams sometimes need.

That combination, if well managed, generates something more valuable than simply filling a post. It generates a pool of talent. People who arrive as summer replacements and who, by the end of the period, have demonstrated enough to be considered for the medium or long term. They already know the company culture, have worked with the actual team, and will not need to adapt from scratch if it is decided to take them on permanently.

Not all summer replacements have that potential. But some do. And the only way to identify them is to give them the opportunity to prove themselves in a real-world context, with the right resources and alongside people who can mentor them without having to put their own work on hold to do so.

What the company gains from good planning

A well-managed summer rotation is not just the absence of problems. It is an internal signal that the company operates with sound judgement even at times when performance is not at its peak. Employees who go on holiday with peace of mind because they know their work is covered return in better spirits. Those who stay know that the effort to cover for their colleagues is recognised and reciprocated when their turn comes.

And customers, even if they know nothing of the company’s internal schedule, notice the difference between an organisation that has planned for the summer and one that has improvised. That difference isn’t always measured in specific incidents. Sometimes it’s measured in the general sense that things are running smoothly, which is exactly what any company wants to convey all year round.

You still have time. Summer comes round for those who plan and those who don’t alike. The difference lies in how you get through it.