Surge in 2021 annual leave requests follows vaccine announcement

New data from global HR software and employment law advice service BrightHR has revealed there has already been a surge in 2021 annual leave requests by UK workers, following the news that the UK’s medicines regulator has authorised a COVID-19 vaccine and rollout of the injection is imminent.

Over the past few weeks, 42,010 users of BrightHR’s people management software have already booked annual leave for next year, with workers booking an average of 10 days’ holiday as they opt for long haul holidays over short city breaks.

Alan Price, CEO of BrightHR, said: “It’s early days, but with news of a COVID-19 vaccine being approved we have already seen a surge in annual leave requests for next spring and summer.

“As we approach 2021, employers need to keep on top of annual leave requests to avoid any holiday clashes, and I would advise employers to lay out clear guidelines on booking annual leave in their workplace policies.

“Having an appropriate annual leave policy in place will encourage staff to follow the correct booking procedure and provide the necessary framework to decline holiday requests that fail to comply with the business rules.

“After a tough 2020, employers should encourage staff to make the most of their annual leave as time off work can be hugely beneficial for employees to rest and re-focus their minds. Therefore clear channels of communication must exist to ensure leave can be taken with minimum impact on the business.”