A new online poll of 1,090 employees released this week by Australian recruitment agency people2people has  revealed that close to half of Australian employees (43%) are planning to spend more annual leave during the  summer break than they did last year. With 8 in 10 having taken less than two weeks of leave in 2021, and 60 per cent of those less than a week, people2people’s Managing Director Mark Smith warns of the impact on staffing levels.

“Over the next two months, we’re already expecting to see businesses impacted by ‘The Great Resignation’.  Our October polls show that 1 in 2 Australian workers are already currently looking for a new job or planning  a career change, with more than 50 per cent having already handed in their notice this year or are considering it post lockdown.

“Australian employees are embracing the prospect of enjoying a longer-than-usual summer holiday with  cashed-up leave. 64 per cent confirmed they had taken less annual leave than in pre-COVID years.

“After the past two years of borders restrictions and forced lockdown, it’s no surprise people want a break and  have been holding out for when they can actually go somewhere. However, with many businesses only just  starting to find their feet, staff shortages will only delay the return to profit and normality for all involved. Employers will need to plan ahead and deploy more resources to cover longer gaps in their work rosters and  annual leave calendars this summer.”

To manage the summer holiday period with minimal disruption, Mark recommends: 1. Ask your employees what leave they would like to apply for now and put a deadline for requests that works  for your business. Don’t leave it until December when everyone applies last minute, and they all want the  same time off.

Engage a recruitment partner to assist with temps and casual staff to cover any shortages and allow current  employees to take the time off they need to ensure more annual leave doesn’t roll over into 2022. 3. Use the exercise to plan and prevent the cycle of annual leave accumulating and rolling over from year to  year. This will also help your team to avoid burnout and increase productivity in the long term. 4. Lead by example. Follow the process yourself and plan your own annual leave with contingencies and  support in place for others to support your role.

“The first quarter of 2022 is expected to be a more productive economy; not least because more businesses  should be operating closer to their ‘normal’, but workers will be rejuvenated after enjoying an extended  holiday,” said Mark.

About people2people:

people2people is an Australasian recruitment company built on an established reputation for providing professional and  personalised recruitment services since early 2005. At people2people recruitment, their focus is on identifying potential today to  build careers and businesses of tomorrow. Recruitment expertise includes accounting & finance, business support, executive,  government, human resources, legal, marketing & digital, property, sales, supply chain management and technology.  people2people.com.au