Many questions exist in many offices about vacation days. These questions are coming from employees, but also from the HR department. Confusion is common, due to all the rules and regulations on leave. This blog answers 4 frequently asked questions about vacation days!
1. Which part of the salary should still be paid during a vacation?
When employees go on a vacation, they are still getting their gross pay – including commissions and vacation pay. What if an employee’s contract or collective agreement states that they get extra pay when they work on the weekend, and they were scheduled to work on Saturday or Sunday if they had been present? Then they will get this extra pay during their vacation as well. Other matters such as expense allowance, overtime, and profit distribution will not apply during a vacation.
2. What are the rules regarding the expiration of vacation days?
In principle, employees get 20 statutory leave days each year. These will expire 6 months after the end of the year in which they received them – but not outright. If an employee can prove that they weren’t provided the opportunity to take their leave days in time, the expiration date will be extended to 5 years. It is up to employers not only to allow employees to take vacations, but to also to stimulate this behavior.
3. What about purchasing leave days?
Employers are not obligated to offer this option. In practice, the possibility to purchase leave days is not very popular among employees. This issue usually finds its own balance at the office; employees who want to be at home more often can make arrangements with colleagues who like to be at the office more. If you want to start working with such an arrangement, do realize that leave days can only be paid out when they exceed the statutory minimum of 20 leave days per year.
4. What does a leave day cost?
First calculate the salary of an employee, including all other aspects involved, such as a thirteenth month payment and bonuses. When it comes to the latter, it is best to take an average of the previous years. Take the total amount and divide it by the workable hours to calculate how much a vacation day would cost. Always keep in mind that a vacation should not cause employees a financial disadvantage!
However you manage the vacations within your company, proper leave registration is indispensable. That is the only way to keep a clear overview! Want to know more about our user-friendly, cloud-based leave registration system? Feel free to contact us to discuss the possibilities
