Holiday Procedure

Why Every Pub Needs a Clear Holiday Procedure

Managing time off in the pub and hospitality industry can be challenging — especially when you’re juggling peak trading times, staff availability, and business needs. A clear Holiday Procedure helps you maintain fairness, consistency, and transparency across your team, while keeping your business fully staffed during busy periods.

This editable policy outlines how staff can request leave, how managers should review and approve requests, and how to handle conflicts or overlapping holiday dates. It ensures both employees and employers understand their rights and responsibilities around annual leave.

Legal Framework and Employer Responsibilities

Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, all UK employees are entitled to paid annual leave. Employers must clearly communicate holiday entitlements, approval processes, and any restrictions around peak trading periods to stay compliant.

For full guidance on holiday rights and entitlements, visit:
Gov.uk – Holiday entitlement: the basics

By implementing a structured Holiday Procedure, your venue demonstrates fairness, compliance, and effective workforce planning — essential qualities for maintaining staff satisfaction and operational stability.

What the Holiday Procedure Includes

This document is designed specifically for pubs, bars, and hospitality businesses. It provides a clear and practical framework that managers can apply with confidence. The procedure includes:

• Guidance on requesting and approving annual leave

• Notice periods for submitting requests

• Rules for handling overlapping or peak-time requests

• Information on calculating pro-rata holiday for part-time staff

• Procedures for recording, tracking, and carrying over unused leave

• Editable sections for your venue name, contact details, and specific requirements

With this document, you can simplify holiday management while ensuring that everyone on your team understands the process.

Benefits for Pubs and Hospitality Venues

• Promotes fairness and consistency in managing leave

• Ensures compliance with UK Working Time Regulations

• Reduces scheduling conflicts and staffing issues

• Builds trust and transparency between managers and staff

• Free, editable download designed for hospitality businesses

Format and Use

The Holiday Procedure is a digital download available in editable Word and PDF formats. You can easily customise it to reflect your business needs, add your branding, and circulate it to your team. Once complete, it can form part of your staff handbook or stand-alone HR documentation.

By implementing this policy, your venue gains structure and clarity, helping you balance business demands with employee wellbeing.

For the full range of the Employment Policies and Procedures on offer at That HR Girl, check out the following link: Employment Policies & Procedures | That HR Girl