Ah, the winter season.
As the year comes to a close, many employees are thinking about festive plans, family time, and taking a well-earned break after a demanding year. For hospitality, retail, and care businesses, winter often brings a perfect storm: peak trading periods, reduced daylight hours, seasonal illness — and a sharp increase in holiday requests around Christmas and New Year.
Picture this: last-minute leave requests landing in your inbox, rotas being reshuffled daily, and the pressure to keep operations running smoothly during one of the most commercially important times of the year. Without clear processes, winter scheduling can quickly become overwhelming.
As a manager, handling holiday requests efficiently isn’t just about approving or rejecting time off — it’s essential for protecting employee wellbeing, maintaining service levels, and staying legally compliant.
To provide clarity during this busy season, this article answers the most common questions employers ask about holiday requests. We’ll also highlight how software solutions like Bizimply can simplify and streamline holiday management during winter.
Why Winter Holiday Requests Can Be Especially Challenging
Winter brings its own unique pressures.
Research published in the European Scientific Journal shows that frontline workers are more likely to experience communication challenges, increased stress, and higher pressure — particularly during busy periods. For hospitality and retail managers, the winter season often amplifies these challenges.
A separate study on Work Stress and Well-being in the Hotel Industry found that managers frequently experience higher stress levels than hourly employees. In care environments, this pressure can be even greater, as teams balance staff shortages with increased responsibility for vulnerable residents.
With these factors in mind, it’s no surprise that managers face difficult questions about time off during the winter months. Let’s address the most common ones.
How Long Does an Employer Have to Respond to a Holiday Request?
UK
In the UK, holiday notice periods are governed by the Working Time Regulations and guidance from the UK Government.
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Employees must give notice of at least twice the length of the leave requested, plus one day.
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Employers can refuse or cancel a holiday request, but must give notice equal to the length of the leave requested, plus one day.
For example, if an employee requests five days of leave, you must give at least six days’ notice if you intend to refuse or cancel it.
If different notice requirements are clearly outlined in an employment contract, the contract terms will take precedence.
Ireland
In Ireland, employers are legally required to provide employees with a contract of employment that sets out terms and conditions related to paid annual leave. This includes:
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How much notice employees must give when requesting leave
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How long they should expect to wait for a response
If you employ staff across multiple countries, it’s essential to account for international employment laws and ensure local compliance.
Are There Situations Where an Employee Cannot Take Leave?
Yes. While most full-time employees working a five-day week are entitled to at least 28 days of paid annual leave (including public holidays), this entitlement can look very different in hospitality, retail, and care businesses.
Part-time and irregular-hours employees accrue leave differently, which can complicate winter holiday requests.
There are two common reasons an employer may deny a holiday request:
1. Insufficient Available Annual Leave
If an employee hasn’t worked enough hours to accrue paid leave, or has already used their allocated entitlement, the employer may refuse the request.
To calculate accurate holiday entitlements — especially for hourly staff — you can use Bizimply’s Holiday Entitlement Calculator.
2. Busy or Restricted Periods
Managers may also have valid grounds to deny leave if it falls during critical trading periods, such as Christmas week or New Year’s Eve, where approving the request would significantly impact operations.
In all cases, individual employment contracts should be reviewed, as they may contain additional rules or blackout periods for annual leave.
If you manage employees in multiple countries, international employment law must also be considered.
Managing Holiday Requests with Bizimply
Bizimply offers practical solutions to help businesses manage winter holiday requests fairly and efficiently. One useful feature is automatic holiday carryover, ensuring unused leave is handled correctly at year-end.
Using the desktop platform or the MyZimply app, employees can:
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Request time off
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View available holiday hours
Managers can:
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Approve or reject holiday requests
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Use the time-off calendar to avoid approving too much leave at once
If this is something you’d like to implement ahead of your busiest period, you can book a free demo with the Bizimply team.
Can I Set a Fixed Start and End Date for Annual Leave Entitlement?
Yes. Employers generally use one of two approaches:
Fixed Leave Year
A specific start and end date is set for all employees’ annual leave. This should be clearly stated in the employment contract or company policy.
Employment Start Date
Alternatively, the leave year can begin on the employee’s start date. In this case, annual leave is accrued and taken relative to that date.
Bizimply makes it easy to manage and track holiday entitlements throughout the year, regardless of which approach you use.
Why Do Employers Need to Track Holiday Requests?
Once you understand the rules around approving or rejecting holiday requests, the next question is: why is accurate tracking so important?
In the UK, the Working Time Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/1833) require businesses to keep records of working time — including annual leave, overtime, and time off for dependants — for at least two years.
In Ireland, the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) requires employers to retain working time and leave records for three years, including start and finish times, hours worked, and employee leave.
Accurate record-keeping and compliant data handling are legal obligations.
With Bizimply, you can export Holiday Balance Reports at any time, while keeping all leave data securely stored in one place.
How Can Bizimply Help?
Bizimply simplifies holiday requests and leave management through powerful, easy-to-use features:
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Employee Self-Service: Staff can request time off via the MyZimply app or web portal, with managers receiving instant notifications.
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Centralised Scheduling: Approved leave automatically appears on the rota, preventing accidental scheduling conflicts.
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Accurate Leave Tracking: Holiday accrual is calculated for hourly staff, with clear tracking for salaried employees.
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Customisable Policies: Set minimum notice periods and control visibility of leave balances.
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Compliance & Reporting: Maintain detailed records to support legal compliance and management reporting.
By embracing technology for holiday management, employers can navigate the winter season with confidence — improving efficiency, employee satisfaction, and operational stability.
