Mei works at Watkins & Co. She has three kids off school for six weeks every summer. So does half the office.
This year, everyone’s holiday request landed in the same week. Same fortnight. Same inbox.
No system. No visibility. No fair process. Just an email chain and a growing sense that approval depends on who asks first, who asks loudest, or who the boss likes best.
None of that is true. But it’s exactly what it looks like from the outside.
⚠️ 3 RISKS OF MANAGING LEAVE ON GOODWILL
1. Inconsistent decisions look like favouritism, even when they’re not
2. No record means no defence if a decision is ever challenged
3. Resentment builds quietly — and rarely stays about just one holiday
This is one of the easiest problems in HR to fix, and one of the most commonly ignored.
We recommend Breathe HR to clients managing leave this way. It takes the guesswork out completely — everyone can see who’s off, requests are logged, and nobody has to wonder if they got a fair shot.
At People Vision HR, we help you build the policies behind it, so when everyone wants the same fortnight, there’s a fair answer ready — not an awkward one.
Don’t leave the leave management process to one person.