It’s 11 weeks until Christmas.

It's a good time to start planning for the Christmas shutdown. Determine the specific dates your business will be closed, and communicate this to your employees and clients.

As the holiday season approaches, it’s time to start preparing for your Christmas/New Year shutdown if your business closes down for a period between Christmas and New Year.

It’s a time for employees to take a well-deserved break and recharge for the upcoming year. However, preparing for this period can be a bit challenging, especially with the added excitement of Christmas parties. In this blog, we’ll explore essential steps to ensure a smooth Christmas/New Year shutdown for your business.

Preparing for the Christmas/New Year Shutdown

Depending on the Award that covers your business, if you’re planning to shut down over the Christmas/New Year period, you need to give your employees between 28 days' and 2 months' written notice of the shutdown period.

If an employee doesn’t have enough paid annual leave to cover the whole period of the shutdown, you can agree to annual leave in advance or leave without pay. But you can’t direct an employee to take leave without pay if they don’t want to take unpaid leave. Your Award will have information about what you can and can't do.

If an employee doesn’t have enough paid annual leave to cover all of the shutdown, the employee and employer can agree to other options for the days not covered such as using:

• other paid time such as time off in lieu

• annual leave in advance

• leave without pay.

If you have an employee that is hired after the initial notice of the shutdown, you must give that employee notice as soon as reasonably possible (for example, it's a great idea to let them know as part of their induction).

Your employee is entitled to be paid for any public holidays during the shutdown period that fall on days they would normally work. This applies even if they have agreed to take a period of unpaid leave.

In conclusion, preparing for the Christmas shutdown requires careful planning and attention to detail. By following these steps, you can ensure a smooth transition into the holiday season and create a festive and enjoyable experience for your employees.

For further expert advice on human resources or if you have any questions about anything HR related, get in touch.

Karen Hillen is your HR Partner, she helps businesses by providing HR support and advice services.

For the right HR support and advice, book a My HR Partner HR Advice call with Karen Hillen.

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