granting time off during a merger
sdillow
7 Posts
Greetings,
I'm seeking advice from those of you with merger experience. We are in the middle of a credit union merger that should be finalized around November 1. The specific time line is somewhat unknown at this time, we are working with a lot of variables as things play out in Q3. Come Q4, we will be swamped and in the process of becoming employees of the acquiring credit union. Our staff is fully aware of this, we've asked them to be patient and to bear down and focus on their work. As summer approaches, many employees have made vacation requests well into December of Q4, one request is for 3 weeks off in late Dec / early Jan.
I'm seeking advice on how to handle the Q4 vacation requests. We will be overworked and being short staffed due to vacations is undesirable. I understand the goal of work / life balance and over the years our credit union has been extremely understanding of employee needs. However, business continuity and a successful merger is the priority and approving lengthy vacations is not the priority. Come Nov 1, we will be employees of a different credit union - I can't approve a vacation request on the clock of the new credit union. This is like starting a brand new job - yes? Would you make a 2 week vacation request after working 1 month in a brand new job? No - most logical people would not.
Is it practical and acceptable to create a "vacation black-out period" in Q4 that prohibits vacation requests for more than 2 consecutive days? I want to maintain a good reputation as an employer through this merger, but at the same time, I have employees who could care less and they only focus on their time off. Is it wrong to deny their vacation requests and insist they be around through the merger and through training and ramp-up in their new position? If they choose to leave, then that's their decision. I have asked the acquiring credit union for their input as well. Knowing how other HR Managers have handled similar situations would be very helpful.
Thanks!
I'm seeking advice from those of you with merger experience. We are in the middle of a credit union merger that should be finalized around November 1. The specific time line is somewhat unknown at this time, we are working with a lot of variables as things play out in Q3. Come Q4, we will be swamped and in the process of becoming employees of the acquiring credit union. Our staff is fully aware of this, we've asked them to be patient and to bear down and focus on their work. As summer approaches, many employees have made vacation requests well into December of Q4, one request is for 3 weeks off in late Dec / early Jan.
I'm seeking advice on how to handle the Q4 vacation requests. We will be overworked and being short staffed due to vacations is undesirable. I understand the goal of work / life balance and over the years our credit union has been extremely understanding of employee needs. However, business continuity and a successful merger is the priority and approving lengthy vacations is not the priority. Come Nov 1, we will be employees of a different credit union - I can't approve a vacation request on the clock of the new credit union. This is like starting a brand new job - yes? Would you make a 2 week vacation request after working 1 month in a brand new job? No - most logical people would not.
Is it practical and acceptable to create a "vacation black-out period" in Q4 that prohibits vacation requests for more than 2 consecutive days? I want to maintain a good reputation as an employer through this merger, but at the same time, I have employees who could care less and they only focus on their time off. Is it wrong to deny their vacation requests and insist they be around through the merger and through training and ramp-up in their new position? If they choose to leave, then that's their decision. I have asked the acquiring credit union for their input as well. Knowing how other HR Managers have handled similar situations would be very helpful.
Thanks!
Comments
1. I think you are within your rights to create a blackout, although doing it around the holiday is (as you know) very "un-CU".
2. If you convey the importance of being fully staffed during the transition, yet allow vacations, you are providing the new management team with very valuable information regarding employee commitment. If I was your employee, the first impression I would be looking to create with my new overlords would not be "Guy Who Went On Vacation At A Critical Time While Others Picked Up His Slack". From having been involved in CU merger design, I'm sure there are many employee-friendly assurances being given, but at some point there WILL be a certain amount of overlap detected, and being there when your employer needed you most is one heck of a tiebreaker.
Management stressed the importance of proving ourselves to the new owners, and as a result, very little time was taken. I think if you share with your employees your focus on the importance of employees being committed to the new organization, and the impression you will be making on the new management, you will find most of your employees will see the wisdom of not planning for time off during a critical period.
As always, your approval of leave should depend on business need. I would simply tell the employees who request time that you cannot approve any leave at this point, and won't be able to do so until you see how the chips fall and what the business needs are. Some employees are slow to make the connection. Holding them off until later will help them figure it out. As far as the employee who requested 3 weeks goes, I would ask them first if they really want to ask for 3 weeks off at such a critical time, and then without giving them a chance to reply, I would give them the same answer you are giving everyone else.
Good luck!
Nae