Holiday planning for 2027: long weekends and fair rules within the team
SaaS.de explains: How employers can keep on top of holiday planning for 2027.
2027 offers some great long weekends, and the first holiday requests are sure to arrive soon. Planning now will help avoid bottlenecks and disputes within the team.
These days will be particularly popular in 2027
- Easter: Good Friday falls on 26 March, and Easter Monday on 29 March. With 8 days’ holiday, it is possible to have a total of 16 consecutive days off from 20 March to 4 April.
- Ascension Day: Thursday 6 May. Taking a day’s holiday on Friday 7 May gives four days off.
- Whitsun: Whit Monday is on 17 May. By taking four days’ holiday, it is possible to have nine days off from 15 to 23 May.
- Corpus Christi: Thursday, 27 May. Taking a day’s holiday on Friday allows for a long weekend. The public holiday is observed in North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, amongst others.
- All Saints’ Day: Monday 1 November. In North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, amongst others, this creates a long weekend without the need for an additional day’s holiday.
So do bear in mind that several staff members may want to take the same days off at the same time.
Who takes priority?
Under Section 7(1) of the Federal Annual Leave Act, employers must take holiday requests into account. They may only refuse them if there are urgent operational reasons preventing this, or if other employees deserve priority on social grounds, such as parents of school-age children during the school holidays. This means that the person who applies first does not automatically get their holiday approved. If there is a works council, it has a say in determining holiday policies and the holiday schedule (Section 87(1)(5) of the Works Constitution Act (BetrVG)).
Challenges
How do I deal with multiple requests for the same long weekend? Collect requests for popular periods early on, for example by the end of January. If the team cannot agree, make a decision based on social considerations and document your reasons.
How do I keep track of everything? Use a central holiday calendar instead of emails, notes and Excel spreadsheets.
Tip from SaaS.de: With SaaS.de’s leave management system, your staff can submit leave requests digitally, and the calendar highlights clashes at an early stage. Try it free for 14 days now.