Is hoarding holding your balance sheet to ransom? See how an expert can help take the pressure off your balance sheet.

 

Make travel bookings a breeze and watch leave balances shrink

 

Big annual leave balances aren’t just an HR headache, they’re a cash flow drain waiting to happen. The longer employees hoard their leave, the bigger the financial strain.

But getting them to actually use it? That’s a whole other challenge, especially for lean teams where every absence feels like losing a star player on game day.

 

That’s where a travel management company (TMC) comes in. And no, we’re not just here to book your boss’s red-eye to Sydney. A switched-on TMC makes all travel seamless, whether it’s jetting off for work or finally locking in that beach getaway.

When booking is fast, fuss-free, and way too easy to ignore, employees are far more likely to take the leave they’ve earned. And that means less leave liability, fewer frazzled employees, and a workforce that actually comes back refreshed.

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Why do annual leave balances spiral out of control?

An employee's leave balance can pile up for all sorts of reasons, and none of them do anyone any favours:

  • Key team members feel too essential to step away
  • Employees skip holidays to avoid the dreaded post-break workload
  • Some stockpile leave like a safety net, saving it for a long getaway or unexpected emergencies

The result? A growing financial liability that weighs down the business's bottom line. But it’s not just about the numbers.

Overworked employees aren’t exactly thriving. Skipping leave leads to burnout, low morale, and a team that’s running on fumes. And when that happens, productivity tanks, engagement plummets, and company culture takes a hit.

 

How to get those leave balances down

Be honest, are you actually doing anything to tackle your growing leave liability? If not, it’s time to shake things up.

Employees are far more likely to take leave when there’s an exciting trip to tempt them, so why not make holidays a talking point in your workplace? Here’s how:

  • Promote travel deals through company emails or your intranet
  • Offer incentives for taking leave during quieter business periods.
  • Use travel vouchers, gift cards, or discounts as rewards
  • Educate employees on the health and wellbeing benefits of taking a proper break

 

Bring in the experts

Want to make it effortless? Partner with a TMC to pull it all together. A TMC can curate exclusive holiday deals, share last-minute offers, and connect employees with a travel manager for real-time access to the best rates. The easier it is to book, the more likely they are to take the break they need.

Already working with a TMC? Great! Now it’s time to tap into everything they can do beyond business travel. Give them an idea of your annual leave liability and see how they can help take the pressure off with a tailored game plan. That way, employees can chat with a travel manager about their travel preferences and get alerts for trips they’ll actually want to book.

Turn travel perks into leave incentives

If your TMC is connected to a global network (like us!), chances are they can send exclusive travel deals straight to your inbox.

Got a staff event coming up? Use travel vouchers as prizes for top performers. Even a small incentive, like a few hundred dollars off a trip, can be the nudge an employee needs to take a well-earned break.

Want to spark some office FOMO? Leverage last-minute travel deals and airfare sales by spreading the word. Your TMC should be able to flag hot package deals so you can sweeten the deal with incentives like an extra free leave day to encourage longer trips.

When it comes to managing large annual leave balances, a little incentive goes a long way. We're talking fewer liabilities, a happier team, and a balance sheet that’s finally under control. Now, that’s a win!

About Flight Centre Travel Group

The Flight Centre Travel Group is one of the world’s largest travel retailers and corporate travel managers. The company, which is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, has company-owned leisure and corporate travel business in dozens of countries, spanning Australia, New Zealand, the Americas, Europe, the United Kingdom, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and Asia. ASX listed Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT) also operates the global FCM corporate travel management network, which extends to more than 100 countries through company-owned businesses and independent licensees, along with Corporate Traveller, the flagship business specific to the small-to-medium-sized enterprise sector. For more information, visit fctgl.com.

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