The Submit Vacation Bid Request feature allows administrators and authorized personnel to submit time-off requests on behalf of users during designated vacation bidding periods. This streamlines the vacation scheduling process by enabling centralized management of time-off requests, ensuring fair distribution of vacation days according to department policies, and reducing administrative burden during peak bidding seasons.

Background Information

Vacation bidding is a structured process used by many fire and EMS departments to allocate vacation time fairly among personnel, often based on seniority, rank, or departmental needs. This feature enables supervisors or administrators to enter vacation preferences for users who may not have direct system access or who require assistance with the bidding process.

Common Use Cases:

• Annual vacation bidding cycles where supervisors collect paper requests and enter them into the system
• Assisting personnel who are on leave or unable to access the system during bidding periods
• Batch processing of vacation requests for entire shifts or units
• Correcting or updating previously submitted bids before the bidding period closes

Required Permissions

To submit vacation bid requests on behalf of other users, you must have the following permission:

Access Time Off

Access vacation bidding

Create/update vacation bid

Delete vacation bid

Approve/deny vacation bid

Video

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Navigate to Vacation Bidding 
Access the Scheduling module from the main navigation menu, select Time Off, then click on Vacation Bidding to view all active and upcoming vacation bidding periods.

  

Step 2: Select the Vacation Bid Period 
Locate the vacation bid period you want to work with and click the eye icon next to it to open the bidding interface. This displays the calendar view for that specific bidding period.

Step 3: Choose the User 
From the user selection dropdown at the top of the bidding interface, select the personnel member for whom you are submitting the vacation bid request. The calendar will update to show any existing requests for that user.

Step 4: Mark Requested Days Off 
Click the checkmark on each calendar date that the user has requested as vacation time. Selected dates will be visually highlighted to indicate they are part of the bid request. You can click a date again to deselect it if needed.

Step 5: Submit the Request 
Once all requested vacation days have been marked, click the Submit Request button at the bottom of the screen to finalize the vacation bid submission for that user. The system will validate the request against department rules and bidding period constraints.

Step 6: Repeat for Additional Users 
If you need to submit bids for multiple personnel, return to Step 3 and select the next user. Continue this process until all required vacation bids have been submitted.

Best Practices

Do:

• Verify you have the correct user selected before marking vacation days to avoid submitting requests for the wrong personnel
• Review department vacation policies and maximum consecutive days off limits before submitting requests
• Submit vacation bids as early as possible within the bidding period to ensure fair processing according to seniority or department rules
• Keep paper or email records of original vacation requests from personnel for reference and dispute resolution
• Communicate with users after submitting their bids to confirm the request was entered correctly
• Check for system notifications or warnings about conflicts with minimum staffing requirements

Don't:

• Submit vacation bids outside of the designated bidding period timeframe
• Override or ignore system warnings about staffing conflicts without supervisor approval
• Make assumptions about vacation preferences—always confirm dates with the personnel member
• Submit requests that exceed annual vacation allotments or violate collective bargaining agreements
• Forget to click Submit Request after marking days (unsaved changes will be lost)
• Process vacation bids for users in other jurisdictions or departments without proper authorization

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

• Selecting the wrong user from the dropdown and submitting a bid for an incorrect person
• Accidentally clicking dates on the wrong month when scrolling through the calendar
• Not verifying that previously submitted bids don't conflict with newly entered requests
• Submitting partial requests without confirming all desired dates with the user
• Failing to account for shift rotation patterns when marking vacation days

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: I don't see the Vacation Bidding option under Time Off. Why? A: This typically means either no vacation bidding period has been configured by your administrator, the current bidding period hasn't opened yet, or your user account lacks the "Access vacation bidding" permission. Contact your system administrator to verify your permissions and confirm bidding period schedules.

Q: Why can't I select certain dates on the calendar? A: Some dates may be unavailable due to department policies, minimum staffing requirements, blackout dates, or because they fall outside the bidding period parameters. Dates that are already at maximum capacity for vacation requests may also be blocked. Hover over restricted dates to see specific reasons for unavailability.

Q: What happens if I submit a vacation bid that conflicts with someone else's request? A: The system processes vacation bids according to your department's configured rules (typically seniority-based). Conflicting requests are resolved during the approval phase. Users will be notified if their requested dates cannot be approved, and they may need to submit alternative preferences.

Q: Can I edit a vacation bid after submitting it? A: No, once submitted the days are taken off. To update days, reach out to admin.

Q: The Submit Request button is grayed out. What should I do? A: Ensure you have selected at least one vacation day and that you've chosen a user from the dropdown menu. The button will remain inactive if no dates are marked or if required fields are incomplete. Also verify that the bidding period is still open for submissions.

Q: How do I know if the vacation bid was successfully submitted? A: After clicking Submit Request, you should receive a confirmation message on screen. The submitted dates will also be visible when you access that user's vacation bid again. Some systems may send email notifications to both the submitter and the user confirming the bid submission.

Q: Can I submit vacation bids for multiple users at the same time? A: No, vacation bids must be submitted individually for each user. After completing one user's bid submission, return to the user selection dropdown to choose the next personnel member and repeat the process.

Q: What if a user wants to request time off outside the vacation bidding period? A: Regular vacation bidding is separate from standard time-off requests. For non-bidding period requests, users should submit standard time-off requests through the normal Time Off module rather than through Vacation Bidding.