Purpose Statement

The ability to manage an active vacation bidding process enables scheduling administrators to oversee the vacation selection workflow in real-time, ensure fair bidding progression, and maintain control over the bidding timeline. This functionality provides visibility into who is currently selecting their vacation days, allows temporary pauses for administrative needs, and enables proper closure of the bidding cycle while preserving already-selected time off.

Background Information

Vacation bidding is a structured process that allows personnel to select their preferred vacation days based on seniority ranking or other organizational criteria. Once a vacation bid is activated, it progresses through each eligible employee in sequence, with each person receiving their turn to select days off. Administrators need to monitor this process to ensure smooth progression, address any issues that arise, and maintain the integrity of the bidding system.

The management interface provides real-time visibility into the current bidding status, shows which employee is currently making selections, and displays all vacation days that have already been claimed. This transparency helps administrators answer questions from personnel, identify bottlenecks in the bidding process, and make informed decisions about when to pause or close the bid cycle.

Understanding the difference between pausing and closing a bid is critical. Pausing temporarily stops the process while preserving the current state—useful for addressing technical issues, waiting for clarification on available days, or accommodating organizational needs. Closing permanently ends the bidding process and locks in all selections that have been made up to that point. Any employees who haven't yet placed their bids when the process is closed will not receive vacation days from that particular bidding cycle.

Proper management of the vacation bidding process ensures fairness, maintains transparency, and helps administrators balance organizational staffing needs with employee leave preferences. This is particularly important for emergency services organizations operating under collective bargaining agreements that may specify vacation bidding procedures and timelines.

Required Permissions

• Access Time Off - User can access time off
• Update vacation bid - User can create new and update existing vacation bids
• Delete vacation bid - User can delete vacation bids
• Access vacation bidding - User can view and access vacation bids

Video

Step-by-Step Guide

Accessing the Active Vacation Bid

1. Navigate to Scheduling > Time Off
   

1. Select Vacation Bidding from the menu
   

1. Locate the active vacation bid you want to manage in the list
2. Click the eye icon next to the active bid to open the management view
   

Monitoring Bid Progress

5. Review the vacation bidding progress dashboard that displays:

   • Overall process status
   • Current bidder indicator (gavel icon shows who is currently selecting days)
   • List of all participants in the bidding order
   • Timeline of completed bids

6. To view specific employee selections:

   • Click on any employee's name in the bid list
   • Review their selected vacation days displayed on the calendar view
   • Note which dates they have claimed
     

Pausing the Bidding Process

7. Click the Pause button to temporarily stop the vacation bidding process
   

Important Notes About Pausing:

• The process will remain paused until you manually resume it
• The current bidder's turn will be preserved—they can continue when you restart
• No time limits or automatic resumption occur while paused
• All previously selected days remain locked during the pause

8. To resume the bidding process:
   • Click the Start button
   • The bidding will continue from where it was paused
   • The current bidder will be notified that their turn has resumed

Closing the Bidding Process Permanently

9. Click the Close Bid button to permanently end the vacation bidding process
   

Critical Information About Closing a Bid:

• This action cannot be undone
• All vacation days selected by employees who have already completed their bids will remain approved and scheduled
• Any employees who have not yet placed their bids when the process is closed will receive no vacation days from this bidding cycle
• Those employees will need to request time off through the standard time-off request process or wait for the next vacation bidding cycle

10. Confirm the closure when prompted by the system

11. Review the final state:

    • Verify all completed selections are properly recorded
    • Note which employees did not complete their bids
    • Document the closure for record-keeping purposes

Best Practices

Monitoring During Active Bidding:

• Check the bidding progress daily during active cycles to identify any delays
• Monitor who is currently bidding and follow up if their turn extends beyond reasonable timeframes
• Review selected days regularly to identify potential staffing gaps early
• Keep personnel informed about their position in the bidding order and expected timeline

Using the Pause Function:

• Pause the bid when technical issues need to be addressed to prevent confusion
• Use pausing during major holidays or organizational events when bidders may not be available
• Pause if questions arise about available days or bidding rules that require clarification
• Always communicate with personnel before pausing to explain the reason and expected duration

Communication Best Practices:

• Notify the current bidder when you pause the process and explain why
• Send reminders to personnel when their bidding turn is approaching
• Provide clear instructions about how to contact administrators with bidding questions
• Announce when the bidding process will be closing to encourage timely participation

Before Closing a Bid:

• Verify that all eligible personnel have had adequate opportunity to participate
• Send final reminders to any employees who haven't yet completed their bids
• Review staffing levels across all selected dates to ensure minimum staffing requirements are met
• Document which employees did not complete their bids for future reference

After Closing a Bid:

• Export or print a final report of all approved vacation days for record-keeping
• Communicate with employees who didn't complete their bids about alternative options
• Review the process for improvements to implement in the next bidding cycle
• Update shift boards and staffing projections to reflect all approved vacation days

Fairness and Compliance:

• Follow any collective bargaining agreement requirements for vacation bidding procedures
• Maintain consistency in how you manage pausing and resuming across all bidding cycles
• Document all administrative actions (pauses, closures) for audit purposes
• Apply bidding rules uniformly to all participants regardless of rank or position

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: Can I reopen a vacation bid after closing it?

A: No, closing a vacation bid is permanent and cannot be undone. Once closed, the bid cycle is complete and all selections are locked. If additional vacation days need to be allocated, you'll need to create a new vacation bidding cycle or have employees submit standard time-off requests.

Q: What happens if someone's turn to bid expires while the process is paused?

A: When the bidding process is paused, all timers and turn expirations are also paused. When you resume the process, the current bidder continues with whatever time they had remaining on their turn. The pause function preserves the exact state of the bidding process.

Q: How do I know if someone is taking too long on their turn?

A: Check the management dashboard regularly to see who is currently bidding and how long they've been in that position. If someone exceeds reasonable timeframes (typically 24-48 hours), contact them directly to remind them to complete their selections. You may need to pause the bid to resolve significant delays.

Q: Can I manually add vacation days for someone who missed the bidding process?

A: After closing a bid, employees who didn't participate must submit time-off requests through the standard time-off request process. Administrators can approve these requests individually, but they won't be part of the closed bidding cycle. Document these manual approvals separately for record-keeping purposes.

Q: What if I accidentally close a bid too early?

A: Unfortunately, closing a bid is permanent and cannot be reversed. You'll need to create a new vacation bidding cycle for any remaining personnel who didn't get to participate. To prevent this, always send final warnings before closing and verify that all eligible participants have completed their bids.

Q: Can employees who already bid change their selections after I close the process?

A: Once the vacation bidding process is closed, all selections are final. Employees cannot change their chosen vacation days through the bidding system. Any changes would need to go through the standard time-off modification process and may require supervisor approval depending on your organizational policies.

Q: How long should I wait before closing a bid if some people haven't participated?

A: This depends on your organizational policies and any collective bargaining agreement requirements. Best practice is to send multiple reminders, allow adequate time based on your typical notification processes (usually at least 5-7 days), and document your communication efforts before closing. Consult your HR policies or labor agreements for specific timing requirements.

Q: What if there's a conflict with minimum staffing after seeing all the selected days?

A: If you identify staffing conflicts while monitoring the active bid, you have several options: (1) pause the bid to review and communicate about the issues, (2) adjust available dates for remaining bidders to prevent additional conflicts, (3) contact employees who have already bid to request voluntary changes, or (4) note the conflicts for post-bidding resolution. Address major conflicts before closing the bid to make adjustments easier.

Q: Can I see a summary of all vacation days selected across the entire bid?

A: Yes, the vacation bidding management interface shows all selected days. Click on individual employee names to see their specific selections on the calendar view. You can also generate reports from the shift board showing all approved vacation time-off requests resulting from the bidding process.

Q: What's the difference between pausing and closing a bid?

A: Pausing temporarily stops the bidding process but allows you to resume it later—useful for addressing issues or waiting for responses. Closing permanently ends the bid cycle and locks in all completed selections—used when the bidding period is finished. Pause preserves the current state; close finalizes everything.