Next Loop Co.Free for care facilities and home care agencies
Your holiday call-off plan, done before Thanksgiving
The holiday request round, a request list long enough for your whole staff, every shift still short, and one call order for the night someone calls off. Fill it in here and print it, or print it blank and fill it in by hand.
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How holiday requests work
Set the rules before the request list goes up, so nobody argues about them after. Change any of them to match how you run it.
Who schedules each unit
For example: assisted living and memory care by the ADON, skilled nursing by the scheduler.
| Unit | Who schedules it | Need on Day e.g. 2 nurses, 6 CNAs | Need on Evening | Need on Night |
|---|
The dates
The rules
- Each person picks up to holidays they want off, as a first and second choice.
- A holiday that lands on your regular day off counts as one of your picks. To get a different one off as well, trade with someone.
- When more people ask for a holiday than the unit can spare, it goes by . Anyone who had that holiday off last year goes behind everyone who didn't.
- Once the schedule is posted, trades are between two people and approved in writing by .
Anything else
The holiday request list
Post it on the unit. Each person writes their two picks; the scheduler fills in the last column. Print more copies of this page if your staff runs past the end.
Thanksgiving Thu 26 Nov · Christmas Eve Thu 24 Dec · Christmas Day Fri 25 Dec · New Year’s Eve Thu 31 Dec · New Year’s Day Fri 1 Jan
| Name | Role | Unit | Hire date | Had off last year | 1st pick | 2nd pick | Gets off |
|---|
Shifts still short
Once requests are granted, list every holiday shift that still needs someone, then who you asked and who took it.
| Holiday | Shift | Unit | Short role, how many | Asked | Filled by |
|---|
Who can work the holidays
Send this round before you build the schedule. Each caregiver marks every holiday: yes, no, or the hours they can do.
| Caregiver | Phone | Thanksgiving Thu 26 Nov | Christmas Eve Thu 24 Dec | Christmas Day Fri 25 Dec | New Year’s Eve Thu 31 Dec | New Year’s Day Fri 1 Jan | Had off last year |
|---|
Clients on the holidays
One line per client. Ask each family this week what they plan for each holiday: their answer changes the hours you need to cover.
| Client | Holidays and hours | Family there? | Caregiver | Backup 1 | Backup 2 |
|---|
The call order
What happens, in order, when someone calls off on a holiday. Post it where the person on shift can see it.
Who takes the call-off
| For which unitFor which clients or area | Who takes the call | Their phone |
|---|
Call-down list
Per diem and part-time staff who said they'd pick up a holiday shift.Caregivers who said they'd pick up an extra holiday visit.
| Name | Role | Phone | Can work days, shifts |
|---|
If nobody says yes within minutes, or after calls, stop calling down the list and call .
If a family will notice the change
Who answers when someone calls off at 2am on Christmas Eve?
Five things to do this week
So the plan holds on the night.
- Post the holiday schedule by
Every unit sees it on the same day, so nobody hears their holiday second-hand.Every caregiver gets it on the same day, so nobody hears their holiday second-hand.
- Trades in writing by
A trade counts once the scheduler approves it in writing. A text from the office is enough. The person taking the shift has to be trained for it.
- Keep this year’s list
File the request list when the holidays are over. Next year’s “had off last year” column comes from it, not from memory.
- Line up the registry now, not on the nightLine up extra help now, not on the night
Call your registry or staffing agency this week. Ask who's open on the five dates, what they need from you, and the number to call after hours.Ask your caregivers who'd take an extra holiday visit, and add them to the call-down list. If you use a backup agency, ask who they have on the five dates.
- Confirm the day before
Text everyone on a holiday shiftvisit the day before and ask for a yes back. Start the call-down list for anyone who hasn't answered by .
Free to print, copy and change. From nextloopco.com/holiday-call-off-plan
How we staff the holidays
Optional. A short note for residents' or clients' families. Change any words you like.
From all of us at
To keep a PDF of your filled-in plan, pick “Save as PDF” in the print window.
If your answer to the 2am question was “me”, the plan still needs someone awake. Nine taps, answered from memory, and your 2am score shows which part of a call-off still lands on a person, and the one thing to fix first.
Rather talk first? Book my 30-minute call. Or call (650) 613-5455; Dawn, the line's automated voice, answers and can book it for you.
- Sick leave notice, attendance and replacement rules: DIR, California paid sick leave; Labor Code 246.5.
- Trades, rotation and telling families follow the call-off policy template.