Holiday Marketplace - Business Idea

[mblessing1989]

Hi All,

I have a business idea which I would greatly appreciate some feedback on.

I'm fully aware of businesses introducing 'Holiday Buy' and 'Holiday Sell' schemes within their companies.

A lot of companies refrain from 'Holiday Sell' as it can prove expensive and 'Holiday Buy' schemes seem to be more commonplace.

My idea, which I hope will make sense, is one where the company itself wouldn't really have to get involved. I envisage something akin to the Stock Exchange, where employees would both buy and sell holidays.

Employees who wish to sell x amounts of days annual leave, would post (anonymously) their respective days and an amount for those days would be posted for all to see.

This would then sit in the marketplace.

An employee who wishes to buy additional days annual leave, would 'log on' to the marketplace to see if anybody was selling any annual leave. The filters in place, would mean that they could only see who was selling holiday that was equal to or greater than their own annual leave daily rate.

The likely scenario being that a mutual exchange would take place (again anonymously) between the two employees. The 'Seller' gaining funds for the now relinquished days and the 'Buyer' gaining additional days annual leave.

The 'Buyer' has the option to see amounts not only equal to, but greater also, as should the necessity for additional days prove very important, but availability might be scarce, they might chose to buy at a greater rate to ensure those days are confirmed.

I would like to hear feedback on this as this idea just fell in to my head!

Many Thanks.

 

[Mr D]

How is the company the buyer works for paid?

 

[mblessing1989]

How is the company the buyer works for paid?

This would be internal, so no cross-company involvement whatsoever.

This would purely be an exchange of funds from Employee A (Buyer) to Employee B (Seller) who both work for the same company.

This could be a lump sum or monthly instalments.

 

[Ella Business]

But most companies do this internally anyhow, why would they want this in the market place? Sorry in my opinion it wouldnt work!

 

[mblessing1989]

But most companies do this internally anyhow, why would they want this in the market place? Sorry in my opinion it wouldnt work!

I'm thinking more on the basis of if you have extra days annual leave that you know you can't use, why not sell it on to an employee who's willing to buy it? Otherwise, and I know I'm not wrong, those holiday days go to waste.

I'm thinking from a more simplistic point of view and one that potentially cuts the employer out of any potential earnings.

Would you rather pay £500 for a few days to your employer or to an employee who was willing to sell it?

 

[mblessing1989]

I suppose there is the legal side of things as well. Is annual leave an asset that the company owns and therefore cannot be traded amongst employees?

 

[Ella Business]

I see what you mean, however firstly no company will see the benefit of this and secondly whilst the ee's might want to trade between them they need to ensure company is happy for them to trade/buy&sell the benefit that the company is paying to them. And i bet you no company will agree to it! Plus it will be an extra benefit/income to the seller so surely they would then have to declare it. Too many things to be considered...Sorry i dont want to kill your idea...but I just dont think it would work.

 

[Mr D]

So if entirely internal within one company what need for an external market?

 

[The Byre]

I would like to hear feedback on this as this idea just fell in to my head!

Then I suggest that you do the best to get this idea to fall back out of your head!

Staff are not some sort of homogeneous mass like water or petrol. Mrs Millie Toolie in accounts cannot do the job of Mr Bill in maintenance and Jim in sales cannot stand in for Joe in purchasing.

One of those boring jobs of management, is the planning of staff holidays, taking into account who has children, who is single, who has a partner and generally trying to achieve as little disruption as possible and at the same time, keeping everybody as happy as possible.

 

[STDFR33]

The high earnings could purchase the holidays of the lower earnings and never have to work. They'd still pick up a wage, of course.

And with all the free time, they could have 100's of jobs and just mine holidays.