We’ve been there—vacation request procedures that are clumsy, time consuming, and unclear. It douses any initial euphoria about an upcoming vacation in cold water. Let’s fix that. First, map out your process—often it needs two people: the person requesting time off, and the authorizing manager. Now automate that flow. Typeform lets you fire off a request and get a response in seconds, via the notification of your choice. Now you can relax and focus on which Hawaiian shorts will attract the most admirers.

Unless you’re trapped the 1970s, you’ll know that there’s a link between regular breaks from work, and motivation at work. Employees won’t always reach for the vacation request form unless they’re given a little nudge. The culture of taking time off should run through the entire organization. Avoid sending out negative signals, like asking why an employee needs time off on those dates. Start asking when they last took a vacation. In fact—when was the last time you took one?

Typeform is fast. Stick to a few key questions—your team will thank you for it. Do you really need to know where they’re going? Take that question out. Customize and edit Typeform’s annual leave form to your taste. You can share it via a link that staff can bookmark, or embed it in your organization’s intranet page. Automate responses so that the key people get notified immediately. Waiting days for that confirmation sometimes feels like a bad case of sunburn. You can also integrate into hundreds of apps—such as Trello, Slack, and Google Calendar—to help organize your team effectively.

First ask yourself: “What are our business priorities?” To be competitive by attracting the best talent? To reduce costs? To reward and motivate staff? Ask your employees while you’re at it—after all it is their policy. Once you have the motivation clear, you can move forward with a suitable policy proposal. There’s no harm in testing, either—implement trial periods and review whether your aims are being met. Be transparent about your motives and invite feedback from the very beginning of the process. Respond to concerns, monitor, and adjust.