As your tan fades and the last of the sand is removed from awkward places after your summer holiday, your thoughts naturally turn to… the next big holiday! It may seem early to consider how you're going to spend the festive period, but to ensure you get the time off you want, the same rule applies as to January sales shopping - you have to be ahead of the crowds. Christmas is the second most common time for employees to ask for time off, and there are ways and means of ensuring your holiday request goes to the top of the pile...

Be first to ask. If the holiday you're planning coincides with Christmas, be sure to ask for the time off well in advance. In all likelihood, your colleagues will have similar holiday schedules in mind, and your manager can't grant everyone's requests. Although business activity tends to slow down during the holidays, companies still like to have a few staff members on hand.

Put it in writing. It's a good idea to submit a written request so that you have a formal record. Your manager can refer to it when trying to work out who is in the office on a particular day. If, in the midst of a hectic morning, you casually mention that you need a week off at Christmas, your manager is unlikely to mark it on her calendar.

Choose your moment. One of your colleagues is out on maternity leave and another has a doctor's appointment next week. A third will be travelling on business for the rest of the month. To top it off, a major project is due. Does this seem like the best moment to ask for four days off for a ski-ing holiday? Your chances of getting the time off you want will improve if you're sensitive to - and willing to work around - workload peaks and personnel shortages.

Look at it like a manager. Rather than focusing on how much you need this holiday, consider your request from your manager's point of view. She has to balance your desires against those of the rest of her staff, as well as the needs and expectations of senior management. In addition, she must factor in how to juggle your work during your proposed time off, and how critical your presence in the office is at that time.

Be flexible. To minimise disappointment and maximise your chances of approval, have a back-up plan. If your original timeframe falls during a major project, offer to adjust it to coincide with a slower time. Your willingness to modify your plans will be appreciated by management.

Cover your absence. To make your request more persuasive, outline a plan for how your duties might be handled while you're gone. The plan should include a summary of your work, its status and deadlines. As much as possible, wrap up unfinished business before you leave. If you anticipate phone calls or e-mail queries while you're gone, decide to whom these should be referred. Create an out-of-office message for your voice mail and e-mail with instructions on how to reach that person. Then, give that individual the information she needs to handle questions or fulfill requests for information. This will save everyone headaches and show your manager that you're conscientious.

Prepare the temp. If a temporary worker is covering your absence, make sure you have left them everything they will need in order to do the job properly. Preparing a thorough handover document, detailing your day-to-day work and key contacts, will be invaluable to someone unused to working in your role. It will also be appreciated if you leave a note about more personal things, such as the best person to ask questions in the office and where the best places to buy lunch are. Finally, tidy your work area. If you leave your space tidy, not only will it help whoever covers you, but you can expect to return to find your desk in the same state.

Holidays are a fact of working life, and most managers are glad to grant reasonable requests. By providing your boss with advance notice and being sensitive to potential conflicts, you'll have a better chance of getting the time off you desire. That just leaves the task of booking the trip. Now, should it be Courchevel or Chamonix...?