How to schedule audits around public holidays in several countries
How certification and inspection bodies plan audits across countries with different public holidays and working weeks, and how to stop audits landing on a day the client or auditor is off.
Key takeaways
- Two calendars matter: the client site's country and the auditor's home country.
- Working weeks differ by country, not just holidays.
- Regional holidays (for example German states) need site-level calendars.
- Holidays affect travel days too, not only audit days.
Load each country's public holidays and working week into the scheduler, apply the client site's calendar and the auditor's home calendar separately, and treat both as hard rules. A Monday-to-Friday week is not universal: Saudi Arabia, for example, works Sunday to Thursday. ScheduleAI by Checkfirst imports national holidays and working days per country and uses them in automatic planning, so audits do not land on a day the site or the auditor is off.
Why do holidays break audit plans?
A plan built in one country's calendar quietly assumes everyone else works the same days. Audits then land on a site's public holiday, or a cross-border auditor travels on a day their own country is closed. Each one becomes a reschedule inside a tight audit window.
Which calendars should a planner check?
| Calendar | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Client site country and region | The site may be closed; regional holidays differ within one country |
| Auditor home country | The auditor may be off, or travel may be restricted |
| Working week | Some countries work Sunday to Thursday |
| Client shutdowns | Seasonal or plant-specific closures |
How does a holiday change one week?
- MonAuditor (UK)Client 14, LeedsDay 1 of 2
- TueAuditor (UK)Client 14, LeedsDay 2 of 2
- TueAuditor (DE)Client 22, MunichMoved from Wed
- WedAuditor (DE)Regional holidaySite closed
- ThuAuditor (DE)Client 22, MunichDay 2 of 2
✓No audit booked on a site holiday
A checklist before the plan goes out
- ✓Each site has a country and, where relevant, a region.
- ✓Each auditor has a home country calendar.
- ✓Working weeks are set per country, not assumed.
- ✓Travel days avoid closures at both ends.
- ✓Client shutdowns are recorded as excluded dates.
Where to go next
Cross-border programmes add language and travel rules too; see international audit scheduling and auditor availability management.
ScheduleAI by Checkfirst imports public holidays and working days per country, applies the site's and the auditor's calendars as hard rules, and uses them when it plans automatically. Client-specific closures are entered as excluded dates.
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Does ScheduleAI know public holidays?
Yes. It imports national holidays and working days per country and uses them in planning.
What about regional holidays?
Record them as site-level excluded dates so only the affected sites are blocked.
Do holidays affect auditor travel?
Yes. Travel days should avoid closures at both ends of the trip.