Although it seems like Christmas is still far away, it is fast approaching with just over 13 weeks left and I can imagine you may already be planning for that somewhat busy period.
During this busy period it’s the time of the year where companies often look for additional temporary support to help them through those peak times and to cover staff holidays, which is where agencies come in.
Christmas for most is a known to be a jolly and happy time of the year but can be problematic time to employees and companies alike, with the pace of companies ramping up and employees wanting time off to spend with friends and family during this festive time.
Here are some of our top tips to ensure you have a smooth festive period:
- Communicate with Employees, try and discuss with them as early as possible if they have any plans for holiday and remind employees to book in advance, this gives you a better chance of knowing how many staff you have available during these times and help plan employees time off accordingly.
- Action and Plan, now you have an understanding or better idea of how many staff will be on holiday and an idea when, now is the time to plan and take action. Sit down and work out how many staff you will need within each department and do you have enough staff to ensure continuity within the work place.
- Are you going to be short staffed? If so there are a couple of paths you can use to try and resolve this and ensure continues smooth running of the business. One could be using existing workforce, this could be shuffling employees around to cover in different departments or perhaps asking existing employees to do overtime. Another solution could be to look for a temporary solution via a local agency.
- Executive your plan, now you have a rough idea of what staffing issues you may face during this festive period its time to put this place into action and remember if all does not go to plan agencies are here to help.
Planning effective holiday cover or cover during busy periods is essential to the success of any business. Remember be open with employees, take your time with planning and aim to plan in advance. These steps will help ensure you are ahead of the game and avoid any last minute stresses.
If you would like to speak to a local agency about how we can help cover over the Christmas period then please get in touch and one of our friendly consultants will be happy to discuss.
