My business is quite seasonal. We have work year round, but in the off-season we don’t need the same number of employees. It’s just not profitable to keep everyone on the payroll 12 months out of the year. Can I drop hours? Can I lay people off and rehire? Are there things that make one option better than the other?
To read my answer, click here: Dilemma of the Month: Managing Seasonal Labor
Leave your own in the comments.
Temp agencies charge very high fees. This employer may want to consider contract employees for those seasonal positions.
I really don’t see a problem in hiring for seasonal employees as long as the position is clearly labeled and the time frame is clearly stated. Retail has been doing this kind of hiring for multiple years with no problems.
I gather this employer doesn’t like to deal with the hassle involved with hiring new employees (interviewing, training, paperwork, etc.) but perhaps they can also offer re-hiring to these employees if they come back for the seasons. That works well for students who go away to college and come home for the summers and long holidays. There are lots of options for seasonal hiring.