The run up to Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year
for many businesses across the East Midlands.
Tens of thousands of seasonal jobs are being created on the high
street alone with many of the big retailers recruiting thousands of
staff to cope with the Christmas rush, and for 'specialist' jobs
such as the 10,000 Santas that are reportedly needed. However, the
surge in demand from customers doesn't just have an impact on
retailers, many other businesses are affected.
Stephen Smith, Chief Executive of EMB Ltd, the organisation
responsible for delivering local access to the Business Link
service says: "Ensuring that a business has access to the right
number of people with the right skills to successfully
service customers during this time is not easy, but there is plenty
of help out there. I urge businesses to phone the Business
Link help line 0845 058 6644 or visit the award winning website
www.businesslink.gov.uk/eastmidlands if they need quick and easy
access to authoritative, impartial help and advice on issues such
as ensuring that they meet their obligations as an employer."
There are a range of employment options for businesses affected
by the Christmas rush. These include:
• Recruiting temporary workers through an agency
• Engaging employees on fixed-term contracts
• Getting family and friends to help out at weekends and
during school or college breaks
• Extending the hours of part-time workers who may be able
to ease the pressure at particularly busy times (and may want the
extra money)
• Outsourcing some business activities.
Mr Smith continues, "It's helpful to provide schedules well in
advance so staff can plan their lives around them. Employers
shouldn't assume that staff know when the busiest periods are; tell
them, and consider offering incentives such as overtime payments or
productivity bonuses. When things are really busy stress
levels may increase, which can be made worse by new inexperienced
staff, so reward success and hold team events to keep morale
high."
"The scale of the Christmas rush can be a real shock to
businesses, particularly those who've had a challenging year.
Business Link is a great resource when you need access to quick
authoritative information. We can help with all aspects of
employing seasonal workers from the legal and HR aspects of
recruitment, to statutory pay and holiday rates. And the
advice is free."