Holiday Staffing: Keep Your Team Happy & Productive

Holiday Staffing: Keep Your Team Happy & Productive

• Published: 12 Dec 2024
• Author: Hospitality Hub

Managing staff holidays and time off is more than just a scheduling task; it’s an essential part of maintaining a motivated, happy, and productive team. As a manager in the hospitality industry, ensuring that staff members have the opportunity to take time off while also meeting business demands can be a tricky balancing act. But with the right strategies, it can lead to better employee satisfaction and enhanced productivity!

1. Establish Clear Policies

The first step in managing holidays and time off is having clear and transparent policies. Ensure all employees understand how and when they can request time off, how far in advance they need to submit their requests, and any blackout dates or peak periods. 

Always make sure that staff know when they can expect the holiday season to be especially busy and encourage them to plan accordingly. Open and honest communication fosters a sense of teamwork, where everyone understands the importance of keeping the business running smoothly while also respecting each other’s need for time off.

Pro Tip: Consider using a holiday request form and maintaining a shared calendar for staff members to view the availability of time slots.

2. Be Flexible

While it’s important to plan, flexibility is key in a fast-paced industry like hospitality. If possible, allow employees to swap shifts with others or offer more flexible time-off options. This helps ensure that there are no gaps in coverage, while also making employees feel that they have some control over their schedules.

Pro Tools: Software like 7Shifts  or HotSchedules can help streamline scheduling and time-off requests, ensuring efficiency with team members and communication with management.

3. Strategic Plan for Coverage

During busy times such as public holidays, special events, or peak tourist seasons, it’s important to coordinate staffing levels to meet demand. 

Having a well-trained pool of flexible workers as a reserve can help to alleviate the pressure on your core staff. Incentivising your core team with higher seasonal pay rates, or time off in lieu for employees who work during peak holiday periods can be an attractive benefit. 

Extending corporate consideration in ensuring shared benefit creates mutual support.

Pro Tip: On-call and short-term employees who can jump in when needed are an excellent resource to tap into.