As businesses beef up their staff with contract workers to cope with the holiday season consumer surge, many employers should take precautions to protect these seasonal employees and their businesses.
Retail and foodservice see the highest spikes in seasonal employment, and store and restaurant jobs often involve some type of physical demands. Hiring managers should be cautious to include these demands in job descriptions, interviews and offers. If any new staff members have a disability, companies should attentively accommodate their needs.
It's a good idea to educate all employees on proper equipment and product handling, and to open lines of communication between managers and workers.
Often businesses will alter their workday hours to accommodate consumers during November and December. Businesses should make sure they are abiding by all labor legislation to avoid costly trouble with the law. Discount chain Wal-Mart was recently accused of violating federal overtime and minimum wage laws for temporary workers. Hiring managers should ensure their companies are steering away from practices like asking workers to come in early and leave late without providing overtime pay or requiring employees to work during meals and breaks.
