For the majority of our contact center customers, Thanksgiving and Christmas are the busiest time of the year. Thankfully, these companies employ Pipkins for their scheduling, time management, and vacation planning to help simplify the complications that arise during the holidays.
Many other businesses also experience the holidays as peak service time, so employees planning to take off for an extended period of time needs to be planned early, if it is allowed at all.
It is not unusual for business to deny all time off during the winter holidays.
Work To Allow Employees Holiday Time Off
Drawing on examples from our customers, here are some methods for offering workers time off during the holiday season:
- Have them use the Pipkins absence management software
- Create early deadlines to request time off
- Apply blackout dates when necessary so all hands remain on deck when needed; make employees aware of these times months in advance
- Apply limits when a predetermined number of employees can take off. Most often this is based on seniority.
- Many people do not celebrate Christmas and volunteer to work. Allow them to trade shifts so they can be off on Thanksgiving instead.
Most businesses in the U.S. still close on Christmas Day and many also close on Christmas Eve, so most people get to spend these days with their families regardless.
Incorporate Holiday Strategies For Working Employees
However, for businesses associated with the military, medical field, police, retail, or other industries that rely on the holiday season to make their profits for the year / must remain open to provide services, the employees may need to rely on other means to connect with family and loved ones.
Here are a few options for employees and employers to make working over the holidays easier:
- If the employee works day shift, celebrate in the evening. If they work night shift, celebrate sometime before heading off to work.
- If an employee is unhappy with their shift schedule, they can try shift bidding or trades by using SwiftPik for iOS. Choose scheduling software that allows for trades and giveaways so workers get the best schedule available that meets their needs.
- Try to pick up gifts, food, or anything else you need for the holiday before or after work.
- Order from online businesses to reduce the time you will spend looking for gifts.
- Have gift exchanges, white elephant trades, Kris Kringle, or Secret Santa games to keep up the festive mood during business hours — time management software can help you select the best time to allow breakaways.
- Host a potluck to share festive foods with those working through the holidays.
- Plan the company party in January and extend that holiday atmosphere to a month in which things slow down and everyone can breathe easier. Absence Manager can find the ideal time for your business.
The holiday season is a wonderful time to be enjoyed by all. A WFM scheduling software you rely on throughout the year is well worth the price as it manages your schedules, leave time, office parties, meetings, and all other business-related events that can otherwise cause a great deal of stress.
Pipkins salutes all those hard-working men and women who must work through the holidays so others can enjoy their time off and we wish everyone the happiest of holiday seasons!