Question:
We’re approaching my department’s busy season. Is there anything we can do during this time to help our employees and reduce their stress?
Answer from Jenny, SPHR, SHRM-SCP:
Remove or reassign non-essential work duties: Before the busy season begins, ask employees in your department to make a list of tasks that other departments could feasibly handle for them. Then work on transitioning those tasks or simply hold off on non-essential tasks until things slow down.
Allow for flexible scheduling: If employees need to work longer hours on particular days, consider, if possible, allowing them to work fewer hours other days of the week. But be aware that some states, like California, have daily overtime laws.
The budget for overtime: Employees may need to work extra hours to get their job done, so allow them to work overtime if you (and they) can swing it. And if you’re pretty sure over time will be necessary, try to make sure employees know that ahead of time, so they can plan accordingly.
Ensure all equipment is fast and reliable: Before an employee will be putting in a lot of work, have the IT team do a little maintenance on their computers and other commonly used devices. It’s important to identify, troubleshoot, and correct any slow or non-working issues before the employee gets slammed with work. It’s also important to make sure IT knows that if an extra busy employee begins experiencing technical issues during the busy season, their issues should be expedited.
Jenny, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Over her 15 years of experience, Jenny has specialized in helping small to mid-sized businesses across a variety of industries reduce their risks and manage employee relations issues. Jenny holds a Bachelors of Business Administration (BBA) degree in Human Resources Management from the University of Georgia and a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree with a concentration in Human Resources Management from Georgia State University
