Many retail stores are adding temporary staff this holiday season to handle higher traffic and increased demand. Although hiring temporary employees helps to ensure customers are served and the shelves are stocked, it also brings some unique risks and challenges for employers.
Learn more about the top mistakes businesses make when hiring temporary staff in AmTrust’s tips for preventing temporary employee mishaps this holiday season.
3 Common Employer Missteps When Hiring Temporary Employees
After constructing the job description, carefully creating a fast-track onboarding process, and going through extensive interviews, employers often let a few things slide with temporary staff start work. Here are three commons mistakes businesses make with temporary employees.
Forgetting labor laws still apply
Laws governing workplace safety, discrimination and harassment, wage and hours, and full-time employee benefits apply to temporary employees. However, many businesses neglect to follow their established procedures when taking on temporary employees. Related post: tips to avoid the five most common workplace injuries.
This potentially expensive and damaging mistake can be avoided by checking in with the local labor office to find out what the requirements are for short-term employees. If you’re not sure, it’s best to follow regular hiring procedures, even if the employees will only be with you a few weeks.
Neglecting to perform background checks
A professional looking resume doesn’t necessarily equate to a clean and tidy work history. More often than not, employers looking for holiday staffing or seasonal employees overlook the background check to save time. While this can quicken the hiring process, it also carries increased risk for the business.
Managers need to ensure they are hiring reliable staff members even if it’s only for a few weeks. Employees with a criminal background or an unreliable work history may become much more of a risk than a benefit during the holiday shopping season.
Not making safety training a priority
New and inexperienced employees are more prone to injury than full-time, permanent employees. But, this is a completely preventable issue. Ensure safety training is a strong focus in your new-hire orientation, and offer ongoing training and mentoring to prevent injuries.
While it may seem counter-intuitive to spend extra time training seasonal employees, the cost of safety is much more affordable than the cost of an expensive employee lawsuit.
AmTrust’s Loss Control and Workers' Compensation teams offer these top five tips for lowering risk when working with temporary employees:
Pro Tips for Hiring Temporary Staff
- Hire the right team. Apply the same rigor to hiring temporary employees as you would for permanent, full-time employees to help make sure your team is successful.
- Prepare to prevent loss. During the onboarding process, set new employees up for success by teaching them to look for suspicious customer behaviors.
- Arrange a plan. Employees should be trained to stay safe and not engage
during a robbery or theft. Offer clear instructions to help avoid an expensive employee injury claim. - Protect the team. Busy times in a store can lead to difficulty maneuvering through extra inventory, which can increase trip and fall exposures. Plan ahead to help protect employees.
- Avoid unique risks. Limit the addition of increased risk exposures in your operation during times with a large temporary staff. Instead, hold off on any big changes until you have time to prepare your team.
Mitigate the Risk of Temporary Employees
Extra time, and a little care, can go a long way to avoiding an expensive claim, employee lawsuit, or employee injury with temporary staff.
Find out more ways to help mitigate the risks of running your business this holiday season (read our related post on hosting a risk-free company holiday party) and all year long by subscribing to the AmTrust blog. We provide up-to-date news, tips, and information on the insurance industry.
Disclaimer: This material is for informational purposes only and is not legal or business advice. Neither AmTrust Financial Services, Inc. nor any of its subsidiaries or affiliates represents or warrants that the information contained herein is appropriate or suitable for any specific business or legal purpose. Readers seeking resolution of specific questions should consult their business and/or legal advisors.