The holiday season is such a magical time for so many people. Spending time with loved ones, celebrating, and reminiscing is what makes this time of the year so very special. With that, many people also tend to take additional time off during this time as well, including the healthcare industry. With that, it can cause unwanted stress and headaches for the manager and directors. Most industries take time off for the holidays, but unfortunately most healthcare facilities cannot close or take off additional time due to people still needing healthcare during this season. That, in turn, creates understaffed and overworked employees. There are a few ways to help avoid and prevent these kinds of problems while giving your employees the time off they deserve while giving the patients the care they need.

Have a Deadline

Be sure to have a deadline for time off requests during the holiday season. It’s best to make a deadline for this exact reason at least a week in advance. That way employees have plenty of time to switch shifts with one another or plan their lives around when they are going to be working.

Stagger Employee Holiday Schedules

With this, a facility can divide employees into two different groups. The first group will have certain days off, like thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve, while the second group can have Christmas and New Year’s Day off. These two groups will then rotate days off each year, that way people can know what they have off and what they can plan for the holidays. The people in these groups will stay in the same group year after year. This way each person is getting at least two major holidays off each year.

Offer Incentives

Incentives are always great. Also, earning extra money during the holiday season is a welcome guest as well. If you are asking employees who would be interested in working the holidays, sweeten the deal by offering some sort of incentive. The most accepted incentive is paying more money for working holidays, but you can also offer other incentives as well such as time off in the future, discounts, gift cards, help with the holidays. There are many different incentives you can choose for this.

Hire Temporary Staffing

This is where EmpowerCare can help in a big way! This is the best and simplest solution for the holiday season. This option will allow your current staff to take their earned time off all while giving all your patients the care and attention they deserve. We also know how big of a headache staffing can cause, so be sure to pick a staffing agency you can trust. Having the right staffing agency on your team can make this option an easy and cost-effective way to avoid headaches, give your staff the holiday they deserve, and provide patients with the care they expect all in one go.

With EmpowerCare we have a large group of highly-qualified temporary employees, so there is no need for you to search for the staff you need. We vet our employees to ensure that each employee we place is the perfect match for what you need. We ensure not only are they qualified, but they are also a great cultural fit for your organization. We are also available when and if you need any additional rsources.

Managing your holiday staffing the right way can really help you avoid that unnecessary and unneeded headache of it all. Make sure to choose the options you will be implementing early and keep all your staff informed. If you take these steps, you can be one of the few that are able to say they are avoiding holiday headaches in healthcare staffing! Happy holidays from EmpowerCare.