Seasonal employee

A seasonal employee is someone hired for a temporary period to help during your business’s busy season.

Homebase Team

Min Read

What is a seasonal employee?

A seasonal employee is someone hired for a temporary period to help during your business’s busy season. This could be the holidays, summer rush, or any other time of year when your customer traffic picks up and your regular staff needs a boost.

For small business owners, seasonal employees are a smart way to stay fully staffed without over-hiring year-round. They help maintain service quality and reduce burnout among your regular team during peak periods.

When do businesses hire seasonal employees?

Seasonal employees are most commonly hired during:

The winter holidays – Especially in retail, hospitality, and restaurants
Summer months – For tourism, food service, landscaping, and recreation businesses
Back-to-school season – In areas like retail, education services, and after-school programs
Tax season – For accounting or payroll-related services

You might also bring in seasonal help for large events, local festivals, or one-time sales promotions.

What makes seasonal employment different?

Duration – Seasonal roles are short-term, often lasting anywhere from a few weeks to a few months
Job duties – These employees usually fill specific, high-demand roles like cashier, server, stock associate, or customer support
Benefits – Seasonal employees often don’t qualify for the same benefits as full-time workers, though this depends on your policies and local laws
Classification – Seasonal employees are typically considered part-time or temporary and may be exempt from certain protections depending on your location and number of employees

Even though the role is temporary, it’s important to provide seasonal staff with proper onboarding, scheduling, and training.

How to hire seasonal employees

Seasonal hiring can move fast, so it helps to be proactive and organized:

Start early – Post your job at least 4–6 weeks before your peak season
Write a clear job description – Include the job duration, expected hours, and any weekend or holiday requirements
Use employee referrals – Your current team might know people who are looking for short-term work
Streamline your onboarding – Use digital tools to collect paperwork and provide basic training quickly

Try Homebase hiring and onboarding to post jobs, track applicants, and get seasonal hires up to speed with less stress.

How to manage seasonal workers successfully

Once you’ve hired them, seasonal workers need the same structure and support as your regular team. That includes:

A clear schedule so they know when and where to show up
Brief but effective training to get them comfortable quickly
Shift reminders and communication to stay in sync with your team
Recognition and encouragement to make them feel part of the crew

Even if they’re only with you for a few weeks, seasonal employees can have a big impact on your business.

How Homebase helps with scheduling seasonal employees

Keeping track of temporary staff during a busy season can be a challenge. Homebase helps simplify the process with tools designed for flexibility and fast-moving teams:

Create and publish schedules quickly so everyone knows when they’re working
Send shift reminders and updates to reduce no-shows
Allow shift swaps or covers for seasonal employees to manage changes
Track hours and breaks automatically to stay compliant
View availability and preferences to make smarter scheduling decisions

Whether hiring one seasonal worker or a whole crew, Homebase gives you the tools to keep everything running smoothly.

Explore Homebase’s scheduling tools to keep your shifts covered and your team on the same page, no spreadsheets or guesswork needed.

‍

FAQs

No items found.