8 Best Practices for Hiring Seasonal Workers

The first official day of summer is quickly approaching. Kids, students, and the unemployed will all be on the lookout for the perfect way to spend their summer pulling in extra cash for the upcoming year. Below are a few best practices to keep in mind when hiring summer help:

1. How to attract seasonal employees

First thing to do is pull together a job description that lists:

•          Essential functions and expectations
•          Qualifications
•          Location of the position
•          Who will be directly overseeing that position
•          Time specifications (if the position is only needed for a specific time frame)

Another aspect to keep in mind is to make sure your website or “About Us” information is up to date and gives those seeking a position a good idea of your company culture.

2. Where to find workers

Keep in mind that many seasonal workers are young adults out of school on summer break; with this in mind, look to work with local universities or community colleges to recruit students actively searching for a seasonal position. As always you can reach the technologically savvy generations through social media such as LinkedIn or online job boards. When all else fails, check with those you know for people in need of summer employment. Sometimes the best workers come as a referral from someone within the organization.

3. Number of hours a seasonal worker can work

As long as the employee is over the age of 16, there is no limit to the number of hours per day or week that an employee can work. However, make sure overtime compensation is followed based on company guidelines and procedures.

4. Hiring young workers

Your best resource for learning more about young workers is checking out the U.S. Department of Labor Youth Rules site. This will highlight the restrictions on the number of hours those under 16 years of age can work as well as child labor fact sheets for different industries, resources, and frequently asked questions. Each state has different rules and regulations regarding child labor. For more information on your state, click here or contact your state labor department.

5. Seasonal employee benefits

An employer is not required by federal law to pay seasonal employees for days off (i.e. holidays, vacation, or personal/sick days). Along the same lines, employers are not required to pay benefits unless an employee meets the minimum criteria established within the company to be eligible for benefits.

6. How to hire the best

By following best practice of clearly listing out expectations and job requirements, as well as starting early, you should be able to find the right hires. This is important to make sure you have the right people in the right positions early on, so when your busy season starts, you’re not stuck handling extra tasks that your employees should be managing.

7. Seasonal workers’ taxes

Keep in mind seasonal employees are similar to other workers and are therefore subject to Social Security, Medicare, Federal and State income taxes withheld from their pay.

8. Necessary information for onboarding seasonal employees

When hiring a summer employee, you will need to follow all the same new hire procedures as you would any other employee. For an easy checklist of what to obtain, click below to download our seasonal workers onboarding checklist.

Photo Credit: Christopher Matson