Map expected demand against staff availability

Start by getting a clear picture of two things: how busy you’re likely to be, and who’s available to work. If you run a restaurant, you might know that December is your biggest month for bookings – but also the month where several staff members want to take leave for family commitments.

Write it down. List out the weeks ahead, note the public holidays, and mark when each team member is planning to be away. Then overlay your expected demand – bookings, orders, jobs, foot traffic – for each week. The gaps will show you exactly where pressure points are likely to occur.

This doesn’t need to be complicated. A simple spreadsheet or even a printed calendar on the wall can do the job. The important thing is that you can see the picture at a glance, rather than being surprised when two key people book the same week off.

Plan around annual leave and public holidays

Once you can see the gaps, you can start filling them. The earlier you know who’s taking leave, the more options you have. If you’re a retail store and you know two team members are away for the week before Christmas, you can start arranging cover now rather than scrambling the week before.

Public holidays are another factor to build in. They can mean changed trading hours, penalty rates, and reduced availability from suppliers and customers alike. A café might adjust their opening hours over the Christmas-New Year period, while a building business might plan to wind down on-site work during public holiday weeks.

The key is to communicate early. Let your team know what you’ll need from them, confirm leave requests as far in advance as possible, and make sure everyone’s clear on the plan. The less uncertainty, the smoother things will run.

Prepare for unexpected absences

Even with the best planning, things come up. Someone gets sick. A family emergency comes up. A casual cancels at the last minute. Having a plan for the unexpected means you’re not starting from scratch when it happens.

Think about who your backup options are. Do you have former staff members who’d be happy to pick up a shift or two? Are there casual workers you’ve used before who already know your business? Could a neighbouring business share staff during peak times?

A salon might keep a list of reliable casuals they can text on short notice. A plumbing business might have an arrangement with another tradie to cover urgent callouts when they’re short-staffed. Having these conversations before you need them means you can act quickly if someone drops out.

Consider whether additional staff, casual support or outsourcing makes sense

If the gaps are bigger than your current team can fill, it might be time to bring in extra help. Casual staff can be a great option for short-term peaks, they give you flexibility without the commitment of a permanent hire. Just factor in time for training and onboarding so they’re up to speed before you need them.

Outsourcing is another option for tasks that don’t need to be done in-house. A small e-commerce business might outsource their packing and shipping during December, or an accounting firm might bring in a temp to help with end-of-year admin.

Think about what gives you the most value for the cost. Bringing in help for a few weeks is an investment in keeping your business running smoothly and keeping your existing team from burning out.

Prioritise workloads when capacity is limited

When you’re short-staffed, not everything can be a priority. Be honest about what truly needs to happen now and what can wait. If you run a cleaning business and you’re down a team member, you might focus on your regular contract clients and push one-off deep cleans to the new year.

Talk to your team about what’s most important. They’re often the best people to tell you what’s urgent and what could be deferred. And don’t forget to look after the people who are working, acknowledging the extra effort and making sure no one’s carrying an unreasonable load goes a long way.

For a simple framework to help prioritising growth opportunities, refer to our guide.

Look ahead to staffing needs in the new year

While you’re planning for the holiday period, it’s also worth thinking about what comes after. Will you need more staff in January? Will some team members be ready to take on more responsibility? Are there roles you’ve been meaning to fill that you could start recruiting for now?

A retail store might know they’ll need extra help for the January sales. A landscaping business might start recruiting now so new team members are ready to start as the new season kicks off. Thinking a few months ahead means you’re not caught short when the new year begins.

Keeping things moving

Staffing over the holidays is always a juggling act, but it’s a manageable one with some planning. Map your demand, confirm your leave, line up your backups, and be ready to adjust.