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U.S. NEWS Thursday 9 November 2017

Holiday juggling: Businesses balance customer, worker needs

By JOYCE M. ROSENBERG sire for a balance between
AP Business Writer work and personal time,
NEW YORK (AP) — Before Barnett says.
the holiday season, em- Owners should also look for
ployees at Andrea Corre- ways to make the atmo-
ale’s catering business get sphere more fun even as
an email reminder that in staffers are working hard-
December, “we need all er, Basso says. He caters
hands on deck.” breakfast or lunch for his
Elegant Affairs Caterers of- employees at least once
ten has 12 events in a single a week during the holiday
day during the holidays, so season.
Correale needs her staff of “Everyone takes a break,”
230 to show up for work. he says. “And it’s not ex-
Her email puts everyone on pensive for me to do it.”
notice that during the two The weeks leading up to
weeks when most clients New Year’s Day are critical
have holiday parties, work at LogicPrep, whose ser-
needs to be the priority. vices include advising high
“If it’s crunch week and school students during the
we’re not covered, ev- college admissions process.
eryone gets stressed out,” Many seniors must have
says Correale, whose Glen This photo shows Andrea Correale in Glen Cove, N.Y. Before the holiday season, employees at their applications in by Jan.
Cove, New York-based Correale’s Elegant Affairs Caterers business get an email reminder that in December, “We need 1, and juniors are preparing
company caters events all hands on deck.” The holiday season is prime time at many small businesses, and they may not for the SATs and other col-
on Long Island and in New have enough staff to accommodate the extra work as well as the time off many employees want. lege entrance exams. “We
York City. The holiday sea- (Courtesy of Andrea Correale via AP) make it clear during the
son is prime time at many employees need to leave employees and some are for me a few extra years, I interview process what our
small businesses, and they early for an event, they can not critical day-to-day, so don’t see how it’s fair to al- calendar cycle is and why
may not have enough staff come in a few hours early it may not be necessary for ways give the same people it’s important to prioritize
to accommodate the extra to make up the time. And all of them to be there. But time off,” Basso says. during the holiday season,”
work as well as the time off if there’s a last-minute re- if there are five people in a Human resources consul- co-founder Lindsay Tanne
many employees want. Re- quest, “we usually get ag- bakery, it’s not going to be tant Crystal Barnett says it’s says. She does get some
tailers, caterers and even gravated, but you figure so easy,” says Basso, whose in a company’s best inter- last-minute requests for
many companies whose something out,” says Cor- company is based in Free- est to be flexible. time off, but her 40 staffers
work isn’t connected with reale. port, New York. “It’s a fine line you need to know that work generally
holiday celebrations have Rob Basso deals with holi- Basso also tends to get walk because you need must come first.
to find ways to keep their day issues from two per- many new clients at the to take care of whatever At Super Suds Car Wash in
staffers happy, along with spectives — his company, end of the year. So when your business requirements Midlothian, Virginia, owner
their customers. Many find Advantage Payroll Ser- he hires staffers, he lets are, but you also want to Jeremy Critton follows the
that advance notice — vices, provides human re- them know that most of recognize that the person example of retailers and
even before a worker is sources consulting along December is blacked out who works for you is not a package delivery services
hired — helps set expecta- with paycheck processing. for vacations. He does give robot,” says Barnett, who during the busy season.
tions and limit disappoint- His small business clients ask employees the flexibility works in the Atlanta office “I usually try to staff up a
ments. Bosses also find that for guidance about how to to leave early or come in of Houston-based HR pro- couple extra employees to
they do need to be flexible. get work done while also late as long as they make vider Insperity. be on the safe side and just
Correale recognizes that letting staffers have time up their hours. And rather Employees’ expectations, spend a little more on labor
even on the busiest days, off. He recommends be- than granting requests by especially among younger to make sure I’m covered in
some staffers want to at- ing as flexible as possible, seniority, he has a lottery people, have changed any sort of a bind,” Critton
tend their children’s con- although a company’s size to let about a fifth of his from a generation ago, says. He gets more business
certs and other holiday and line of work will dictate staff leave at noon on ei- and companies that want during the holidays from
events. She requires them how generous a boss can ther Christmas Eve or New to attract and retain good people who want their cars
to ask in advance. And she be. Year’s Eve. workers need a culture that to look spiffy when they visit
uses flexible scheduling: If “A company may have 400 “Just because you worked accommodates their de- friends and family.q