Seasonal Employment

What is Seasonal Employment?

Seasonal employment is defined as temporary employment that happens around the same time every year, which helps companies meet the temporary needs of a certain task during that time of year. For example, snow plow companies only need drivers in the winter when snow is present, and centers with pools only require lifeguards during the summer.

Seasonal employment is the ideal setup for employees who are looking to earn extra income. This includes teenagers, college students, and part-time earners from various industries. 

How does Seasonal Employment work?

Seasonal employees can help employers in certain sectors cover their business needs during peak periods in the year. Most seasonal employment is part-time, though some full-time positions are also available. Seasonal jobs are temporary, which means that they are short, fixed-term contracts.

The length of time of seasonal employment depends on the sector, but most seasonal jobs will typically last 2 to 3 months. This allows the business with enough staffing to cope with an increase in demand, and then when that demand decreases, the seasonal contract will come to an end.

Typically, seasonal employment occurs at the same time each year – ski resorts require extra staff in the winter months, and retail work is busier around the December holidays shopping period.

Advantages of Seasonal Employment

Here are some advantages of seasonal work:

• Improves a resume: seasonal employment allows people to learn new skills and work in new industries, making it an attractive option for many.
• Creates the possibility of working for a company as a permanent employee: starting out as a temporary employee allows the business to get to know the employee. This gives the employee the opportunity to show the company their skills and how they would benefit when working in a full-time position.

Disadvantages of Seasonal Employment

Here are a few disadvantages to consider in terms of seasonal work:

• Intense work schedule: many seasonal jobs require employees to work at inconvenient times or more frequently than full-time jobs. For example, a company that sees the most customers on the weekend may ask its seasonal employees to work long hours on Saturdays and Sundays.
• Minimal training: many temp positions offer little to no training. This means that employees will have to quickly pick up on their duties and adapt to the environment on their own.
• Reduced pay: many seasonal jobs don’t require previous experience, training, or abilities and, therefore, may provide lower pay compared to full-time positions.

Conclusion

While seasonal employment is temporary, the impression made with supervisors and coworkers matters. Even if the primary goal is extra money and gaining experience is not a priority, employees must still perform professionally. Treating a temporary job as a permanent position can help employees stand out to the employer, which could lead to a great recommendation or even an offer for a full-time position with the company.