Thanksgiving Week Staffing: How to Plan Ahead

Thanksgiving week is one of the trickiest weeks of the year to staff. It’s a short week for many teams, but for warehouses, retailers and dealerships, the workload often goes up, not down.

The businesses that get through it smoothly are the ones that plan now.

Why Thanksgiving Week Is Hard

• Time-off requests stack up around the holiday.

• Travel and family plans lead to more call-outs.

• Black Friday and the weekend after bring busy days for retail, shipping and car sales.

• Fewer supervisors may be on site.

Plan Your Coverage Now

• Approve time-off requests early so you know your gaps.

• Identify the shifts that matter most, especially the days around the holiday.

• Decide how many extra workers you’ll need and for which roles.

• Share those numbers with your staffing partner as soon as possible.

Build in a Backup Plan

Even with good planning, someone will be out sick or stuck in traffic. Ask your staffing partner how they handle last-minute needs and have a plan for which tasks can wait if you come up short.

Keep the Week Simple

Holiday weeks aren’t the time to roll out new processes. Keep instructions clear, assign a point of contact for every shift and make sure new workers know exactly where to go.

Don’t Forget Your Team

Your regular employees are working hard during the holidays too. Covering some shifts with temporary workers can give your full-time team a chance to spend time with their families.

Holiday Staffing With FLAT Staffing

FLAT Staffing provides quality, ready-to-work people for Phoenix-area warehouses, distribution centers, dealerships and auto auctions through temporary and temp-to-hire placements.

Need coverage for Thanksgiving week or Black Friday? Visit our Partner With Us page or call 602-730-3312.