For most businesses, shutting down completely over the holidays isn’t an option. Planning holiday office schedules to accommodate staff needs can be tricky, but it’s an important part of successful business management. 

Strategically slowing down during the busy season benefits everyone. You and your staff can spend extra time with friends and family or simply take a break from the daily grind. 

How to Plan Office Holiday Schedules

Here are a few tips to help you plan office holiday schedules that keep your business operating and give your employees some well-deserved time off.  

1. Check the calendar.

First find out which days of the week Christmas Day and New Year’s Day fall on this year. Most businesses are closed on those days. You’ll have to make an educated guess on how busy your business will be on the surrounding days. It will depend on your industry. Predict if it’s going to be a slower week for business, or if you’ll need extra staff. 

2. Decide what your holiday business hours will be. 

Based on the calendar and predicted volume of business, decide which days your business will be closed. Then determine which days you’ll need staff and how much staff you’ll require. There may be some departments that won’t be operating this time of year, while others will still require someone to be available. 

• What days will your business be closed completely?
• What services will your business need to provide over the holidays?
• How much staff is required to provide those services?
• Can any of your regular office hours be shortened?
• Can any positions be filled remotely instead of requiring staff to come into the office?

3. Boost team morale. 

Communicate clearly with your staff what’s required over the holidays. When your staff understands what’s needed and why, working together to accommodate the schedule is easier. 

Be available to your staff. Keep morale high by sharing the load. Heightened stress levels this time of year can make extra responsibility too much for assistants and junior staffers to carry on their own.

Understand staff needs. Know who is traveling and how long their travel time is. Be generous and accommodating. This is an opportunity to show appreciation to your staff by doing what you can to help them maximize their time off. 

4. Use technology to keep business going. 

There’s never been a better time to operate a business over the holidays. Today’s technology provides easy ways to give you and your staff the freedom you want without closing your doors. 

A cloud phone system can equip your business to support remote work. Let your staff stay home (or travel) while remaining available for priority phone calls. Your business phones can stay active without having people in the office. 

Many other cloud phone features can come in handy this time of year, such as:

• Answering Rules: Set up office hours in advance and have your phone system automatically answer or forward calls according to your modified schedule. 
• Customized Voicemail Messages: Create custom voicemail messages for the holidays to inform callers of your business hours and service availability.
• Online Portal: Your online cloud phone portal gives you access to your phone system from any device with an internet connection. Turn features on and off. Redirect call forwarding to different numbers. Change your messages or music-on-hold. Keep your business running even when you’re home for the holidays!

Planning Office Holiday Schedules to Enjoy the Season

Let your staff anticipate an enjoyable holiday season. Use these tips to plan your business holiday schedule. Get your office ready with a cloud phone system. Contact SelectCom to get started and find out more ways our solution can benefit your business.