✨  Don't miss out! Register for our Employee Appreciation Webinar scheduled for 29th February.🎖️
✨  Don't miss out! Register for our Employee Appreciation Webinar scheduled for 29th February.🎖️

Register now

Live Webinar: Secrets to Building a Successful B2B2C Growth Flywheel
Save your spot now

The Empuls Glossary

Glossary of Human Resources Management and Employee Benefit Terms

Visit Hr Glossaries

Seasonal Employment

Seasonal employment refers to the job opportunities available for a limited period during a specific time of the year. The particular positions are tied to seasonal variations in demand for goods and services, which includes holidays, festivals, or the weather.

What is seasonal employment?

Seasonal employment refers to job opportunities that are for a limited time. These jobs are tied to seasonal variations in demand for goods and services.

Most seasonal employment is part-time, though some full-time positions are available. It also depends on the employer, the location, and the time of year or for several months.

Listen, recognize, award, and retain your employees with our Employee engagement software  

What are the benefits of seasonal employment?

Some of the key benefits of seasonal employment are as follows:

  1. Flexibility
  2. Experience and skill development
  3. Seasonal perks
  4. Improved skills and adaptability
  5. Additional income
  6. Networking opportunities

        1.  Flexibility: Seasonal employment provides flexibility towards working hours, which is quite helpful for individuals with other prior commitments, retired people. Seasonal employment allows people to tailor their work schedules to accommodate their needs.

       2. Experience and skill development: Seasonal employment can provide valuable work experience and skills that define a resume in a better way. Be it customer service or industry-specific skills, and seasonal employment offers an opportunity to learn and develop capabilities.

       3. Seasonal perks: Varying according to the industry, seasonal employment has its perks, which enhance the overall experience and enjoyment of the jobs.

       4. Improved skills and adaptability: Seasonal workers need to be adaptable to changing jobs frequently and working in a changing environment, which may be extreme tasks.

       5. Additional income: Seasonal jobs offer opportunities to earn extra income, which can supplement your regular income or add to your savings. In short, it can be a part of temporary income.

       6. Networking opportunities: Working in seasonal jobs allows you to network and meet new people, which helps to create professional connections or expand       your network.

What are the common examples of seasonal employment?

Various examples of seasonal employment include:

       1. Tourism and Hospitality:

  • Hotel and resort staff during vacation seasons.
  • Cruise ship staff during specific periods.
  • Theme park or amusement park employees during vacations.

      2.  Event planning:

  • Event staff or coordinators for festive seasons, fairs, or events.
  • Catering or banquet staff wedding or corporate events.
  • Event set-ups and tear-down crews.

      3. Education:

  • Summer school assistance or events.
  • Summer camp counsellors or instructors.
  • Teaching general subjects.

      4. Tax season:

  • Tax preparers or assistants during the tax season
  • Customer services representatives for tax preparation

Are seasonal jobs part-time?

Seasonal jobs can either be part-time or full-time, depending upon the nature of the job or industry.

People working in part-time jobs are the ones who also have other commitments and cannot work under full-time shifts. These are the workers who work for a few hours per week, allowing individuals to balance their seasonal employment with other responsibilities.

Whereas full-time seasonal jobs are prevalent, especially in industries that experience significant seasonal fluctuations in demand.

What are seasonal employment laws?

Seasonal employment law varies according to the country and jurisdiction. Some general aspects that may be covered are as follow:

  1. Employment contracts
  2. Minimum wage
  3. Working hours and overtime
  4. Social Security and other benefits
  5. Worker classification

        1. Employment contracts: Seasonal workers are generally required to have written employment contracts outlining the duration of employment, the working hours, and other related terms.

        2. Minimum wage: Seasonal workers are entitled to at least the minimum wage set by the law.

        3. Working hours and overtime: Working hours specify the maximum number of hours an individual works in a day or week as well as the rate of pay for overtime as the time limit exceeds.

        4. Social Security and other benefits: Seasonal employees may have rights towards contribution to Social Security, including benefits such as insurance or retirement, depending on the nature of employment.

        5. Worker classification: Seasonal workers are classified according to the labor laws which helps to determine the employment contract on the status of variety which affects the rights and benefits.

Seasonal unemployment is found in which sector?

Seasonal unemployment is found in various sector, such as:

  1. Tourism and hospitality
  2. Agricultural
  3. Retail
  4. Construction

        1. Tourism and hospitality: Many tourist destinations experience seasonal peaks during specific times like vacations, mostly hilly areas are covered with tourist flocks. Seasonal unemployment can occur when demand drops off during the off-peak seasons, leading to temporary job losses in hospitality-related industries.

      2. Agricultural: Agriculture activities often have distinct growing and harvesting seasons. During the off-cultivation season, workers may experience temporary unemployment.

       3. Retail: Retail sectors frequently hire additional staff during busy shopping seasons such as sales or festive seasons. Once the peak ends, retailers may reduce the workforce, leading to temporary unemployment.

       4. Construction: During extreme weather conditions, construction may slow down, leading to temporary layoffs or reduced working hours.

Employee pulse surveys:

These are short surveys that can be sent frequently to check what your employees think about an issue quickly. The survey comprises fewer questions (not more than 10) to get the information quickly. These can be administered at regular intervals (monthly/weekly/quarterly).

One-on-one meetings:

Having periodic, hour-long meetings for an informal chat with every team member is an excellent way to get a true sense of what’s happening with them. Since it is a safe and private conversation, it helps you get better details about an issue.

eNPS:

eNPS (employee Net Promoter score) is one of the simplest yet effective ways to assess your employee's opinion of your company. It includes one intriguing question that gauges loyalty. An example of eNPS questions include: How likely are you to recommend our company to others? Employees respond to the eNPS survey on a scale of 1-10, where 10 denotes they are ‘highly likely’ to recommend the company and 1 signifies they are ‘highly unlikely’ to recommend it.

Based on the responses, employees can be placed in three different categories:

  • Promoters
    Employees who have responded positively or agreed.
  • Detractors
    Employees who have reacted negatively or disagreed.
  • Passives
    Employees who have stayed neutral with their responses.

Quick Links

Employee Engagement solutions
Glossaries

Recognised by market experts