Holiday Scheduling

Q: My shop does 25 percent of its business during December, and this year we anticipate that our expanded Web site will bring us lots of new orders during that busy month. How can we make sure we have enough staff to handle the holiday rush?

A: It's wise to think about this issue in advance, so you can hire and train additional employees before things start getting hectic. An employee brought on board at the last minute will have a hard time learning your store's routines and products well enough to give good customer service. Start early by posting help wanted signs in your shop months in advance. You might find someone who is familiar with the store and its merchandise interested in earning a little extra money in December.

There are two important factors to consider before making staff changes for the holidays: What do past years tell you about your daily staffing needs? And what do your current employees prefer for their holiday hours? If you have good records, you'll know which days, and what time of the day, is busiest. From that information, determine the number of staff members necessary to cover the sales floor during store hours. Don't forget to add time for restocking and tasks such as unpacking merchandise and cleaning. Also include meal breaks for employees working an eight-hour shift, as well as a little time for store opening and closing tasks.

As part of your normal hiring agreement, you should discuss expectations for the holidays. If staff members normally work every other weekend, you might stipulate at the time of hiring that they'll need to be available every weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas. You might also want to offer a more flexible schedule during the holidays, utilizing several part time employees instead of one or two full time people. When hiring for the holidays, be up-front about whether the position will continue after January first. Remember, you have an obligation to provide your year-round staff with enough working hours after the busy season is over.

Once you've figured out how many open shifts you'll have during the holidays, ask current employees what hours they can work. Remember that overtime (time-and-a-half pay) must be paid for every hour worked in excess of 40 for the week. This may seem costly, but a few hours of overtime could be cheaper than hiring another untrained, part time staff member.

The Web site is going to be an unknown factor this year, so you might want to hire someone just to fill orders. Cross-train your other employees to help as needed. Streamline the order fulfillment processes so that all orders generate their own paperwork. (UPS and FedEx have specialized software.) If Internet orders don't come rushing in, the extra staff members can be reassigned to help with unpacking merchandise or stocking shelves.

Since hiring and training new employees are a lot to undertake during a busy time, it helps to plan ahead. Perhaps you can arrange to have a former employee return temporarily. As incentive, offer a year-round store discount if they agree to be on-call if you need them. And in December, you always need them!

Q: At the end of the day our cash register has the correct amount of cash to balance with the reports, but I have a hunch that one of my employees is stealing from us. Should I confront her with my suspicions?

A: Unless you have proof, confronting your employee with a "hunch" that she is stealing could lead to a lawsuit against the store. Don't make a move until you can justify your actions.

If your till is balancing yet the cash still seems to be less than you expect, it is possible that someone is stealing through cash post voids. In this form of theft, a clerk voids a cash transaction after it is rung up, pocketing the customer's money.

Most of us don't look through our register tapes every day, but examining a few weeks of reports should indicate whether there are an unusual number of voids on the days that a certain employee works. Some POS systems provide summaries of all voids. Otherwise, you may just have to unroll the journal tapes and look through them.

Another way the register can be fooled is by an employee working with an accomplice who poses as a customer. The "customer" pretends to return an item for a refund, sometimes using a receipt provided by the employee, and the two individuals later split the cash. If you think this might be a problem, place a limit ($25 or so) on cash refunds given out on the spot. Have your bookkeeper mail customers a check for all larger amounts. Having to provide a name and address are deterrents to this type of crime.

When you decide to put new procedures in place, announce the policies to your staff as a whole — not just the employee you have suspicions about. Emphasize the fact that you do not assume that anyone on your staff is stealing. A workplace filled with suspicion and distrust is more likely to encourage dishonesty than one in which every employee feels valued and appreciated.

Beginning in 2004, this column will expand to cover all aspects of retailing, not just employee relations. Readers are welcome to e-mail Carol Schroeder with any questions at info@orangetreeimports.com, or write to "Savvy Store Solutions" at Gifts & Decorative Accessories.