Whether your summertime employees are leaving or you’re thinking ahead to hiring extra help for the holiday season, it’s important to make sure you have a proper plan in place for when your seasonal workers say goodbye.
Check in with your accountant or tax professional.
It’s a good idea to meet with your accountant or tax advisor regularly, but especially when dealing with a significant change to your business. If you have seasonal employees, you may have different filing requirements for certain payroll tax forms, so it’s important to make sure you have correctly filed the necessary forms and kept good records.
You may also want to re-evaluate your budget and cash flow projections both before hiring seasonal employees and again after they leave when you’re no longer paying those seasonal wages. Working with your accountant or advisor can help you make sure you’re allocating funds appropriately.
Perform an exit interview.
While you already know why a seasonal employee is leaving at the end of their term, performing an exit interview can still provide you with useful information. Try to learn more about their experience working with you, what went well and what didn’t, and what you can do to make your business a better workplace for full-time employees and future seasonal staff.
Leave a good impression.
While an exit interview is too late to change your employees’ overall experience, there’re still some steps you can take to end the season on a good note. Remember that these are the people who helped you during your busiest times. Seasonal revenue is key to your overall profitability, and these employees were instrumental in making that happen. Be sure to thank them for their time with you and thank them for sharing feedback if they participated in an exit interview. You can even consider hosting a going-away party for your seasonal staff or have seasonal awards to show your gratitude.
Providing a letter of recommendation can also go a long way towards building a good relationship with your former employees. If you want to show your thanks, be sure to volunteer to write a recommendation rather than waiting for them to ask. You can also leave a recommendation on their LinkedIn profile.
Consider making it a permanent position.
Not everyone will be able to stay, but if your employees were excellent, you may even consider inviting them to stay on year-round. Again, this is a situation where you would need to review your budget and consider the tax implications of adding another regular employee, so a meeting with your advisor may be in order. But if it works for your business, seasonal employees can become loyal members of your regular staff!
If you need a business advisor to work with you on your payroll processes, taxes, cash flow, or other business tasks, Padgett’s nationwide network of EAs and CPAs are here to help! Find a location near you today.