Retraining people is certainly less ideal, but Id wonder if the OP has really crunched the numbers to see which is better or if its a gut feel because theyre doing everything themselves. I started to do this in my own job and for my teams. I tell every interviewer that I like to be busy, that Im extremely efficient and get things done fast. I have no idea how the others before me kept busy. Ha! Assess the Current Workload Situation Sharing the workload in a team ensures that no single employee is burned out while others don't have enough to do. Do folks have suggestions for what to do in this type of situation? So maybe slow down some, and see if youre missing opportunities to provide higher quality work products. Are they paid hourly on contract as contractors and the FLSA/other labor laws dont apply or does your state have a long timeframe for salary payout that lets you withhold some of the money theyve earned for up to 8 months? Except in federal contracting. 2) some form of writing, like a journal or blog Are you me? Each week, we explore unique solutions to some of the world's biggest problems. Are there really no value-adding projects that OP can initiate, that arent core work but would be good for the organization? Behind the scenes, throwback photos, etc. A task or target that seems impossible to achieve, however, can cause an employee to feel demotivated, fearful and upset. Often done through a web app. So those days are usually filled with a healthy dose of internet/phone time and getting tasks that need to be done every so often accomplished. If OP wants to cut payroll costs and reduce staff during the slow season, but still retain staff for the rest of the year, this would work well. This is the first thing OP should do. Its just a suggestion, and definitely wont apply to everyone or all types of work, esp. have a rotation of staff assist the owner so that they can have a slow summer too! Its just not my personality. Are there online courses they could be taking to improve their skills or learn new ones? update: how do we fire someone who refuses to talk to us? One boss got mad at me for asking for more to do or trying to take initiative. This is due to the "weight" of the air in the atmosphere pressing down on you. I dont know what you feel guilty about. I hate to be ungrateful since everything else is so perfect. This is me right now. Do you have a website? But I do work much more efficiently during busy periods. If your business grows you might have to cut back on the holiday. I have volunteered for professional associations and know people who volunteer in RAINN chatrooms during the workday. And also, things can go from zero to We need this NOOOW! with no warning and at any time. Your productivity slows down. I grew up in a tourist town, and this seemed pretty common to have people work full time during the summer and part time during the winter. During the 8 months, say they make $20/hr as their full rate. Their paycheck is paid at $15/hr as their regular rate, with $5 going to the bank for the off period, which will also pay at $15 an hour. So it might be a persistent problem, but it might resolve itself as you grow into your role/meet people. I understand *why* they did it, as we were also all twiddling our thumbs all week, but, well, its not great for morale when people are hired full-time M-F, told theyd only have to occasionally pitch in on a weekend, then flip all that on its head a few months later. Short-term understaffing may happen when too many employees take time off at the same time. Others likely have a different mix of traits that allow them to be more efficient than their peers. Seems like extra marketing people five months of the year can only help. When I started my new position- a combo of my former position, a management position, and parts of two of my co-workers who left- I assumed Id be VERY busy and I was for about 9 months. Kind of like when companies let employees work on their own inventions during work hours and then split the profits (common in tech and academia). It took all I had not to blurt out Then what are you going to do here?!. Yes I get bored, but its probably not as big of a deal as you making it into. But even if they dont, theyll likely appreciate a straightforward conversation, and itll be interesting to get their perspective. When I was training the new person they finally hired six months later, she told me that they had taken that task and given it to someone else in the department. Years before OceanGate's submersible craft went missing in the Atlantic Ocean with five people onboard, the company faced several warnings as it prepared for its hallmark mission . OP deserves a long vacation, too! You mention developing the business can they really not help with that? Here are a few ways to rethink your office lighting design: Consider adding skylights. I was so excited when I saw the title! Unemployment rates would spike causing extra cost for multiple years. The job I had right before I started grad school was like this. Jobs but not enough work. How power keeps workers anxious and wages low Encourage your employees to do the same. Look at your to-do list to identify if there are smaller projects you can complete. Weve done all that at the beginning of the slow season and now Im at a loss as to what to projects to give them. The show is 27 minutes long, and you can listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever else you get your podcasts (or heres the direct RSS feed). Yep, I would totally work here. Another thought I am not sure that you actually have A team players if they are happy hanging out with not enough to do during the off-season, or not bringing you ideas on their own or in collaboration with you to support the business. This has always been the case for me with every job. Which is a long, roundabout way of saying that sometimes its because the previous person was a bad fit for the job, and the managers just dont realize how inefficient they were. I liked it because I felt a sense of autonomy and real responsibility for my work. Dear Manager, You're Holding Too Many Meetings. Vox is here to help everyone understand the complex issues shaping the world not just the people who can afford to pay for a subscription. Im in the same boat as everyone else. My own boss is very cool with my down time. Although millions are unemployed, some. Unemployment Is High. Why Are Businesses Struggling to Hire? I work from home, too, and Ive found its easy to put things off during slow periods. If 7.6 million jobs are open and only 6.5 million people are looking for work, then employers need to find a lot more workers. Also: you seem like a really good and conscientious boss! Maybe you want to sell merchandise that advertises your service since it sounds like youre in the tourism business. Assuming you have some kind of desk/office job, here are ways I have found to pass time without being super-obvious: 1) online classes and learning. My philosophy has always been to work myself out of a job that means I make sure that I have trained my teams to work independently and take over for me. Do Russians agree? I cant tell you how many times Ive had jobs where I had basically nothing to do, my suggestions of projects I might take on are ignored or shot down, and Im left wondering if/when they will realize they dont actually need me and Ill get kicked to the curb. It's a conditioned . My boss gives me rave reviews and my colleagues know me as a go-to resource if they need help. They are lucky to have you. Im also overqualified for the job and bored by it Ive been applying to other jobs for months but havent been hired for anything yet. But I am bored to death every single day. Since taking office, his administration has tried to scale back nearly every avenue of legal immigration, ignoring the high demand for unskilled immigrant workers, even at his own golf clubs. Millions Are Out Of A Job, But Businesses Struggle To Find Workers - NPR However, if this leaves departments with too few employees for tasks and projects, you will need to look at alternative staffing options to fill positions sooner rather than later. If there are three people, and five months of slow time, then 2*5/3 = 3.33 months each of vacation. Except it didnt work out like that. All I cared about was not having ownership breathing down my neck preaching the annoying time to lean means you have time to clean malarkey. Build Rapport Internally: 3. Evaluate Accomplishments: 6. If you dont need them there right now let them not be there. by Alison Green on July 11, 2018 A reader writes: I am the owner of a small business and responsible for my team of three employees. I think this is why Allisons suggestion of a lawyer is so great. Offering three months off paid is not prioritizing your business financially or your own retirement assets since as owner you drive the bus and take on all the responsibility. That is, if I were using my down time to write a novel instead of helping out other departments. One of the best bosses I ever had was at a small company where he would teach everyone how to run the business. The way that companies expect employees to work isn't working. Not a fan of using the insurance program like that unless dire circumstances. As another business owner, when I need to give people work, I have them start researching other services or products we could be offering to our customers. Yup. Weekend Warrior Oregon Raft Guide here. I work 9 months/187 days for a school district and LOVE it. I feel guilty about spending time browsing the Internet on my phone at work. But I also suspect for a lot of us its just some mix of traits that result in efficiency. 5) Depending where your job is physically located and how long you can be gone at a time without it being an Issue, you may be able to run multiple errands per day But the problem is that prep work takes maybe 5-10 hours per week and I get maybe 4 calls a day. When I did my exit interview, I told them to advertise for a part-time position, 20 hours max, because thats all the job needed. But . what are the best jobs while youre in school? The year round work should be a mix of operations that can only be done in the off season (like gear, eqp, vehicle and facilities repair and maintenance), and also that is key to front load before the season (marketing and sales), for example. Swiss luxury watchmaker Omega says it has been the victim of "organized criminal activity," alleging three of its former staff members admitted working with intermediaries to . When there is not enough work to keep them busy, nonexempt employees in most states can be sent home without pay for those hours that will not be worked. For nearly a year now, the number of open jobs each month has been higher than the number of people looking for work the first time. What do I do? Instead, they told us there was an expected big project in 6 mo, and they didnt want us to leave since we were all trained and ready to go. Businesses will need to hire more foreign workers, too. Yes, yes, yes! Is also not quite fair because the other 2 employees would get to take their months consecutively. Updated March 3, 2023 Making sure there is enough staff to complete the day-to-day tasks at your organization helps maintain productivity and workplace morale. But I also can relate to the LW in terms of working fast. Yeah, I dont want to tell my boss I only have about 15-20 hours of work per week, because I cant afford to have my hours cut. As an ex-DC area local government employee myself you hit the nail on the head. At my company, we let employees take training courses during slow periods and sponsor certification exams for anyone who wants to receive professional certifications in our field. A whistleblower raised safety concerns about OceanGate's submersible in A lack of trust in employers and the fear of being let go again could keep many people away from the workforce for as long as possible. I know that OP is worried about this, and doesnt seem to have a basis for comparison, but maybe this is a blessing to be grateful for? Less work is not always easier work. If the slow season aligns with the academic calendar at any local colleges or universities, thats another group that might really appreciate part-year part-time schedules (either as students or someone teaching a class). Im wondering if shed be happier if I were less visibly productive on things that are not for her. Im in this same situation right now, only a little more dramatic. Not Enough Parking Spaces At Work? (5 Easy Solutions) - Wayleadr Blog 3) take care of personal business, like bill-paying and signing your kids up for soccer. Link to the companys web site. (And maybe theyll tell you, Hey, we will happily read and watch YouTube all day if youre cool with us doing that until you need us, problem solved.). I did it the best I could and then I ran out of work. There are probably other orgs that can use online support during business hours. so my company sends me on assignments to various companies for anywhere from 2months to a year. When were busy, its balls out; during the slow times, not so much. these are truly sick workplaces. People have to fit training me into their schedules, and they are often too busy. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. can my employer dock my time off when I work less than 40 hours if I'm salaried? Revisit paused projects If you have any projects that you set aside for more urgent ones, it may be a good time to revisit them when you don't have any other work to do. whats the pettiest thing youve done at work (or seen done)? It still has a ton of down time. Encourage further development and let everyone goof off if they are out of things. I was thinking about this, too. You have an amazing resource available to you in these staff members, not only in terms of time, but in potential ideas. A global worker shortage means millions of jobs and not enough - CNN Having super-long weekends would be excellent! And I have more than she did because I asked for more work. Retail and restaurant workers are more in demand than tech workers. Its completely random. CEO freaked out when a new hire quit, brilliant employee is horribly inappropriate, and more, updates: stopping a nickname, taking over a deceased coworkers office, and more, update: our new admin crashed the company car and lied about it, my coworker keeps asking me for personal favors. Same. Ive been given about 1/2 hour to 1 hour of work a day and its mundane work on its own regardless of the workload. Its also a great time to send them off on a paid sabbatical: tell them to pick a destination (within their own budget) and youll give them a month to thoroughly explore, find out-of-the-way places, look at restaurants and hotels, do whatever tours they can, and then present their findings to the rest of the team upon their return. (So $20/hr x 1.5 = the overtime rate). You can really devote yourself to a big project. Im with Alison on letting them go home if you legitimately dont have any work to do. 6) political text banking. I have a friend who has a schedule like this and she loves it. And then see about implementing some of them and also give additional PTO. Lots of school district jobs are like this mine is. Not Enough Work synonyms - 22 Words and Phrases for Not Enough Work. The shift is happening because more and more Americans are going to college and taking professional jobs, while working-class baby boomers are retiring en masse. Most cities change a bit overtime, would creating some best lists that can be shared with your customers be useful? Second, were not in the subscriptions business. See what courses, online or otherwise, you can get people into. Some companies will assign customers based on account value, but Ive also seen the scenario where a sales person brings in subject matter experts to give presentations (then the sales guy at least wont have to prepare a presentation, just manage the room) Should I feel guilty? Im so bored I wrote my old department and asked for my job back. Benefits and things like that take all this into account. Which if they sit there and help with general questions, this can help free up your own time for other projects. I dont feel like its abusing the system, but I was under the impression this is how it works in a lot of fields where there are busy/slow seasons, like construction. That could make it difficult if they want to supplement with another job or do something else with their 2 months off. Im very focused on wages as the best indicator overall of how tight is the labor force.. I was thinking volunteering. The campaigns weve been getting lately can be done by us in an hour and its getting boring sitting there for the rest of my shift trying to look busy. A reader writes: I am the owner of a small business with a small team of three under me. Could you create an annual calendar and/or greeting cards with scenic photos based on your tour? I totally agree with this. This is so a problem that I have (at this job, not all my jobs). (After spending 2+ decades swamped at work at all times, Im exhausted!) 16 Signs You Have Too Much Work (And Tips To Manage It) The rest of the time I was busy enough that those two days were a very welcome break! My last job was like thisI used to joke that Id hit the end of the Internet bc I quite literally ran out of things to look at each dayeven following all sorts of blogs and boards. Other then that, I think depending on who you are hiring (teens/college students?) So many great ideas here! You can also contribute via. There wasnt much new work, thanks to some very dysfunctional management. The classes started every three months, and I was one of the first of the next class to arrive a week after the previous class started. Do a little work, go for a run, do a little work, do some laundry, do a little work, etc. I never used my phone for any of this. I finish my work so much faster than my coworkers. There are tons of MOOCs (online courses like Coursera) that teach everything from business, to development, and then there are even creative courses online for graphic design, etc. Brainstorming some other ideas: Heres the letter: I have never had a job without significant downtime. The OP may be able to do a modified version of this idea with staggered off seasons so that theres always at least one employee in the office. +1. Have you spoken to your employees and asked them how they feel during the slow time? In terms of Guides make X rate, Admin work makes Y rate. Im glad to see that I am not alone. I make myself available for new assignments and readily volunteer to take on work from stressed colleagues. I am terrified my employer will decide they dont need my position anymore and I will lose my job. Providing more work visas for skilled and unskilled immigrants seems like an obvious solution to ease the labor shortage. I get everything done at my own pace, give it an extra once-over and have much more free time. Its just You really make $15 an hour but were socking away $3 to pay you over the summer.. At the end of January, the US economy had 7.6 million unfilled jobs, but only 6.5 million people were looking for work, according to data released Friday by the US Department of Labor. Its not a stressful thing for me, it just comes naturally. Flopsy may want to take the contiguous months off while Mopsy wants to be gone for a couple of weeks each month and Peter is happy filling in the empty spots. By and large people who are treated well, and trained well, will remain loyal. Yeah. How have those of you who dont have enough work dealt with the tendency to procrastinate what you do have? With a company this small, they probably are already chatting this much, but just need the practice of focusing on a joint task and sharing leadership. But its also the solution Trump seems least inclined to take. Learn and Share Your Discoveries: 7. Copy this file to that directory, change the permissions, rename to reflect the new version, etc etc etc. ugh i hate the enjoy the calm line, especially since i had to turn in a timesheet weekly with what hours i spent on what. Copyright 2007 - 2023 Ask A Manager. Like, we have a coffee-maker at work that makes one cup at a time (not with the pods, dont worry.) Employees are then notified whether parking is available for them or not. She prides herself on this quite a bit, and looks down her nose at me for not doing as many of our data pulls as she does. Adopt a park or natural area in your companies name, outfit them in company logo tshirts, and increase your companies visibility while keeping them busy and helping others. Lay out the problem for them and ask for their ideas. update: how do I avoid mom energy with my younger employees? A rotation has the advantage that you have coverage and you could still do some of the other things to keep them busy. Most businesses do not remain at the same level of success forever. Thats much faster than theyve been growing since the recession started in 2007, but its still a pathetic amount compared to the sky-high payouts corporate CEOs are getting. A circular issued on Monday night by GAD . Im remote and my team is offshore. Its official: The US economy doesnt have enough workers. Present at professional meetings and conferences, developing the presentation materials on the job. Since we dont have a hired cleaning crew we do things like waxing the floors, shampooing the carpets, etc. Privacy Policy and Affiliate Disclosures. Things Ive done when I have downtime in previous jobs: read a book, write a novel, browse AAM and other job/management-type websites, taught myself basic web programming, took a course on using Excel, and kept up-to-date with publications in my field. The real reason employers can't hire enough workers | CNN It made me so mad!! If you ask your employees what services and products they think could bring you more revenue, you may come up with some great ideas that they will be excited to work on. Why Your Biggest Mistake Is Not Paying Attention to Employees So up everyones PTO and work out an off season schedule. Pay them to volunteer their time with a great non profit in the area(unless they dont want to). I also love Alisons suggestion to ask your employees what theyd like to do. I LOVED my tour guide job (and my bookstore job) and would happily have been a lifer at either, but neither were sustainable. Morale was terrible and it was a horrendous place to work. She has no problem paying them, just feels anxiety when there isnt anything for them to do. While there was a 20% decrease in the average length . Usually hed take his boat to a lake or something. Further, a fifth reported they felt work demands had increased "significantly." However, that's not all 47% of respondents across various sectors stated they work longer hours to get the job done than they had a year . That feeling of not having to prioritize seems to help, and my work often generates new tasks, so I know the list wont run out. All rights reserved. That kind of arrangement would be a *huge* perk that would generate quite a bit of loyalty for the right employee. Theyll find work for them to do! Kinda wonder how long the new hire lasted. whats the pettiest thing youve done at work (or seen done)? Plus, youll likely to be able to attract and retain really strong people if youre offering that much paid vacation per year. It was a win-win situation! For example, a provost needs two or three assistants surely, so lets give him/her some. A smart boss knows you have to let people goof off when there is time to kill if they except those same people to work hard when they are needed. It sounds like you do a lot of things yourself. It was nice. How to Handle Overstaffing (Before It's Too Late) | Runn Could you publish a book based on your tour? At my last job I wound up taking on part of the responsibilities of two different co-workers in addition to my own workload (one was let go, the other was overwhelmed), and I still had enough downtime to write a good bit of my first novel on the clock. It is busier than any private sector job I have ever had. Unfortunately, it was also mishandled by management, resulting in peoples hours getting cut, weekday staff being suddenly told theyd have to start working weekend shifts, etc. Long-term understaffing requires more action from management, as it may lead to problems with productivity and business operations. Join the Chamber of Commerce and make them ambassadors. We have two full time + six part time people doing calls. Right now, the latest data shows that we have 9.9 million job openings in the U.S., but only 5.8 million unemployed workers. He learned that he wasnt being so sneaky when the Warrant Officer asked for a ride into town to get his car. The downtime work he found most useful was: Most of the time teachers authorize the withholding they can either agree to have their pay withheld and then be paid in the summer, or they can only get paid for 10 months. Delegate and YOU take a three month vacation. I just dont want to think that I am lazy. SM 2- Employee A in office, B&C Vacation And basically how we need to be paid for our knowledge and skills and not just for us to work somewhere for 40 hours a week. update: how do I avoid mom energy with my younger employees? Not everyone can cope with this much downtime, but if they arent being required to look busy things will be much easier for them and you. that is essential to helping your business gain greater visibility with prospects on multiple digital channels (social media, website, PR, email campaigns, etc.) I procrastinate some tasks because I know they only take 5 minutes but then I worry that I will be bored all day and I dont like being bored I dawdle the 5 minutes into 10. Its really going to serve everyone the best. I would cling to this job with all of my life force. Free up a human to do things only a human can do! my friends who are federal employees in the midwest who moved to DC for huge promotions, ended up doing less work at higher levels. Its more like You make $35 an hour for your 8 months of work, but $10 of it goes in the bank for your off period. If they have overtime during the working months, they get paid overtime at the full $35 rate. Employers Still Can't Find Enough Workers, Right When Business - NPR
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