New research from job search engine Adzuna.co.uk[i] has revealed there are currently over 23,000 Christmas jobs available in the UK, with 21% of Christmas vacancies online and 17% with some of the biggest high street retailers such as Tesco, Superdrug and Debenhams.

Managing additional seasonal workers alongside existing staff can be a real headache for employers at one of the busiest times of the year for the high street and online stores.

The festive season is a fun time for many people, with Christmas parties and time off celebrating with family to look forward to. However, employers managing huge numbers of extra staff, as well as close of the year for holiday entitlement, can find it very testing.

Add in the usual increased sickness absence due to flu season and people trying to cram in their last few days of holiday before the end of the year and it can be really difficult for them to keep track of where staff are at any one time, avoid leave clashes and holiday disputes and ensure it’s business as usual.

With Christmas being one of the most lucrative times of the year for many businesses, it’s essential they have robust systems in place for managing staff absences and planning holidays. It’s also important for contingency planning to ensure they are fully staffed throughout the festive season.

Absence management software makes managing both full time and part time seasonal staff much easier as it ensures managers can plan leave online and have complete visibility of holidays, sickness and any resourcing gaps that need to be filled.

It makes managing flexible and shift working more straightforward, plus helps to keep track of people’s holiday entitlement so they don’t leave it all until the end of the year. Such technology can save businesses time and money and help ensure the Christmas period runs as smoothly as possible.