Dear Dan: Our seasonal business is growing and we’ll need more help during peak times this year. It’s hard enough hiring full-time people. How do we go about hiring good employees on just a seasonal basis? – Seasonal Biz.
Dear Seasonal Biz: When it comes to hiring seasonal, summer, holiday or other part-time and temporary help, there’s a great deal for a small business to know. You’ll need to decide what kind of workers you want (student interns; adult temps, etc.), where to find them and how to train them. You also need to know the rules and regulations involving such workers, including the latest rules on child labor, minimum wage, tax withholding, overtime pay, Form I-9 (there’s a new one!) and temporary visas for foreign workers, among other things.
Here’s a breakdown of key considerations for a small business seeking to hire seasonal or other temporary help:
• Hire Teens But know the Rules: Teenagers out of school for the summer have always been a great source of seasonal help for small businesses. Those 18 or older can work any job at any hours. Workers who are 16 or 17 have no limits on hours worked, but can’t be employed in what the government considers “hazardous” positions, which usually includes operating power equipment of certain kinds. Driving on the job is also forbidden for this age gorup, except for moving vehicles on the business premises (no passengers). Teens 14 and 15 can only work at jobs not restricted by the U.S. Department of Labor. The DOL Web site (www.dol.gov) has details.
• Create an Internship Program: College student interns and recent grads are another possibility. Student interns are capable, motivated and – if well managed – highly valuable to your business. The trick is the “well-managed” part. You need a plan for making their presence truly productive, and you should recruit, train and manage interns just as you would full-timers. The Internship Institute (www.internshipinstitute.org) offers an excellent Intern Toolkit that will help you do it right. Other helpful Web sites include InternshipPrograms.com, Internships.com and InternJobs.com.
• Keep it Legal: A new version of the Federal I-9 employment eligibility form went into effect this year. This is the form that verifies a worker’s eligibility to be employed in the U.S. The government requires an I-9 for every employee within the first three days of employment, and there’s no small business exemption. You can download the form at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Web site (www.uscis.gov). Hiring foreign workers for summer jobs this year could be difficult, since the government has not acted to increase available H-2B visas, which let foreign workers temporarily fill jobs in the U.S.
Daniel Kehrer can be reached at
editor@business.com.
Rhode Island's Market Has Changed. Developers, Builders, Investors and Sellers Must Change With It.
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