Temporary Christmas Jobs

Finding Seasonal, Temporary Vacancies to Earn Money

Sep 22, 2009 Suzanne Bosworth

Taking on temporary Christmas jobs will help pay those extra bills and take the load off the credit card.

From September onwards, employers interview for extra staff to fill temporary Christmas jobs so that they can cope with the upsurge in customer numbers at Christmas. This is a good opportunity for anyone who needs extra money to find temporary jobs to help with bills or credit card debt, and to relieve the extra financial pressures of a family Christmas.

Surveys conducted by Fish4Jobs and Adecco suggest that employers are planning massive take up of extra staff this year and are currently expecting to spend a quarter of their time on recruitment procedures for seasonal staff. It’s clear that employers across the UK are expecting a huge rise in Christmas spending in areas such as retail, hospitality and fast food sectors as well as in restaurants and smaller shops, despite the dire financial climate.

Finding Christmas Temporary Work

Many big employers such as Marks and Spencer and Argos will advertise in job centres, local newspapers and online, but being pro active can often mean sourcing those jobs before those companies fill their vacancies. Calling the HR departments, or visiting them in person and asking for a list of vacancies or an application form suggests keenness and self motivation, as well as cutting down the time waiting for paperwork to be sent through the mail.

Legislation dictates that pay is at least minimum wage. The law is there to protect employees from being exploited and short-changed: there is dignity in employment and self respect in expecting that one be paid the going rate for the job being done. If low rates are being paid then this needs to be challenged too, so that others working there will not continue to be exploited and the management can have their attention drawn to their legal responsibilities.

It’s advisable to find out if expenses are payable or if petrol and maintenance are included in the pay. These details need to be in writing, to include the amount of expenses being paid and the actual amount of the hourly rate. There may well be tax obligations if work is going to be classed as self-employed, in which case the amount earned and any expenses incurred should be added to the self assessment tax return.

Temporary Opportunities at Christmas

Shelf stacking
Storerooms
Factories
Portering in hospitals
Bar staff
Waiters and waitresses
Office work
Santa Claus
Mystery shopping
Sales assistants
Fast food servers
Taxi services
Cleaning - offices, hotels, pubs

Before applying for work over the Christmas period it's important to be aware of one's physical limits as well as knowing how one copes under pressure. There is a big difference between being on one's feet for part of the week in college or looking after children part time, and standing for up to twelve hours a day in a stressful and busy retail environment.

It may be necessary to work extra hours to earn extra money but this may be counter productive if physical exhaustion becomes overwhelming to the extent that it impacts on emotional wellbeing and family life. Many people will be working at a day job as well as feeling compelled to work extra hours in the evenings to make ends meet and it’s important to ensure adequate rest and recovery.

It would be devastating for workers to put so much energy into earning enough to pay all the bills and to be able to provide a wonderful Christmas for friends and family, if they are then too exhausted to enjoy the results.

Sources:

"Asda to create extra 10,000 Christmas jobs," Reuters, Sep. 10, 2009.

Pay and Work Rights Helpline, Direct.gov.

"National Minimum Wage," HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

The copyright of the article Temporary Christmas Jobs in Career Advice is owned by Suzanne Bosworth. Permission to republish Temporary Christmas Jobs in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Earn Money Doing Temporary Work at Christmas	Christmas Jobs as Waiters and Waitresses	Apply Early for Christmas Jobs With Royal Mail
Find Temporary Jobs as Bar Staff	Seasonal Vacancies for Father Christmas