The holiday season may still feel weeks away, but for healthcare organizations, planning for holiday healthcare staffing should begin well before November and December. Between employee PTO, seasonal illnesses, and unexpected vacancies, having reliable healthcare staffing solutions in place can help facilities maintain adequate coverage.
PTO requests start filling the calendar. Seasonal illnesses can lead to unexpected callouts. Existing vacancies become harder to manage when fewer employees are available to pick up additional shifts. Meanwhile, patient care and daily operations still need to continue without interruption.
Waiting until the holiday rush arrives to address staffing gaps can leave your facility scrambling for coverage. Preparing early gives your team more time and more options.
Start With Your Current Vacancies
An open position that feels manageable today may become a much bigger challenge when holiday schedules begin.
Review positions that have remained vacant or been particularly difficult to fill. Assess how these openings affect your team and whether current employees regularly work extra hours to cover them.
If those gaps remain heading into November and December, holiday PTO and unexpected absences could put even more pressure on your staff.
Review PTO Before the Calendar Gets Crowded
Holiday PTO is predictable, even if the exact staffing challenges it creates are not.
Review approved and pending time-off requests early. Look for dates, departments, or shifts where several employees may be unavailable at the same time.
This can help you identify potential coverage gaps before they become urgent and give you more time to explore temporary, contract, or supplemental staffing options.
Plan for the Callouts You Can’t Predict
Not every absence will appear on the schedule.
Cold and flu season, family responsibilities, emergencies, and other unexpected circumstances can quickly change staffing levels. While facilities cannot predict exactly when employees will call out, they can prepare for the possibility.
Ask yourself: If various employees called out tomorrow, which departments or shifts would feel the impact first?
Those areas may need a stronger backup coverage plan before the holiday season begins.
Pay Attention to Overtime and Employee Workload
When staffing is tight, dependable employees often carry the extra workload. That may solve an immediate scheduling problem, but relying heavily on the same team members throughout the holiday season can create additional challenges.
Before November, review overtime patterns, additional shift requests, and departments already operating with limited coverage. If your team is stretched before the holidays arrive, waiting until peak vacation season to add support may make staffing even more difficult.
Build Your Coverage Plan Early
Early planning does not mean knowing exactly what will happen in December. It means understanding where your facility is most vulnerable and having options ready.
Consider:
- Which vacancies need to be filled before the holidays?
- Which dates have the highest number of PTO requests?
- Which shifts are consistently difficult to cover?
- Where are callouts most disruptive?
- Which employees or departments are already carrying additional workloads?
Answering these questions now can help your organization create a more realistic staffing strategy for the months ahead.
Don’t Wait Until You Need Someone Tomorrow
As a healthcare staffing agency serving Southern California, T&T Staffing helps medical facilities prepare for seasonal staffing needs by connecting them with qualified clinical, medical administrative, and medical food service professionals.
November and December will be here sooner than they seem. Start planning your holiday coverage now so your facility, and your team, are better prepared for what’s ahead.
