6 Ways to Avoid Layoffs at Your Houston Company

It’s the dreaded “L” word. Layoffs. Both employees and employers fear the unwelcome proposition of losing their job, or laying people off. Sitting down face-to-face with an employee and actually saying the words is no easy task; plus layoffs mean your company isn’t at its healthiest. Not exactly the situation you want to be in.

But while cutting staff might be an inevitability in the near future, there are some steps you can take to try and avoid layoffs.

Step #1: Encourage attrition.

Do you have a number of employees who will retire in the near future? Think about creating and offering an attractive incentive package to those who qualify. Also, if you’ve had any employees who have recently quit or been fired, don’t fill those positions if possible. Reassign those duties to your existing workforce until you are able to hire again.

Step #2: Institute a hiring freeze.

If you’re experiencing an increase in demand at your company, it can be tempting to hire again. But you may want to consider placing a freeze on hiring until the situation has stabilized. If you have a seasonal peak in demand, or have employees out on maternity or sick leave, consider using a staffing company to hire temporary employees for the time being.

Step #3: Reduce hours worked.

While this is sure to be met with some protest and trepidation on the part of your staff, you may want to consider creating a four-day work week to lower the number of hours worked and salary paid. Assure your employees that this situation is temporary and will help the company to avoid future layoffs. To offset this, you may want to allow your employees to trade pay for company stock.

Step #4: Limit overtime.

Overtime is expensive if you’re paying it to your full-time employees. Instead, think about hiring some temporary employees to get the work done. It may cost much less in the long run.

Step #5: Encourage job sharing and leaves of absence.

Allow full-time employees to become part-time employees and share their job roles with each other. Or, if you have an employee who you know wants to take an extended trip to Europe, or write a book, ask him or her to take a leave of absence without pay, but with benefits, for a period of time.

Step #6: Tap into the power of temporary staffing.

Take on more projects and increase productivity – without an increase in overhead – by using temporary employees. Once the project is complete or work flow starts to slow down, simply release the temporary workers.

At Murray Resources, we’ve helped many employers throughout Houston to weather the tough economy by taking full advantage of strategic, temporary staffing. If your company is currently in a position where layoffs seem imminent, please contact Murray Resources. We may be able to help you avoid them.

7 Ways Temporary Staffing Can Help Your Houston Company Save Money

What if we told you there was an easy way for your Houston company to save money, reduce liability, and enhance productivity? Your initial reaction might be something like, “that sounds too good to be true.” But really it’s not. Through the use of temporary staffing, you can increase flexibility, while lowering your overall operating costs. Here’s how:

#1: With temporary staffing, your fixed expenses can become variable.

Instead of hiring a full time employee, a temporary worker can supplement your core staff during a seasonal peak or busy time period.

#2: With temporary staffing, you can bring in expertise when you need it.

A temporary employee can provide you with a very specific skill set that you may only need for a certain project.

#3: With temporary staffing, you can reduce benefit costs.

Legally, temporary employees work for the staffing firm, not for your company. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about offering benefits, like health insurance or paid time off.

#4: With temporary staffing, you can lower overtime costs.

When you have an abundance of work that needs to get done, rather than having your full-time staff work overtime, hire temporary employees for a limited amount of time.

#5: With temporary staffing, you can reduce training costs.

Hire temporary staff that already has the skills and experience you need, so you don’t have to train them.

#6: With temporary staffing, you can find qualified people faster.

By working with a temporary staffing agency, you can eliminate the time and cost associated with advertising, screening, interviewing, and testing candidates.

#7: With temporary staffing, you can reduce unemployment claims.

Again, since temporary employees work for the staffing agency, not for your company, you don’t have to worry about an unemployment claim. All claims impact the staffing agency’s unemployment rating, not yours.

At Murray Resources, we can help you assess your current workforce and then develop a staffing plan that will help you enhance flexibility, increase productivity and lower your employment costs. Learn more about our temporary staffing strategies today.