Forty-one percent of employers plan to hire seasonal workers for the summer and 88 percent expect to transition some of those summer hires into permanent roles, according to a recent CareerBuilder survey.
Why are employers transitioning workers from seasonal to permanent? “Employers are grappling with a tough hiring environment, and summer workers are reaping the benefits,” said Irina Novoselsky, president and COO of CareerBuilder, in a press release. “Employers are becoming more competitive with pay and offering more long-term employment opportunities to summer workers.”
This could be the reason why, of the employers hiring seasonal workers, one in four plan to pay summer hires $15 or more per hour.
Not all employers hiring summer workers are associated with recreation and outdoor work, many are in offices or other corporate settings. Some of the other industries hiring include:
- Customer Service: 25 percent
- IT: 25 percent
- Office Support: 25 percent
- Engineering: 18 percent
- Manufacturing: 16 percent
- Sales: 15 percent
However, some summer jobs are more unique than others. When the survey asked employees what their must unusual summer job was, their answers included:
- Teaching ice skating classes
- Ambulance driver
- All-girl valet parking crew
- Assembly line worker for loose-leaf binders
- Candling eggs
- Detasseling corn
- Killing mosquitos
- Picking pineapples in Hawaii
- Scaring seagulls off roofs
- Senior citizen softball league umpire
- Worm farmer
Hiring Teens
Pay attention to California and federal laws regulating the employment of minors if you hire teen workers. These laws restrict the occupations and hours that minors may work and require work permits and special record-keeping.
With limited exceptions, all minors must have a work permit, even for those summer jobs when school is not in session.
Make certain that:
- You have a valid Form B1-1 (Statement of Intent to Employ Minor and Request for Work Permit) for the current school year and it is on file with the school district.
- The school district has issued a work permit, Form B1-4 (Permit to Employ and Work) for the current school year and you have it on file in the workplace.
- The minor’s work schedule complies with the legal number of hours allowed.
Jessica Mulholland, Senior Editor
CalChamber members can read more about “Short-Term Employees” on Direct Hires and Child Labor Laws in the HR Library. Not a member? See how CalChamber can help you.
