The holidays are a time for rest, family, and a chance to reset before the new year. At the same time, many engineering, IT, and manufacturing operations in Arizona cannot fully stop. Facilities still run, systems need monitoring, and critical infrastructure must remain safe and stable.
Survey data shows that 57 percent of employees say the holidays are the most draining time of the year, due to a mix of financial pressure, work demands, and family obligations. Holiday workforce planning helps leaders balance both sides. The goal is to support critical projects and operations while still giving people the time off they need.
This article builds on TTG’s earlier content, including the Arizona Holiday Hiring Playbook for Technical Teams and How to Build a Strong Company Culture from Day One, by focusing specifically on how to plan coverage during holiday breaks.
Understand What Truly Can’t be Paused
Not every task needs full coverage when many employees are on holiday break. The first step in holiday workforce planning is to identify the functions that truly cannot pause.
For technical teams, these often include:
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Equipment and system monitoring
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Controls and automation oversight
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On call IT and cybersecurity support
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Maintenance or shutdown coordination
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Safety, compliance, and environmental checks
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Field or infrastructure response roles
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) notes that unclear expectations around workload and availability are a major driver of stress in the holiday season. Their guidance on addressing heightened holiday stress emphasizes realistic workloads, transparency, and clear communication about what is truly urgent and what can wait.
Clarifying which responsibilities are essential reduces confusion and helps prevent silent assumptions about who will step in.
In this section, you can reference TTG’s culture article: How to Build a Strong Company Culture from Day One and connect the idea of clear expectations to culture.
Build a Coverage Plan That Protects People and Projects
Once critical functions are defined, leaders can map coverage. Holiday workforce planning should include:
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Who is primary and backup for each essential role
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Which days and shifts need coverage
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How escalation will work if an issue arises
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What can be safely deferred until after the holidays
Guides on managing time off during busy seasons highlight that early scheduling, fair distribution of shifts, and visible schedules are essential for reducing tension and last minute conflicts. (source)
A written plan helps prevent the same people from covering every holiday simply because they are known as reliable. Over time, that pattern can create burnout and resentment, especially in high responsibility technical roles.
Note that smart planning protects the investment you make in bringing the right people onto the team. Read more about it in one of our articles Quick to Hire, Quick to Lose: Why Rushed Hiring Hurts Technical Teams.
Use Flexible Staffing to Maintain Operations
In Arizona’s competitive technical labor market, flexible staffing plays a key role in holiday workforce planning. Contract and short term talent can help cover critical roles while core employees take time off.
Recent Q4 workforce analysis on manufacturing and technical roles notes that employers are competing for the same welders, electricians, machinists, and maintenance technicians that other sectors depend on, which puts pressure on hiring and scheduling. Lightcast labor market data also shows strong ongoing demand for installation, maintenance, and repair occupations across many U.S. regions, especially in advanced manufacturing and infrastructure focused economies.
For Arizona organizations in sectors such as semiconductor manufacturing, food and beverage processing, water infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing, contract support can:
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Maintain production or plant operations when internal staffing is limited
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Support planned maintenance or shutdowns over the holidays
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Provide specialized skills for short term projects or system upgrades
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Reduce overtime hours and workload on core staff
Flexible staffing options help organizations maintain continuity without asking the same team members to sacrifice their time off every year.
TTG’s service oriented content or holiday hiring content, such as the Arizona Holiday Hiring Playbook for Technical Teams.
Communicate Early and Often
Even a strong coverage plan can break down if it is not communicated clearly. Holiday workforce planning should include:
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Sharing coverage assignments and expectations well before schedules are finalized
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Confirming who is truly on call and who is fully off
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Explaining how to escalate issues and when to contact specific individuals
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Letting vendors and partners know about any changes to response times
SHRM guidance on helping employees get the holiday break they need highlights the importance of communication and manager role modeling. Employers are encouraged to tell employees that it is acceptable to step away from work, and to make expectations explicit so that people do not feel pressure to constantly monitor messages on their own time.
Clear communication also extends to clients and partners. Setting realistic expectations about response times and staffing levels over the holidays helps protect trust and reduces frustration on both sides.
Respect Time Off and Model Healthy Boundaries
Holiday workforce planning is not just about logistics. It is also about modeling healthy boundaries.
Research from SHRM on employees working during vacation found that many workers feel pressure to stay connected, and that constant availability comes with real costs to mental health and retention. Gallup reports that 44 percent of employees globally say they experience significant daily stress, and that engaged employees are less likely to report high stress levels than disengaged peers.
Leaders send a strong message when they:
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Avoid unnecessary emails to team members who are on break
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Encourage people to fully disconnect during their time off
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Recognize and thank those who provide coverage
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Take time off themselves and follow the same boundaries
In technical environments where uptime matters and issues can be urgent, it is easy for boundaries to blur. Holiday planning is a chance to reset expectations and show that rest is not only allowed, but encouraged.
Read more on TTG’s articles on How to Build a Strong Company Culture from Day One and How to Create an Inclusive Workplace Environment, which emphasize that culture and inclusion are lived through everyday decisions, not just policy documents.
Holiday workforce planning allows technical teams to support critical projects and operations while still honoring the need for rest. By identifying what truly cannot pause, building thoughtful coverage plans, using flexible staffing, communicating clearly, and respecting time off, leaders can protect both their people and their projects.
For Arizona organizations in engineering, IT, and advanced manufacturing, this planning is especially important. The work you do often affects infrastructure, safety, and long term growth.
If your team needs support staffing critical roles during the holidays or planning coverage for the year ahead, the TTG team is ready to help.
