When one of our key team members scheduled a five-week vacation, we knew we needed a plan—but the real challenge wasn’t just the time away, it was the timing.
We were heading straight into our busy season for shipping and invoicing, and the workload was already increasing. With the volume we manage, even a small gap in capacity can quickly create ripple effects across the team. As we looked ahead, it was clear this wasn’t something we could simply absorb internally.
Like many teams, we initially explored redistributing the workload. But with everyone already operating at capacity, that approach quickly showed its limits.
“Staff are too busy at this time of year… there was still too much to go around.”
Taking on more would have meant stretching people too thin, increasing stress, and risking delays during a critical period.
Why Temporary Staffing for Vacation Coverage Works During Peak Season
That’s when we started seriously considering temporary support—but only if it could truly solve the problem. We didn’t have time for a lengthy onboarding process or someone who needed weeks to get up to speed. We needed someone who could contribute almost immediately.
That’s where Mercer Bradley made the difference.
They were able to provide a candidate who was ready to step in and make an immediate impact. With minimal ramp-up and a short period of shadowing, the individual quickly integrated into our workflow and began contributing within days. It felt like a true extension of our team at a time when we needed it most.
If you’re navigating similar challenges, especially around extended absences or peak workloads, this is something worth exploring further—particularly how temporary staffing can help maintain continuity without overloading your team. You can read more about that here.
Once our busy season hit full stride, the value of that decision became even more clear. With shipment volumes sometimes exceeding 100 per day—each requiring invoicing and coordination—it simply wasn’t realistic for one person to manage it all.
“There is no way we would have kept up without him.”
Having that additional support allowed us to maintain productivity, meet deadlines, and avoid bottlenecks.
Just as importantly, it had a direct impact on our team. Instead of pulling people away from their own responsibilities or overloading them with extra work, everyone was able to stay focused on their roles.
“Mercer Bradley made it super easy to get the temporary staff member in the office on the exact date we needed… it’s very nice and simple to just pick an employee and have Mercer Bradley take care of the rest. The employee was at his desk, on the hour and date I requested, ready to work and I didn’t have to plan any of it.”
Interestingly, there were also some unexpected benefits from a team development perspective. The employee who supported the temporary hire through onboarding gained valuable experience in delegating tasks, improving documentation, and communicating processes more clearly. It also gave them a greater appreciation for their colleague’s role—especially the complexity behind tasks that might seem straightforward at first glance.
Looking back, one of the biggest takeaways was how simple the entire process was to manage. From our perspective, there was very little coordination required. The candidate showed up ready to work, exactly when we needed them, without adding extra work on our end.
Would we use temporary staffing again for vacation coverage? In the right situation, absolutely. When timing and workload align like this, having access to skilled, ready-to-go support can make all the difference. It allowed us to stay on track, support our team, and navigate a busy period without disruption—and that’s exactly what we needed.
