We don’t need to tell you that a small mistake can have major consequences for your SME. But have you considered that this is even more true during holiday periods? With fewer people on the shop floor or temporary staff, the risks increase. Be aware of this!
The staffing puzzle
As long as schools in Flanders have the traditional eight-week summer holiday, many of your permanent staff will take their holidays in July and August. For you as an entrepreneur, that means: a bit of a puzzle… And since staff who fall ill during their leave are allowed to take their holiday days again later in the year, that can also complicate your planning.
Our golden advice: start planning your summer staffing well in advance. Can you manage with student workers, or would it be better to bring in an experienced freelancer to handle the peaks? In the latter case, do check whether the freelancer has the right liability insurance and whether you yourself are adequately covered should anything go wrong.
Student workers: extra helping hands, extra risks
To bridge the holiday periods, more than one in three Belgian SMEs rely on student workers . A win-win situation: your business can keep running, young people get to know the job market and earn their first income. But be aware that they often lack the experience and routine that your permanent staff have. Accidents can happen all too easily.
So be sure to bear this in mind when employing a student worker:
Accidents at work: as an employer, you are obliged to take out insurance for accidents at work even for a student, even if they are only working for a single day.
Liability: if your student worker causes damage to a third party in any way – for example, by dropping a customer’s expensive device – you, as the employer, are civilly liable for this. So protect your wallet and your reputation with a proper third-party liability insurance .
Extra attention to technical faults
Year after year, summer heat records are being broken in our country. This is not only difficult for your staff, but also for your building. Air conditioning units running overtime or outdated electrical installations overheating in an almost empty office are an often underestimated fire risk. And with fewer staff on the work floor, a small smouldering fire or a leak might only be discovered once the damage is irreversible.
Bear in mind, too, that a fire during the holiday period can have a different impact on your SME than at other times of the year. Perhaps you’ve stocked up on extra supplies to cope with the summer sales peak? Check whether the sum insured in your fire policy matches the actual value at this moment.
In any case: if your business suddenly comes to a standstill, the financial damage is often incalculable. You wouldn’t wish that on anyone, but know that you’re in safe hands with us should it happen. As your local insurance agent, we know your business and can immediately help you figure out how to ensure its continuity. We don’t need to wait until all the paperwork or even your claim has been finalised.
Personal and proactive advice
Is a period of holiday leave and fluctuating staff numbers approaching? This is a good time to go through your policies together and see if you need to take any other preventive measures before your SME goes into summer mode.
The better we know your business, the better we can advise you proactively. And if something does happen, we won’t just help you with the paperwork. We’re also here for you, on a personal level.
Want to know more about how to insure your business sensibly?
Then be sure to read the comprehensive file ‘Entrepreneurship, sensibly insured’.
