Cold and Flu Season Staffing: How to Keep Shifts Covered When Employees Get Sick

By Nicole Hullihen, former SaaS Chief Operating Officer and Microsoft MVP · Updated November 1, 2026

Every winter, the same thing happens: one person comes in sick, two more catch it and suddenly a third of the team is calling out in the same week. For small businesses, a wave of illness can mean closed registers, cancelled appointments, rushed crews and expensive overtime. You can't stop cold and flu season, but you can plan staffing so it doesn't shut you down.

This guide explains how to prepare for winter call-outs, keep shifts covered and reduce the spread at work, with a free flu season coverage plan. It's general information, not medical or legal advice.

Expect More Call-Outs

Look at last winter's call-outs by week. Many businesses see a clear rise from December through February. Use those numbers to estimate how many unplanned absences to expect and which roles are hit hardest. Planning for a realistic number of call-outs, rather than hoping for none, is the first step.

Free Flu Season Coverage Plan

Build an On-Call List

An on-call list gives managers someone to call immediately instead of texting everyone. Ask who wants extra hours during winter, including part-timers, recent former employees and students on break. Record their availability, skills and how to reach them, and contact them in a fair order. If you schedule formal on-call shifts, check your state's rules on paying for on-call time. See on-call policy for hourly employees.

Cross-Train for Critical Roles

Call-outs hurt most when only one or two people can do a job. Before winter, identify critical roles and train at least two backups for each. Even partial training, such as opening procedures or the cash deposit, can keep a shift running. See cross-training and skills-based scheduling.

Schedule a Small Buffer

On your most critical shifts, consider scheduling one person above the minimum during peak illness weeks. The extra cost is often less than the overtime, lost sales or missed appointments caused by a short shift. Use your minimum staffing levels to decide where a buffer matters most. See minimum staffing levels.

Encourage Sick Employees to Stay Home

One sick employee who comes in can take out half a shift. Make it clear that employees who are sick should stay home, and make it easy to call out. Employees are more likely to come in sick when they can't afford to lose pay, fear discipline or worry about leaving coworkers short. Clear sick leave rules, a reliable backup plan and a supportive message from managers all help.

Make Call-Outs Simple

1. Employee contacts the manager or coverage line as early as possible, by the method in your policy.
2. Manager confirms and records the absence.
3. Manager calls the on-call list or offers the shift to available staff.
4. If coverage can't be found, the manager adjusts the shift or service.

See how to respond when an employee calls out sick and how to call in sick.

Sick Leave, PTO and the Law

Many states and cities require paid sick leave, and their rules cover how leave accrues, how much notice employees must give and when employers can ask for documentation. Some limit requests for doctor's notes for short absences. Make sure your policy and managers follow the rules where you operate, and don't discipline employees for using leave that's protected by law. See whether an employer can deny sick leave.

Overtime When Others Cover

Covering for sick coworkers often pushes employees into overtime. Under federal law, non-exempt employees must be paid overtime for hours over 40 in a workweek, and some states add daily overtime. Track weekly hours as shifts are picked up, spread extra shifts across the team and approve overtime when it's the best option. See the overtime approval policy.

Plan for Reduced Service

Sometimes you won't find enough coverage. Decide in advance what happens when you're short: a limited menu, fewer appointments, shorter hours, combining roles or rescheduling non-urgent jobs. Having a plan ready lets managers act quickly instead of improvising, and it helps you communicate clearly with customers.

Reduce the Spread at Work

• Stock hand soap, sanitizer, tissues and disinfecting wipes.
• Clean shared surfaces, like registers, tablets, door handles and break rooms, more often.
• Encourage handwashing, especially before eating and after customer contact.
• Avoid sharing headsets, phones and tools where possible.
• Send home employees who become visibly sick during a shift, following your policy.

Public health agencies publish guidance on reducing the spread of respiratory illness at work. Check current recommendations and follow any rules that apply to your industry. See the cleaning checklist.

Track Absences and Patterns

Record every call-out with the date, shift and whether it was covered. Weekly totals show when the season is peaking and whether your coverage plan is working. They also help you plan for next winter. Separate legitimate illness from attendance problems carefully, and follow your attendance policy and any sick leave laws. See the attendance policy template.

Example: A Dental Office

A dental office with three hygienists lost dozens of appointments the previous winter when two hygienists were out sick in the same week. This year, the office manager cross-trained an assistant on more tasks, built a list of two temporary hygienists who could fill in, moved non-urgent cleanings out of January's busiest weeks and reminded staff to stay home when sick. When illness hit in January, the office lost only a handful of appointments.

Common Mistakes

• No backup plan until the first wave of call-outs.
• Only one person trained on critical tasks.
• Pressuring sick employees to come in.
• Ignoring sick leave laws on notice and documentation.
• Unplanned overtime piling up on a few people.
• No plan for reduced service.

Flu Season Staffing Checklist

Communicating With Your Team Before Flu Season

Share the plan before illness hits: how to call out, who to contact, how shifts will be covered and how sick leave works. Remind employees that staying home when sick protects coworkers and customers. A short team meeting or message in November sets expectations and makes the first call-outs smoother.

Managers Who Get Sick

Plan for managers and shift leads to get sick too. Name a backup for each manager's key duties, such as opening, closing, approvals and payroll, and make sure backups have the access and training they need. A shift lead checklist helps backups run the shift. See the shift lead checklist.

Remote Work Options

For roles that can be done from home, letting mildly sick employees work remotely, or letting healthy employees work from home during an outbreak, can reduce the spread while keeping work moving. Make sure remote employees still record their hours accurately. See the remote work policy template.

Coordinating With Holiday Time Off

Flu season overlaps with the holidays, when many employees are already off. Review approved time off before December and January, and keep the on-call list ready for weeks when both vacations and illness reduce staffing. See how to handle overlapping PTO requests.

After a Wave of Illness

Once the worst week passes, review what happened: how many shifts were short, how much overtime was paid, which roles were hardest to cover and what worked. Update the coverage plan, thank the employees who picked up extra shifts and rebalance hours so the people who covered get a break.

Common Questions From Managers

• "What if the same employee calls out often?" Follow your attendance policy and sick leave laws; talk privately and consistently.
• "Can I send someone home sick?" Follow your policy and pay rules, including any reporting time pay requirements.
• "Who gets first pick of extra shifts?" Use the on-call list order or a fair rotation.
• "What if nobody can cover?" Use your reduced service plan.

Flu Season Staffing Quick Reference

Example: A Small Warehouse

A small distribution warehouse lost two forklift operators to the flu during its busiest shipping week the year before, and orders backed up for days. This year, the manager certified three more employees on forklifts in the fall, added a fourth picker to the morning shift in December and created a list of temporary workers who could help with packing. When illness hit, certified backups kept the forklifts running and orders shipped on time.

Getting Started This Week

1. List your critical roles and who can cover each one.
2. Ask employees who wants extra winter hours.
3. Schedule cross-training for roles with only one backup.
4. Review your call-out procedure and sick leave rules with managers.
5. Write a one-page reduced service plan.

Holiday Parties and Gatherings

Holiday parties and team meals bring everyone together right in the middle of cold and flu season. Encourage anyone who feels sick to skip the event without guilt, provide hand sanitizer and avoid shared serving utensils where possible. If attendance is required or happens during work hours, remember that the time may be paid time for hourly employees. See whether company events are paid time.

Supporting Employees Who Cover Shifts

The employees who pick up extra shifts during flu season are carrying the business. Thank them, spread extra shifts so the same people aren't always covering, and make sure they get recovery days afterward. Small rewards, like a gift card or a meal, show you noticed.

Planning for Next Winter

Keep this year's call-out records, coverage gaps and overtime totals. They become the starting point for next year's plan. If certain weeks, roles or locations were hit hardest, schedule cross-training and buffers there earlier next fall.

Sick Leave Records

Record sick time accurately in your PTO or sick leave system, including the date, hours and leave type. Accurate records help with payroll, show employees their remaining balance and support compliance with state and local paid sick leave laws, many of which include recordkeeping rules. Make sure managers enter sick time the same day so balances stay current. See year-end PTO.

Customer Communication When Short-Staffed

When illness forces reduced service, tell customers early and honestly. Update online hours, post signs, call clients whose appointments must move and offer the next available time. Customers are usually understanding when they're told in advance, and much less so when they arrive to find a closed door or an hour-long wait. Keep a short message template ready so managers can send updates quickly during a busy week.

Building a Bench of Part-Timers

Part-time employees are often the easiest way to add coverage in winter. Recruit a few in the fall, train them on core tasks and give them regular shifts so they stay engaged. When call-outs rise, they already know the job and the team. Students home for winter break can also fill short-term gaps. See scheduling student employees.

Keep their availability current so managers know who to call first.

Checking In With Returning Employees

When employees return after being sick, check whether they're ready for a full shift and ease them back if needed. Update the schedule so coverage plans reflect who is actually available, and thank coworkers who covered while they were out.

A brief check-in also helps you spot anyone who came back too soon.

Then adjust the schedule for the rest of the week.

Final Thoughts

Cold and flu season is predictable, so the staffing problems it causes are mostly preventable. Build an on-call list, cross-train backups, add buffers to critical shifts, make call-outs simple and encourage sick employees to stay home. Follow sick leave laws, watch overtime and have a reduced service plan ready. A little planning in November keeps shifts covered all winter.

Cover Sick Days With Updoot

Updoot's scheduling lets you post open shifts and fill call-outs quickly, PTO tracking records sick time accurately and the employee time clock flags overtime as employees pick up extra shifts.

Sources

• U.S. DOL: Overtime Pay

Frequently Asked Questions