Six Months After Katrina, Staffing Is Still a Challenge for Employers On the Gulf Coast

Summary

---

It has been six months since Hurricane Katrina swept through the Gulf Coast, and many employers in the region are still struggling to figure out how they can staff their operations to get them up and running. Many companies have repaired their stores and facilities, but have been forced to keep limited hours because of staffing shortages. To deal with these challenges, companies are relying on tactics such as supplying housing, offering flexible hours, giving hiring bonuses and recruiting former staff to fill vacant positions. Many companies are reopening facilities in the affected areas and are racing to secure housing for their employees. Recruiting and retaining employees has been taken to a whole new level of complexity for employers of hourly workers. As companies try to return to business as usual, they are also reviewing what they did in the months after the hurricanes to figure out what they could do differently next time.

See the full content of this document

Extract

---

Six Months After Katrina, Staffing Is Still a Challenge for Employers On the Gulf Coast

IT'S BEEN SIX MONTHS since Hurricane Katrina swept through the Gulf Coast, and many employers in the region are still struggling to figure out how they can staff their operations to get them up and running.

Many companies have repaired their stores and facilities, but have been forced to keep limited hours because of staffing shortages. There's very little housing in the area, and without it, companies are hard-pressed to find workers.

"The population has shrunk significantly," says Myrna Shultz, vice president of marke...

See the full content of this document

---