Christmas temp jobs: an opportunity during the festive season
The festive season represents, for many companies, one of the most demanding periods of the year. With increased activity, tighter deadlines and a higher volume of customers, the need to strengthen teams becomes common in order to ensure service continuity and quality.
For those looking to work at Christmas or working on New Year’s Eve, this scenario creates a particularly favourable environment for entering the labour market, with more temporary job vacancies available and faster recruitment processes.
In this context, temporary work plays a fundamental role, enabling temporary workers to join teams quickly and respond to immediate needs, especially in sectors facing greater operational pressure during the festive season.
Which sectors are in highest demand during the festive season?
Although demand varies depending on the region and local context, there are sectors that, during the festive season, concentrate a higher number of temporary job vacancies.
In Portugal, the most in-demand areas include:
- Retail and commerce, such as shops, supermarkets and customer support roles;
- Logistics and distribution, including warehouse work, picking, packing and deliveries;
- Hospitality and catering, with roles such as waiting staff, kitchen assistants and housekeeping, especially in areas with higher tourist activity or end-of-year events.
In these contexts, it is common for opportunities to arise for those looking to work at Christmas and/or working on New Year’s Eve, often with immediate start dates.
In addition to these sectors, opportunities may also emerge in events, promotional activities and back-office operations, especially when there is a need to extend opening hours or ensure coverage for additional shifts.
This scenario makes the festive season particularly favourable for those seeking a professional opportunity, offering different types of roles, levels of experience and working patterns.
Even though they are temporary, these opportunities allow people to choose options suited to their profile, availability and objectives, even if only for a limited period.
What should you know before taking on temporary work?
Before accepting a temporary work opportunity, it is important to confirm a few essential points. This helps you start with aligned expectations, greater clarity about the day-to-day tasks involved and increased confidence regarding the agreed conditions.
Understanding how this type of work operates and what your rights are is essential for making informed decisions, especially during periods of higher demand such as the festive season.
How does temporary employment work?
Temporary work is an employment arrangement with three parties:
- the worker, who performs the role;
- the temporary work agency (ETT), which recruits, hires, pays, and ensures all legal obligations;
- the host company, where the worker actually performs their day-to-day duties.
Before starting work, it is essential to confirm that the document to be signed is a temporary work contract and to clearly identify who the employer is.
This contract must always be in writing and must include the following elements:
- Identification of the parties involved;
- The justification for entering into the contract;
- The role to be performed;
- Place of work and working hours/period;
- Pay;
- Start date and end date.
Ensuring that his information is clear from the outset contributes to a safer and more transparent experience throughout the entire working period.
Temporary worker’s rights
It is important to know that there are rights that must be guaranteed to the temporary worker, regardless of the duration of the contract or the company where the duties are carried out.
The temporary worker is entitled to working conditions equivalent to those of other employees of the host company, particularly with regard to the workplace, work organisation and working hours.
When working during the Christmas period or at any other point in the festive season, matters such as schedules, shifts and holiday arrangements are defined by the company where the work is actually performed, just as they are for its internal employees.
With regard to health and safety at work, the host company must ensure suitable conditions and access to the equipment required to perform the role. Disciplinary authority, however, lies with the temporary work agency.
The temporary worker’s pay must correspond to the more favourable amount between that established in the collective agreement applicable to the temporary work agency and the pay practised by the host company for equivalent roles.
In addition, there are entitlements to annual leave, holiday pay and Christmas allowance, calculated proportionally to the time actually worked.
For example:
- A contract lasting six months entitles you to half of the allowance.
- In shorter contracts, the calculation is based on the days or months actually worked.
Being aware of these rights is essential in order to work with greater confidence and make more informed decisions before accepting a temporary employment opportunity.
Below, we present five reasons why temporary work during the festive season can be a strategic choice and an opportunity for personal development.
1. Enter the labour market quickly
One of the main advantages of temporary work at this time of year is how quickly you can start working. During the festive season, companies’ needs are immediate, which speeds up recruitment processes and increases the number of temporary job vacancies available.
For those looking for their first job, returning to the labour market or simply gaining new experience, temporary roles allow you to build a routine, understand how a company operates and demonstrate skills in a real working environment.
In fact, temporary employment offers clear advantages for both younger and older workers, adapting to different stages of professional life, as we explain in this article on the five advantages of temporary work for young people and seniors.
2. Boost your income at a time of year with higher expenses
December often brings expenses that do not always fit within the usual budget. Between gifts, travel, meals and family commitments, temporary roles can be a practical solution to boost income, with a clearly defined period and, in many cases, flexible working hours.
It is also important to remember that temporary workers have rights, including the proportional payment of the Christmas allowance, according to the type and duration of the contract.
Being aware of these conditions helps you make more informed decisions. For a simple overview of working in Portugal, please refer to this article.
3. Gain practical experience in high-demand sectors
Working during the festive season is a concrete opportunity to gain hands-on experience in sectors that recruit regularly throughout the year.
Even when the role is more operational, the skills acquired are transferable: priority management, communication, quick problem-solving, customer focus and teamwork. These capabilities are valued in any career path.
Keeping a record of the tasks performed, responsibilities taken on and results achieved can be decisive in strengthening your CV and preparing for future applications.
4. Adapt working hours to personal needs
The festive season tends to create opportunities with different formats: full-time, part-time, weekend shifts, schedules concentrated over specific weeks or occasional reinforcements. This variety makes temporary work particularly attractive for students, workers looking to supplement their income or people who require more specific or flexible working hours.
5. Turn a temporary experience into professional continuity
A temporary role during the festive season often works as a practical trial for both parties. The employee has the opportunity to demonstrate skills, commitment and adaptability. For the company, it is a way to assess performance in a real working environment.
When the experience is positive, it is common for invitations to arise for new projects at other times of the year, such as Easter, the summer or periods of higher production.
In some cases, opportunities for integration within the company may even arise, turning a seasonal role into a relevant step towards a more stable career path.
To find out more about how to turn a temporary experience into a permanent integration opportunity, please refer to Timing’s article.
Benefits of Working with Timing
At Timing, we are specialists in human resources solutions and temporary work, supporting the recruitment and integration of workers across different sectors and contexts, including periods of higher demand such as the festive season.
We support candidates at every stage of the process, ensuring they work legally, with clear conditions, guaranteed rights and close guidance from application through to the start of their role.
– Did this topic help you?
Temporary work during the festive season can be an excellent opportunity to gain experience, boost income and create new professional perspectives.
If you are a candidate or employee looking to work at Christmas or at other peak times, explore our available roles and register on our website to access opportunities across the country, from north to south and the islands.
If you represent a company, discover our recruitment and human resources management solutions and find out how we can support team expansion at this time of year, with speed, transparency and legal compliance.
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