Maybe too early for some but for retail and hospitality, the festive rush is beginning, and thousands of workers are being taken on by businesses across the UK as they prepare for one of the busiest times of the year.

My client has several shops, and they are busy getting ready for the Christmas rush. They have asked me about employing staff to cover this period, as they know the shops are going to get busier. They want to take people on to work regular shifts to cover the pre-Christmas shopping and January sales, and have a clear start and end date in mind. What do they need to think about?