CEO’s Message

Holiday Staffing: Clarity, Fairness, and Accountability

Earlier this week, HR managers gathered for their regular networking meeting to discuss upcoming HR and payroll changes in 2026. As expected, holiday staffing sparked a timely and practical conversation.

The challenges are familiar: assigning holiday coverage as fairly as possible while managing unexpected callouts. The shared perspective was consistent—clarity matters. Agencies benefit from defined, transparent policies or rotations that staff can understand and plan around, supported by ongoing communication. Several managers also noted that some employees prefer to work holidays, which can help balance coverage while honoring individual preferences.

Over the next few weeks, clarity and accountability will be essential. As the group emphasized, while care is delivered in the home, staffing expectations are no different from those faced by hospital-based teams working through the holidays.

We invite you to share how your agency handles holiday staffing and callouts. We’ll share highlights and takeaways next week.

Jake Krilovich
Chief Executive Officer
Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts

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