Why short-term staff are a particular risk
Many NZ businesses have busy seasons: accountants around tax deadlines, retailers before Christmas, horticulture and tourism businesses through summer, event companies in particular months. They bring in temps, students, contractors from agencies or returning casuals, sometimes at short notice. The pressure is always to get them working quickly, which leads to shortcuts.
The usual shortcuts are sharing a permanent staff member's login, giving temps the same broad access as full-time staff, and forgetting to remove accounts when the season ends. Each of those creates risk, and the busier the season, the more likely all three happen at once. Shared logins break accountability, broad access exposes data the temp never needed, and forgotten accounts linger for months as an open door, often with a weak password chosen in a hurry.
Build a role template
Before the busy season, define what a temporary worker in each role actually needs. A seasonal admin assistant might need email, Teams, one SharePoint folder and the job booking system. A warehouse temp might need only the stock app on a shared tablet. Write that down as a template, including which groups to add the person to and which licence they get.
With a template, creating accounts takes minutes and is consistent. It also makes it obvious when someone is asking for more than the role needs. Think about whether temps need their own email address at all; some roles work fine with access to a shared mailbox or a shared device with a kiosk-style sign-in.
Licences for short-term users
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace licences can usually be added and removed month to month, depending on your plan and how you buy them. Check the current terms with your provider before the season, because some annual commitments can't be reduced mid-term. Plan ahead so you have enough licences available without paying for unused ones all year.
Lower-cost frontline licences exist for workers who only need basic email, Teams and mobile apps. They may suit seasonal roles well, but check what they include, since some features differ from standard business plans. Line-of-business software often has its own seat limits and minimum terms, so ask vendors about temporary users before you need them.
Devices
Keep a small pool of spare laptops or tablets ready for busy periods. Between seasons, store them charged, updated and enrolled in device management, so they only need the temp's account added. Wiping and reinstalling at the end of each season keeps them clean, and a label on each one with its asset number makes it easy to see which temp had which device when they come back.
If you don't want to own spare devices, short-term rental or leasing can cover peaks. For roles that only need one or two apps, shared tablets or PCs with individual sign-in can work well, especially in warehouses, shops and front-of-house settings. Never let temps connect their own laptops to your office network. If they need internet on a personal phone during breaks, the guest Wi-Fi is the place for it, kept separate from the network your business systems run on.
Set the end date when you start
When you create a temp's account, set the expiry date at the same time. In Microsoft 365 that might mean adding the person to a group that is reviewed regularly, setting an end date in your HR system that triggers removal, or simply recording the date in your onboarding ticket with a reminder. Guest accounts for agency staff can be set to expire automatically.
On the last day, follow the same steps as for any leaver: block sign-in, reset the password, collect the device, and remove access to any other systems. Agency workers often move on with little notice, so confirm the end date with the agency and don't rely on the worker to tell you.
Training in an afternoon
Temporary staff need a short, focused briefing rather than a full induction. Cover how to sign in and use MFA, where files go, how to spot a scam email, what not to do with customer information, and who to ask for help. A one-page sheet tailored to the role helps, especially if several temps start together.
After the season, look back at what went well and what didn't. Were accounts ready in time? Did any temp have more access than they needed? Were all accounts removed? A short review each year steadily improves the process and makes the next busy season easier. Keep the notes with the role templates so whoever runs onboarding next year starts from what you learned, not from scratch.
In short
- Never let temps share a permanent staff member's login.
- Create a role template before the busy season.
- Check licence terms so you can add and remove users as needed.
- Keep a small pool of ready devices or arrange short-term rental.
- Set an end date when you create the account.