RICHMOND, Va. -- Companies that typically hire thousands of seasonal workers are heading into the holidays during one of the tightest job markets in decades, making it unlikely they’ll find all the workers they need. If they can’t find the workers they need, employers will likely rely on existing staff to work more overtime, which can become costly for businesses and lead to burnout for workers.
That is one reason why Richmond-based Gelati Celesti Ice Cream is cutting back on its hours of operation over the next few weeks.
"We're fortunate to have some incredible high school and college students work in our stores to scoop ice cream. Many reach a manager level and lead a team during a shift. Due to the pandemic, we're finding it more difficult to recruit those students, consequently, our full-time staff is working longer hours," owner Steve Rosser posted on social media to alert customers of the change. "This is compounded by expansion (opening a new store in Virginia Beach!), and some great life events of our staff (maternity leave, marriage). Our team is working too many hours and in the very short term that is OK but definitely not for very long."
Effective Monday, Gelati Celesti will open from 3 p.m. - 9 p.m. daily. The normal hours were Noon - 10 p.m.
Rosser said he expected the shorter hours to be in effect for about three weeks.
"I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to you but in the long run, it's best for our team and for the long-term operations of Gelati Celesti," he said.
Gelati Celesti operates seven shops in the Richmond area and one in Virginia Beach.
Rosser said the company has about 149 employees but would like to hire 30 more to get back to full strength. Click here for job opportunities.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
