short-staff
Compact defensive weapon
Short-staff means to provide fewer workers than needed for adequate operation.
A restaurant that's short-staffed struggles during the dinner rush: We were short-staffed all weekend because two servers called in sick.
The term appears as verb, adjective, or noun: management may short-staff deliberately to cut costs, leaving employees to handle the resulting chaos.
Minimum workers needed
- shorthandedLacking sufficient staff
- undermannedInsufficient personnel available
- overworkedLaboring beyond healthy limits
- stretched thinExtended beyond comfortable limits
hiring · shortage · vacancy · burnout · overtime · coverage · shifts · personnel
skeleton crew
Minimum workers needed
- shorthandedLacking sufficient staff
- undermannedInsufficient personnel available
- overworkedLaboring beyond healthy limits
stretched thin · hiring · shortage · vacancy · burnout · overtime · coverage · shifts · personnel · workforce
quarterstaff
Long wooden fighting staff
martial arts · wushu · self-defense · sparring · striking · blocking · combat · wooden · handheld · melee