In construction, we can’t solve a global pandemic, but we can protect our contracting companies by keeping overhead flexible in case business declines. It may require going against your assumptions. To keep permanent staff levels low enough, make judicious use of overtime, put on extra shifts and hire foremen and forewomen who won’t hesitate to go back to toolwork when the amount of work available to the company falls off. Using part-time or student workers can help during peak periods of work. In busy times, even occasional outsourcing of work to a competitor is better than keeping too many people on the payroll.
The standard objection I hear to having craft labor work overtime is this: “I can’t make money at time and half.” But that is in error.