This guide covers the Australian peak calendar (Black Friday, Christmas, post-Christmas returns, EOFY stocktake, back-to-school), the 12-week and 8-week and 4-week and 1-week planning checkpoints, a forecasting framework that converts a sales forecast into a headcount plan, and the contractual levers (block bookings, preferred provider rates, minimum guaranteed hours) that lock in capacity before the market tightens.