There are a few basic rules for setting up your employee schedule. First, create a centralized program, communicate the schedule to employees, and plan for busy periods. An employee scheduling software centralized schedule will make it easier for you to keep track of all employees’ shifts and hours. So, how do you set up an employee schedule?
Establishing Employee Scheduling
When setting up rules for employee scheduling, it’s crucial to understand staff availability. While time and attendance records can help you determine peak hours, employees may also want to take advantage of off-peak times to balance family responsibilities and other commitments. In these situations, scheduling software may come in handy. Additionally, it’s good to include a job description that specifies how much time an employee should be available for work each day.
Once you’ve defined the policy for employee scheduling, you’ll need to decide how you’ll handle time-off requests. First, establish how many days employees must request time off and any business-specific rules in advance. For instance, you may want to offer a seniority status for specific shifts. And while the rules may seem complicated, they’re vital for building trust and preventing your business from being known as shady.
Create A Centralized Schedule
A centralized schedule for staff is an essential element of an enterprise-wide workforce management system. This system enables one person to handle all scheduling functions across an organization while freeing managers from the mundane task of managing staff schedules. While some health systems use an utterly centralized approach, others have a hybrid model where some staffing functions are done at the unit level. No matter which way your organization chooses to manage to schedule, the following steps will help ensure consistency:
Creating a centralized schedule can be a complicated task. Each organization has its workflow and needs, making a centralized program particularly challenging. Luckily, there are powerful tools that can help. When creating a schedule, consider location, shift length, and skillset. For nonprofit organizations, for example, determining how long volunteers will need to spend at each location and whether they need to have any particular certifications.
Communicate The Schedule To Employees
A common operational challenge for companies is how to communicate schedules to employees. Many companies struggle with busy phone lines and hours of management time spent talking to employees. Others rely on employees to check paper schedules for updates. Unfortunately, paper schedules can change at the last minute, which can cause errors. Communicating plans to employees is a vital part of employee relations, and a good communication program will make the job easier for both managers and employees.
If you are implementing a web portal to communicate your employees’ schedules, try creating a page where employees can fill out a simple form. This will allow them to ask questions or voice their concerns. Many employers also create their schedules based on business needs. Asking your employees about their preferences and working hours will help you increase employee engagement and productivity. You can also include a section on the job description so that employees will understand what they can expect from their schedules.
Plan For Busy Periods
When scheduling staff, consider what hours are your busiest. Consider whether you can schedule extra staff during evenings or weekends. You may also want to consider seasonal staff for busy times of the year. Holidays and local events are popular times for customers to visit your business, so plan accordingly. Likewise, it would help if you took note of peak customer shifts to accommodate those days. As always, be reasonable and fair when scheduling employees.
While a business may have plenty of employees during busy periods, not all employees will be available at all times. So it’s best to add some flexibility to the schedule when possible. However, even if employees aren’t public during those times, you’ll still have a few employees available to fill in the gaps. And make sure to prioritize team preferences. This will make employees happier and increase retention rates.
Avoid Double-Scheduling
Double-scheduling is a common mistake when scheduling staff, as two people are expected for the same shift. This can be intentional or unintentional, but it causes a lot of hassle. Double-scheduling is common in hospitals, where doctors and patients are frequently scheduled for the same day and time. By double-checking shifts, you can avoid this mistake.
Double-scheduling is a common mistake made by managers when scheduling staff. Often, this mistake is not intentional but is an excellent way to get more work done in a short period. You can schedule several shifts in a one-time slot, ensuring better patient flow. For example, a doctor may prepare the same patient twice during the exact change for other services, such as examining, vaccination, and opinion on reports. Another example is a life coach booking two different clients in the same time slot. One of the clients will sit in the waiting room while the coach sees the other in such a scenario.
Avoid Just-In-Time Employee Scheduling
While just-in-time employee scheduling may increase efficiency, it can also lead to lower productivity and higher overhead. In some cases, the practice can even lead to higher turnover and poorer worker morale. While “just-in-time” practices have their place in automation, they are not sustainable and may even cost a business more than they save. To avoid just-in-time employee scheduling practices, create schedules in advance.
Just-in-time employee scheduling is widespread in two fast-growing sectors: the retail sector and the service industry. It’s also connected to a conservative war on women. Just-in-time employee scheduling places workers in a precarious financial situation and impedes access to safety net programs and other benefits. In addition, workers can’t arrange child care or get a second job when their schedules become erratic.
