Posted on: April 12, 2023                                                                                                  

Smart scheduling practices can help you manage costs and meet company, customer and employee needs. Here are some tips for managing employee schedules.

Determine whether a fair/predictive scheduling law applies to you.

Oregon, the District of Columbia, and ten local jurisdictions (Berkeley, CA; Emeryville, CA; Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; San Jose, CA; Chicago, IL; New York City, NY; Philadelphia, PA ; Euless, TX; and Seattle, WA) have enacted laws that require certain employers to follow specific scheduling practices. They are commonly known as fair scheduling or predictive scheduling laws. While they vary in terms of which employers are covered and what they require, they typically address:

• Good faith estimate of hours. Before hiring an employee, a covered employer may be required to provide a written good faith estimate of the employee’s work schedule.
• Right to request schedule changes. Covered employees may have the right to request a preference for certain hours, times or locations of work.
• Advance notice of schedule. Covered employers may be required to provide written notice of the employees’ work schedule at least 14 calendar days before the start of the work period.
• Notice of changes to schedule. Covered employers may be required to provide written notice of any employer-initiated changes to the work schedule that occur after the advance notice required.
• Right of first refusal. Before hiring a new employee to perform work, the employer may be required to first offer the work to current part-time employees.
• Penalties for last-minute changes. Covered employers must provide extra pay to employees when the employer initiates a last-minute scheduling change.
• Right to rest between shifts. Employers are prohibited from scheduling an employee to work a shift that starts less than a certain amount of time from the employee’s last shift.

Make accurate projections.

Make projections based on the amount and type of work that needs to get done, when it must be done, and the talent you have available. Factor in business growth (for example, if sales are increasing by 10 percent, your staffing projections and needs could be based on this). Afterward, go back and evaluate whether your projections were accurate and make adjustments if necessary.

Ensure proper balance in staffing.

Too many new or inexperienced employees on a shift can result in stress for both customers and other employees. During each shift, make sure you have enough supervisors and experienced employees to ensure that your business runs smoothly.

Consider special circumstances.

Many businesses have peak times each day, week, or season, but special circumstances could also lead to an increase in business. For example, a downtown cafe may see most of its business during the workweek but a special event, such as a weekend parade or concert, could result in more customers. Be familiar with what is going on in your area and how that may affect business demands.

Keep an eye on overtime.

Under federal law, employers must pay non-exempt employees overtime (1.5 times their regular rate of pay) whenever they work more than 40 hours in a workweek. Some states, such as California, require overtime in additional circumstances. Extensive overtime can drive up labor costs and lead to lower productivity and morale. Monitor overtime closely and make sure you consider its impact when scheduling employees.

Provide enough time off between shifts.

Provide employees with enough rest between shifts, especially for safety sensitive positions. Certain federal, state and local laws place restrictions on the number of hours an employee can work per week and how much time off must be provided between shifts. For example, nurses, certain drivers and other types of workers must be provided with a certain amount of off-duty time between shifts. Check applicable law for more information.

Post schedules in advance.

Give employees as much notice as possible about their schedules, preferably at least two weeks in advance. This will give them more time to plan appointments and other commitments around their work schedules. If extra hours become available, or if you need to make changes to the schedule, post those as well.

Track vacation, sick and other paid time off.

When scheduling employees, you need to know who has been approved for time off, so you don't mistakenly put them on the schedule. Additionally, unless you plan for scheduled absences, an employee's paid time off can lead to overtime work for other employees. To plan ahead, track time-off requests closely and look for certain times of the year or days of the week where requests spike.

Use pilots for new product or service launches.

If you are unsure how a new product or service may affect your staffing needs, consider using a pilot to help gauge the impact. For example, if you are preparing to launch a product or service update, you may want to release it to a select group of clients at first, to help determine the amount of support clients will need.

Involve employees in the process.

When you involve employees in the scheduling process, you can account for outside conflicts. Consider your employees' availability, preferred shifts, and desired number of hours per week. Additionally, offering employees flexible work schedules or telecommuting options can help them better manage their work and personal responsibilities. While flexible work arrangements may not be practical for every job, consider evaluating such requests on a case-by-case basis.

Consider shift swaps and cross training.

Allowing employees to swap shifts can make it easier to maintain adequate staffing levels and give employees flexibility when work-life conflicts arise. Consider cross training employees to make it easier to find a back-up for unscheduled absences. Additionally, establish and communicate rules to employees concerning shift swaps, such as requiring that they submit written requests in advance.

Conclusion

Effective scheduling practices can benefit your customers, employees, and the bottom line.