Work shift scheduling refers to the allocation of duties to employees to work in alternating groups for a fixed number of hours. Shift length, schedule format, on-off work patterns and overtime are the main work shift scheduling techniques. Shift length involves determining shifts by the length of hours of each shift. Schedule format involves assigning workers the same shift each day or rotating them to work in different shifts on different days. On-off work patterns involve allocating successive days as work days, weekend offs or days off. Overtime occurs when workers exceed the working hours beyond the normal shift hours.
- Choose the appropriate work shift schedule based on the production targets of the business. Determine the number of days your business will operate and the hours of operation for each day in order to meet production targets. Develop a shift time table that will be used when assigning duties for each day, for example, allocate eight-, 10- or 12-hours shifts to each day of the week if using the shift length format.
- Divide the total number of working hours a day by your chosen shift duration to determine the number of shifts in a day when using the shift length schedule. For example, a day's work schedule can have four-hour, six-hour or eight-hour shifts and therefore have six, four or three shifts per 24-hour day. Subtract the number of days off, or weekends off for the total number of your working days to get the number of shifts when using the on-off schedule.
- Add the total number of workers required in each shift and multiply the total with the number of shifts in a day to get the total number of workers needed, for example, if you have 12 workers per shift and a total of four shifts, multiply 12 by four to get the total number of workers.
- Multiply the total number of workers needed by the number of teams you have in the event of having different unique teams operating on separate days of the week. For example, multiply 12 workers per shift, by three shifts in a day, then by two unique teams to get the total number of workers, (12---3---2= total number of workers). You can apply this technique in scheduling 10-hour shifts that require more personnel to cover for the extra six hours that result from 30 working hours in a 24-hour day schedule, that is, three shifts multiplied by 10 hours resulting to 30 working hours. Therefore, if you subtract 24-hour day from 30 working hours you get six extra hours.
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References
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Tips
- Engage the suggestion of workers and other member of your organization's top management to be able to prepare a comprehensive working schedule.
Warnings
- Do not subject workers long work schedules and unnecessary overtime because their productivity would reduce because of emotional and physical burnout.
Contributor
Paul Merchant started writing in 2005. His articles have appeared in “JSTOR Journals” and “Wileys Management Journals.” He is a certified public accountant and a qualified project management expert. Merchant holds a Bachelor of Arts in communication from the University of Nairobi.
