In June 2019, the United States had over 26 million part-time workers, defined as those who work less than 35 hours a week. Despite the high demand for part-time work, there is still some ambiguity about what the experience is like.
Scheduling your employees every week can quickly turn into a headache, especially if you have a mix of part-time and full-time employees. Here are seven tips for managing part-time employee schedules.
Know your scheduling needs ahead of time
You must first determine your labor requirements before you can schedule your personnel. Reviewing historical data can help you figure out seasonal trends and which days of the week or month are busier for your company. You may then specify which shifts must be covered and how many personnel are required to achieve your requirements.
Publish your schedule early
Predictive scheduling rules compel you to provide appropriate notice of your workers’ work schedules. Many states require you to notify your employees of their work schedules seven to fourteen days in advance, depending on where you reside.
Even if your state does not mandate it, it is still a good idea. Giving your employees plenty of notice guarantees that they are informed of their schedules and reduces the chances of them missing work.
Keep schedules as consistent as possible
You may not be able to provide your staff the same schedule every week depending on the sort of business you run. However, keeping their schedules as constant as possible is a good idea.
You could have an employee who only works morning shifts or someone who only works Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Employees will be able to arrange their week more easily if they have a consistent work schedule, and they will become more adept at working that shift.
Use scheduling software
It’s difficult to organize everyone’s schedules no matter how many staff you have. It will be considerably more time consuming if you are manually preparing personnel schedules.
Employee scheduling software can make it easier for you to keep track of your employees’ schedules. You can be certain that every shift is covered and that no scheduling problems exist. It will also assist you in keeping track of your employees’ availability and time-off requests.
Be flexible
There will always be things that come up, no matter how skilled you are at scheduling your personnel. Someone will become ill, or an employee may find they are working at their sister’s high school graduation.
That’s why it’s critical to be adaptable and make it simple for staff to change shifts if necessary. You could wish to establish certain guidelines, such as demanding at least 24 hours’ notice for non-emergencies.
Keep a list of employees who want extra shifts
Maintaining a running list of workers searching for extra employment is also a smart idea. If there are last-minute scheduling adjustments, having a list of employees who want to make some additional money might assist fill in the gaps.
This guarantees that you have enough resources to deal with last-minute scheduling modifications. It also demonstrates to your staff that you are aware of their preferences.
Communicate with your employees regularly
Finally, it’s critical to communicate with your staff about their schedules on a regular basis. Are they satisfied with the number of hours you’ve assigned them or do they wish they had more? On the other side, they may wish to reduce their hours but are unsure how to approach you about it.
Also, be sure to inform them of any impending changes in your schedule requirements. For example, if your firm is approaching busy season, you may need to start scheduling extra workers on specific days of the week. Keep your personnel up to date on any new scheduling adjustments and explain why they’ve been made.
Bottom Line
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