Introduction
The holidays are a time for celebration, family, and good food. It's also a time for scheduling problems to arise. If you're not careful, those problems can lead to unhappy team members and customers alike. To help avoid some of the most common scheduling mistakes managers make during the holidays - and keep your employees happy - we've compiled some simple tips that will help keep your schedule on track.
If you're a manager, here are some best practices to help your employees avoid scheduling problems during holidays:
Have a plan in place for absences. If an employee has to miss work for any reason, make sure that other employees know about it and can cover their shift(s).
Avoid adding too many shifts. If someone is going on vacation or needs some time off from work, don't add another shift immediately after returning--it might be too much for them to handle physically or mentally. Instead, give them some space so they can recover before putting them back into the rotation again.
If you have a large number of employees and are having trouble finding someone to cover a shift, consider using a scheduling system (like Ameego) that allows employees to trade shifts. This way, you can avoid overloading one person with extra work and make sure the schedule is balanced among everyone who needs it.
As the holidays approach, you may be tempted to add more shifts to your teams' schedules. While this can help generate more revenue for your business, it's important to remember that too many shifts can lead to burnout, which will hurt productivity and customer service.
Schedule early
Publish schedules as early as possible (ideally at least 2 weeks in advance). This allows employees time to plan ahead and takes some of the pressure off when it comes time for them to book their own time off.
Make sure you're aware of any major events happening near your location(s) during these times (ex: concerts) so that customers aren't disappointed when they show up only find out that there's a two hour wait.
If you're publishing your schedule weeks in advance, pay attention to any conflicts between your employees' schedules (and make sure they know about them). If an employee has a conflict with another employee's shift, try moving one of them around so that both parties are happy with the new arrangement.
Stay consistent
Consistency is important to employees. When you change your schedule, it can throw your employees' lives into disarray and make it hard for them to plan around their work schedules.
Give your employees a heads up when you're going to be making changes. If you're going to have an influx of business, or if there's some other reason why their hours might need adjusting, let them know as soon as possible so they can make other arrangements if necessary.
Take advantage of scheduling software
The best scheduling software is easy to use, flexible enough to handle your business needs, integrates with other tools and systems you already have in place, and can do what you need it to do.
If you're looking into a scheduling software, look no further and book a demo with Ameego today!
Conclusion
The holidays are a time for celebration, but it can also be one of the most stressful times for managers and staff. The best way to avoid scheduling problems during this busy season is by being proactive and having a plan in place before it gets too late. Make sure you have enough staff available on each shift, so that no one is left without work at the last minute.
