How to Make a Shift Schedule

Making a schedule is extremely important to the smooth operation of a company.

If you have ever worked worked in retail you are probably familiar with the shift schedule. A schedule is a matrix which tells employees when they have to work and who they are working with. To management, however, a schedule is something completely different. The schedule has to ensure that there is enough staff to cover the work, while taking into account vacations and other time-off requests. One of the most important things a manager does each week is to make the schedule.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with spread sheet program, or graph paper
• Calendar
• Employee time-off requests
• Projected business levels for the week

Instructions

1. List the days and dates of the week in a row across your spreadsheet or the top of your sheet of paper. List your employees in a column down the left-hand side of the sheet. You'll have a matrix which graphs employees over the week.

2. Read your employee shift and time off requests. Enter them into the spread sheet. For example, if John Smith wants off on Wednesday of the week you are making the schedule, write "OFF" in the row which corresponds to his name under "Wednesday."

3. Determine when the business levels will be busy and when there will be a lull. For example, in a coffee shop, you might have busy mornings. A restaurant might have a busy lunch period and Friday night happy hour. A hotel might be busy on Sunday and Monday nights, if it caters to business travellers.

4. Place the staff into their shifts according to the needs of the business. You place them into the shifts by indicating a time range for when the employee will be at work. If you want your employee to work on Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., in the Friday column next to that employee's name, type or write "10a-6p."

5. Manipulate the shifts when there aren't enough employees available to work a shift. Move employees around to make sure all shifts are covered. Post the shift schedule at least a week in advance, so your employees know when they are working and can plan accordingly. This will minimize last-minute scheduling problems and increase employee satisfaction.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have to make an employee work on a day he has requested off, try to speak to the worker before the schedule is posted to give him the choice of shift or times. If there are conflicts, encourage workers to problem-solve by trading shifts with each other.

• Don't fall into the trap of letting the employees dictate their schedule to you. Your priority is to make sure the business runs smoothly. But work with your employees to come up with a beneficial solution for everyone.

References

• CCNG: Scheduling principles