Many industries rely extensively on the services of hourly workers. The healthcare, hospitality, and food service industries are high on the list.
The point is that creating an enabling work environment for such employees is vital. By the way, you can click here to see this report about a survey detailing the happiest hourly workers based on industries. Speaking of having and keeping hourly workers happy, one of the secrets is to address scheduling concerns.
It is to this end that the use of scheduling tools is strongly recommended. Read on as this article explores this subject.
Scheduling Concerns by Hourly Employees
The use of scheduling tools helps in avoiding some inefficiencies faced by many hourly employees. Some of the concerns in this regard include the following:
Schedule Inconsistencies
Hourly employees are expected to show commitment in their place of work. However, it is worth mentioning that they have a life besides their work life, and schedule inconsistencies make it very hard and sometimes impossible to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
For example, doing other things like managing childcare, pursuing academic goals, and planning personal commitments may be very difficult or impossible. This is usually because of dramatic fluctuations experienced week in and week out.
Double-Booking or Overlapping Shifts
Traditional scheduling is an age-long practice but it is fraught with errors. This is especially true when handled by someone inexperienced or laden with other responsibilities.
Speaking of errors, double-booking or overlapping shifts happen to be high on the list. It is more likely to happen when human resources are inadequate.
Shift Swapping Difficulties
The lack of an efficient communication medium is one of the drawbacks of the traditional scheduling approach. As a result, shift swapping is very difficult to accomplish. It can even be impossible under certain circumstances, especially when time is not on one’s side.
Thankfully, the use of modern and very helpful tools addresses this concern. You can see Shyft for more on this subject. By the way, the use of these tools offers cost-effectiveness besides accomplishing the objective of successfully swapping shifts between hourly employees.
Access Troubles
The traditional approach works by having updated schedules printed and posted in certain locations. People who are unable to access the said location face the challenge of not knowing what the plan is.
Thankfully, this is not even a worry, provided the right tools are used. This is because accessibility is one of the basic advantages. For example, many such tools offer mobile accessibility, allowing these workers to find out wherever they are.
Advantages of Scheduling Tools for Hourly Employees
Hourly workers gain a lot from the use of these tools. Some of the benefits for them include:
Improved Work-Life Balance
Workers can plan better because of the increased likelihood of avoiding the scheduling concerns as discussed above. As a result, these workers can accomplish other things outside of their work life.
Enhanced Job Satisfaction
Greater control of schedule and the feeling that their time is duly respected by employers makes hourly employees feel more satisfied. This leads to several other benefits including increased productivity.
Empowerment & Autonomy
The use of these tools leaves employees with so much autonomy as it concerns time. Furthermore, this happens in a way that working hours are not adversely affected.
The idea of shift swap is a prime example. While it means that a worker can choose to work at another period, it does not mean that the shift is left vacant as another person takes the spot. Everything is also detailed, ensuring accountability.
Advantages of Scheduling Tools for Employers
Hourly workers are not the only ones who benefit from the use of scheduling tools. Some of the benefits for employers include the following:
Reduced Absenteeism
Several schedule concerns ultimately lead to the absence of employees; adversely affecting their productivity level. The clear and timely communication that the use of these tools provides does a lot in avoiding this.
Higher Retention
Poor talent retention is a worry for several employers. This is for several reasons including the human & material cost of searching for & recruiting new talents, as well as the demands of training new workers.
The need to do this repeatedly as a result of a poor employee retention rate is burdensome. It therefore begs the question of how to avoid this. Respecting employee time is a huge step in the right direction as experience has shown. Fortunately, the use of scheduling tools helps make this happen.
Labor Law Compliance
There are complex labor laws and some of them have to do with scheduling. Violation of these laws usually attracts penalties, some of which can be very costly.
Fortunately, the use of these tools can help with compliance with these laws. By the way, some of these laws are location-sensitive, which is why you should find out what works in your location. If you would like to know the state of labor laws in Settle, Washington, you can visit:
Conclusion
Employers that still rely on traditional scheduling strategies need to move past it because of its drawbacks, including the ones discussed here. Such employers need to utilize scheduling tools but very good options in the spirit of enjoying the benefits explained here and several others.