Work Schedule Models for employees in 2024 

Employers are putting more emphasis on maximizing working hours to maintain compliance and boost worker productivity and work satisfaction. The development and implementation of more digital technologies in workflows have made employee time management the easiest and most effective it has ever been. Let’s examine what constitutes a compliant work schedule model and how Shiftin and other technologies can help you run your business more efficiently.  

What should be included in a model working time plan under the current legislation?

To be compliant with the laws of current times, a work schedule model requires to have certain essential elements. It should, first and foremost, provide comprehensive staff data. It is crucial to have clearly defined working hours that indicate the start and finish periods of each workday for all employees. 

It is also important to incorporate scheduled breaks following employment laws regarding rest intervals. To guarantee that workers receive fair compensation by the law, overtime regulations need to be precisely outlined and documented.  

Furthermore, it is crucial to record any AND every leave of absence. When a business adopts a rotating shift plan, the schedule should specify how the shifts are rotated to guarantee that employees are treated fairly and that their shifts are distributed fairly. Any additional remarks or modifications made to abide by particular legal laws or business guidelines should be noted and documented. 

shiftin features

Making and maintaining legally authorized work schedules can be made much easier by utilizing a service like shiftin. shiftin provides a range of customizable templates that may be tailored to any type of business. Since these templates are simple to use and adapt, implementing them will be simple and require little effort.  

Fixed working hours model

Different work scheduling models are frequently utilised depending on the industry and type of work that needs to be done. The Fixed Schedule work model is the most commonly employed. Businesses with consistent daily operations ought to implement this type of approach. It considers regular breaks, set vacation days, and fixed working hours that typically don’t change. This guarantees that workers have a predictable work schedule that benefits both the company and the employees.   

The rotating shift working model

A rotating shift work model is increasingly common in sectors like security and healthcare that need to run around the clock. This template describes alternating shifts so that each worker has an equal workload. It contains thorough records of shift modifications and adjustments that accommodate personal needs and unforeseen circumstances.  

Shiftin provides the necessary resources to create, manage, and optimize these types of work model schedules, helping businesses thrive in 2024 and beyond. Take the first step towards optimizing your work schedules today with shiftin. 

Managing retail challenges: the shiftin solution

Traditional methods of scheduling and managing shifts are often manual and time-consuming, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs. Recognizing this challenge, shiftin has emerged as a complete solution for efficient employee scheduling, shift management, and workforce optimization in the retail industry.

Simplified shift scheduling

With shiftin, store managers can easily create shifts tailored to their specific requirements, taking into account factors such as peak hours, sales trends, and operational needs. The application’s intuitive interface allows for the assignment of roles and time slots, ensuring a balanced workload while respecting labor laws.

Labour law compliance

shiftin automates the generation of timesheets, ensuring accurate time and attendance records for employees. This functionality not only reduces the risk of non-compliance fines but also eases the manual workload of HR specialists, allowing them to focus on more strategic tasks.

shiftin revolutionizes shift management in the retail industry, providing an integrated platform that streamlines scheduling, improves communication, and ensures compliance with labor laws. It’s user-friendly interface and robust features benefit both managers and employees, leading to increased efficiency, reduced administrative burdens, and ultimately happier employees.

With shiftin, retailers can confidently overcome any challenge, knowing they have a reliable solution to optimize workforce management and drive success in today’s competitive market landscape.

The importance of scheduling software in planning nurses’ working hours 

Efficient work scheduling is key to operational success, especially in the healthcare industry where accuracy and timeliness are essential to deliver the highest quality of care. 

Hospital work schedules, including those of doctors, nurses and general nurses, require careful planning to ensure the seamless delivery of patient care and adequate breaks for professionals. Unfortunately, manual scheduling processes are prone to errors, leading to operational inefficiencies and increased work stress among medical staff.  

Advantages of a workforce scheduling software

This is where scheduling software emerges as a game-changer, revolutionizing the way healthcare professionals manage their work schedules. Scheduling software streamlines the complex task of organizing healthcare workers’ schedules, providing a multitude of benefits that resonate throughout the healthcare facility.  

The benefits of nurse shift planning software

Scheduling software streamlines the complex task of organizing healthcare workers' schedules, providing a multitude of benefits that resonate throughout the healthcare facility.  

Optimal allocation of staff

Given the increasing demand for healthcare services, hospital administrators are faced with the challenge of aligning nurse levels to patient demand. This is where scheduling software comes in handy: Scheduling software analyzes historical data and forecasts future requirements, allowing administrators to efficiently allocate staff resources such as personnel. By matching the right staff to specific shifts based on skill sets, availability and experience, hospitals can increase productivity and maintain high standards of patient care.

Communication and collaboration

Effective communication and collaboration are essential in the workplace, especially when it comes to teamwork. Scheduling software provides capacity and facilitates communication between team members, allowing them to coordinate schedules, exchange shift updates and request time off effortlessly. With shift scheduling software, the healthcare workplace becomes a better place for collaboration and communication, allowing healthcare teams to deliver coordinated care effectively by promoting a culture of transparency. 

Mitigating exhaustion

The demanding nature of hospital working hours (long shifts, unforeseen circumstances) often leads to burnout among nurses and nurses, endangering both personal well-being and patient safety: due to possible fatigue, staff may not be able to perform to the highest standard. Scheduling software has the capacity and features to incorporate and take into account shift preferences and equal workload distribution, helping to create a healthier work-life balance for staff. By using shift scheduling software, hospitals can reduce staff turnover and increase overall staff satisfaction. 

Real-time adjustments

Hospital work schedules are inherently dynamic, often subject to last-minute changes and other unforeseen circumstances. Scheduling software helps clinic administrators make real-time adjustments to schedules, ensuring a high level of care in the face of unforeseen events. The agility of scheduling software is indispensable. 

Are you ready to elevate your hospital’s efficiency and prioritize the well-being of your staff? Say goodbye to manual scheduling and its drawbacks and embrace the efficiency of shiftin – the digital shift scheduling platform designed with your healthcare needs in mind. 

How to properly plan the type of work shifts for your business? 

Planning work shifts is a vital aspect of human resources management in a business. It is essential to find the right types of work shifts to ensure adequate coverage, employee satisfaction, and operational efficiency. Here are some tips and strategies to ensure you plan the type of work shifts correctly for your business. 

time management infographic

1. Assessing Business Needs 

Analyze the specific requirements of the business, including the industry it operates in, operating hours, customer demand patterns, and workload fluctuations. 

What to consider:

  • What are the business’s goals and objectives?
  • What are the constraints, such as labor costs?
  • What are the legal requirements and regulations related to scheduling?
  • Are there advantages/disadvantages to hiring only part-time employees?
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2. Evaluating Employee Preferences and Availability 

Gather information about employee preferences regarding work schedule, shift hours, and flexibility. It is important to keep good records of employees. 

What to consider:

  • What is each employee’s availability?
  • How many hours can each employee work per day and per week?
  • What constraints or limitations do employees have, such as part-time availability, childcare responsibilities, or transportation issues?
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3. Considering Customer Needs 

Align the work schedule with customer demands to ensure adequate staffing during busy periods. 

What to consider:

  • What is the busiest shift I need to worry about?
  • What are the peak hours and days when customers require the most attention or service? 
  • Will seasonal workers be needed?
  • How will we meet customer demand if one or more employees are absent for extended periods of time?
  •  

4. Exploring Different Scheduling Options 

Familiarize yourself with various scheduling options and models, such as fixed schedules, rotating shifts, split shift schedules, compressed workweeks, or flexible schedules. 

What to consider:

  • What industry best practices should we be following?
  • How does each scheduling option align with the business’s needs and employee preferences?
  • How will I track employee time and attendance?
  •  

These are just a few basic tips for properly planning work shifts for your business. Make sure to consider all relevant aspects and involve employees in the decision-making process to maximize employee satisfaction, productivity, and operational efficiency. 

If you want an automated solution for scheduling work shifts, you can consider shiftin, a software solution that can help you efficiently manage employee work schedules. 

Planning work shifts is a crucial part of human resources management and can have a significant impact on business performance and employee satisfaction.  

Therefore, it is important to allocate time and resources to develop and implement an efficient and suitable work schedule for the needs of your business and your employees.

Types of work schedules and how to effectively manage them 

In a world of occupational diversity, there are many types of work schedules, each with its own characteristics, requirements and benefits. In this article, we explore the different types of work schedules and effective strategies for managing them. 

Full-time program 

Full-time is the most common type of work schedule, which involves 40 hours per week, worked over five working days. This form of employment offers financial stability and full benefits such as health insurance and paid leave for employees. To manage a full-time program efficiently and sustainably, it is essential to take a strategic approach and use appropriate tools and technologies.  

Part-time program 

The part-time schedule is also quite popular in today’s working environment. Part-time employees work fewer hours per week than full-time employees. The part-time schedule is much more flexible, and working hours can differ massively between employees. Managing multiple employees with varying working hours can be difficult, and therefore managing part-time hours requires flexibility and the ability to adapt to changes in schedules. 

Seasonal Program 

A seasonal program is another form of employment that involves working for a certain period during the year. Seasonal jobs are a way of managing seasonal variations in labor demand. Often found in the tourism industry, demand can increase significantly during the holiday season or periods of downsizing. Companies can ensure that they are prepared to cope with the increased volume of activity without hiring additional permanent staff through a variety of measures, including the digitalization of the shift management process. 

The use of technology plays a key role in streamlining workforce management processes. Workforce management software and scheduling applications provide comprehensive information about employee availability, allowing managers to make informed scheduling decisions aligned with business requirements. 

shiftin  

Explore how shiftin can enable organizations to thrive in today’s dynamic business landscape 

For companies looking for a comprehensive solution to streamline workforce management and optimize efficiency across diverse work schedules, shiftin offers automated workforce management software tailored to your business needs. 

Advantages and disadvantages of different types of shift work 

The structure of working shifts has become increasingly diverse, responding to the unique needs of both employers and employees. From traditional eight-hour shifts to longer 12-hour shifts and irregular shifts, each type comes with its own set of benefits and drawbacks. Understanding these differences can help employers make informed decisions about workforce management strategies and systems to implement. Let’s assess the advantages and disadvantages of different types of work exchanges:

Let's evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of different types of work shifts: 

8-hour shift work 

8-hour shifts are standard in many industries. This schedule brings multiple benefits to the business. Operational flexibility allows rapid adaptation to production requirements and fluctuations in customer demand. It also limits the costs associated with overtime and contributes to increased employee satisfaction by providing a work-life balance. There are also disadvantages associated with this program. More staff may be needed to cover the required hours, which can increase staffing costs for the business. In addition, at times of peak or increased demand, resources may be underused. 

12-hour shift work 

12-hour shifts can be an attractive option for businesses, offering the possibility to reduce the total number of working days and increase employees’ time off. There are important issues that managers should consider when deciding to adopt this type of schedule. 

Among the advantages of 12-hour shifts is the reduced need for shifts due to each shift’s longer length. This can contribute to better operational efficiency as it reduces the time spent in the transition between shifts. Employees working 12-hour shifts can also benefit from more time off and more days off, which can increase their satisfaction and commitment to the business. Nevertheless, there are multiple disadvantages associated with 12-hour shifts. Working long hours can lead to physical and mental fatigue and exhaustion for employees, which can affect productivity and safety in the workplace. It can also be more difficult for managers to manage, as it requires careful planning to ensure all shifts are adequately covered. 

Irregular shift work 

Irregular shifts provide yet another option for businesses seeking flexibility in scheduling. Offering employees varying work hours and days off, these schedules cater to individual preferences and needs. Irregular shifts can ensure better coverage during peak hours or busy seasons, enhancing operational efficiency. However, constantly changing schedules may disrupt employees’ routines, causing increased stress and decreased job satisfaction. Moreover, coordinating schedules and tasks among employees working irregular shifts can pose communication challenges for employers. 

Are you looking to streamline your shift management process? Explore shiftin, our automated shift management platform. With shiftin, you can effortlessly create and manage diverse shift schedules, ensuring optimal coverage while maintaining employee satisfaction.  

Take control of your workforce scheduling today with shiftin. 

HRIS integration. Short guide for managers

In an ever-evolving world of technology, companies face increasingly complex challenges in managing human resources and information. The integration of a human resource management system (HRIS) can provide automated and efficient solutions, tailored to the specific requirements of each individual organisation.

In the following we will explore the concept of HRIS integration and provide you with a brief guide to the successful adoption and implementation of this solution, focusing on the ways in which an HRIS can be integrated and the benefits that an automated shift scheduling software product can bring.

Benefits of HRIS integration

HRIS integration can bring numerous benefits to your organisation by connecting and synchronising the different modules and functionalities of the system. Through integrations, HRIS can collaborate with other applications and systems, such as shiftin, to provide the following essential functionality:

Automated payroll

Integrating HRIS with shiftin allows you to automate the payroll process, eliminating the need to manually enter employee data and calculate salaries. This integration ensures accurate and efficient management of payroll information.

Performance reports

HRIS integration with shiftin offers the possibility to generate advanced employee performance reports. This enables managers to assess individual and team performance, identify strengths and areas for development, and make more informed decisions regarding employee development and recognition.

Workforce management

Integrating HRIS with shiftin enables efficient management of work and shift schedules. Managers can quickly and easily create work schedules, ensuring adequate staffing requirements and increased efficiency in human resource management.

HRIS - integrarea sistemului de management al resurselor umane, concept | shiftin

Ways to integrate an HRIS

HRIS integration can be achieved in various ways, depending on the specific requirements of each organisation and compatibility with other applications and systems. Here are some of the common ways to integrate an HRIS:

Integration via APIs: Many HRISs provide application programming interfaces (APIs) that facilitate integration with other applications. This allows bi-directional data transfer between HRIS and other systems, such as shiftin, ensuring real-time synchronization of updates and information exchange.

Integration through file import/export: Some HRISs allow importing and exporting files in standard formats such as CSV or Excel. This option allows data to be transferred between HRIS and other applications via files, making it easy to update and share information.

Custom integration: If you have specific requirements or want to integrate HRIS with custom applications, you can opt for a custom integration. This involves working with your HRIS vendor and development team to create a solution tailored to your business strategy.

What are the benefits of shiftin as an HRIS integration solution?

shiftin is an innovative software solution for managing work schedules and shift schedules. Integrating an automated shift scheduling software solution with an HRIS brings the following benefits:

Automation of work schedules

shiftin provides the ability to create and manage work schedules, ensuring adequate coverage of staffing needs and minimizing schedule conflicts quickly and easily.

Efficient shift planning

With shiftin, managers can ensure a balanced distribution of shifts, considering employee availability and scheduling rules. This leads to efficient workforce management and cost savings.

Automatic communication and notifications

shiftin enables quick and easy communication between employees and managers through automatic notifications. This reduces communication delays and improves team collaboration.

HRIS integration can bring significant benefits to HR and information management in your organisation.

By connecting with shiftin, you can automate your payroll process, generate detailed performance reports, and efficiently manage work and shift schedules.

Integrating HRIS with shiftin can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen HR processes in your organisation.

Let’s talk

How would an automated workforce shift scheduling help you optimize your business in the Retail industry?

The retail industry is facing great challenges in the social and economic context of recent years. The customers’ behavior has changed – they are more cautious when spending their money or have limited their visits to physical stores in favor of online shopping. The competition in the Retail market is increasing and one of the best opportunities for differentiation is cost efficiency and especially optimizing the workforce cost of hours.

Optimizing the workforce hours does not always mean reducing the capacity of the workforce, as is often understood, but rather redistributing them so that they are aligned with the staff shortages to be as profitable as possible.

For team managers in the Retail industry, the challenges are even greater, as they have to fulfill multiple issues, such as unpredictable fluctuations in staff shortages and sales, increasingly demanding daily workforce requirements, workforce retention, sustaining business growth, controlling expenses, and the monthly time commitment to the scheduling process. And above all, all these aspects must be well framed by compliance with labor legislation.

Here are some best practices that you can implement immediately to optimize your workforce scheduling:

1) Use a Retail software tool

Such software can digitize and subsequently optimize your scheduling process. Choose one that allows you to integrate all processes, from HR administration to scheduling, attendance, timesheet and payroll. The information will circulate traceably and automatically, the effort put into each of these steps will be optimized to the maximum for your HR teams.

2) Schedule shifts based on sales forecasts or expected staff shortages

Whether you use templates created according to the business curve of the day or directly the business objectives for the period you want to schedule, an intelligent algorithm of scheduling software can propose the optimal shift structure adapted to your business. In seconds, just a click away. This way, you will have a good overview of the required capacities in relation to your business ambition. At the same time, you will make informed decisions about over-structured or under-structured teams.

3) Flexible time schedule has a positive impact on several important aspects of the business

Flexible time is beneficial from several perspectives:

  • It can support your better availability at key times of the day or month, such as peaks in staff shortages or filling shelves with products in line with delivered volumes.
  • It will support reduced absenteeism because workforce scheduling can be agreed with the employee according to personal life priorities
  • It will be a good differentiator for recruiting varied and diversified workforce’ profiles
  • Increase workforce engagement and satisfaction

4) Keep workforce overtime under control by using a varied structure

By having part-time profiles and a full-time workforce in your team structure, you can manage shift coverage on staff shortages or activity much faster and more dynamically. Scheduled hours in fixed shifts for full-time employees can often be unproductive.

5) Agree with the workforce structures whether labored hours can be used as polyvalent or to cover open shifts in other locations or departments.

Optimizing the distribution of labored hours often means reusing them in the right place at the right time. This can also mean that an employee in one store may be available and interested in working punctually in another store closer to home or their child’s school. You can also use incentives for the employees who perform difficult open shifts. Costs will certainly be greatly optimized and your employees can round up their income as and when they decide.

An automated shift scheduling software can give you the best suggestions of eligible and available people and they can provide their availability in real-time using a mobile app.

6) Use cyclical template scheduling according to a set pattern

The employees will appreciate the predictability of their working time and as long as they have been consulted in its development, the monthly work dedicated to scheduling will fundamentally decrease, helping you to reuse time for business purposes, for example.

7) Consult your employees about their preferences and availability for work

In today’s job market, the workforce has many options to choose from. And they will choose the job that brings them the most satisfaction. This can mean consideration, quality of life, variable income, and control of their time, when or where they work.

After all, workforce shift scheduling can be the best lever towards job satisfaction. And the quality of life also means control over work-life balance.

How can we help you?

We can help you:

  • A team with business and HR expertise to accompany you through the stages of defining your human capital scheduling framework and strategy, as well as change management.
  • software tool – shiftin – built around the same needs you are aware of, to help you digitize and automate your workforce scheduling process to support your business performance.

About the author:

Alina Raicu-Vitan

Product Owner shiftin, with expertise in Human Resource and Operations Excellence, Change Management and Scheduling Strategy