Common issues in shiftwork operations
10-hour shifts. 10-hour shifts are extremely popular with employees. But in 24/7 operations they have a number of limitations that make them too expensive unless the organization has a workload that can take advantage of the overlapping shifts.
Rotating vs. fixed shifts. Employees tend to prefer fixed shifts, while employers prefer rotating shifts. There are four areas that should be considered when deciding which approach to adopt.
Schedule fairness. Schedules can be designed to treat all employees the same by rotating the days of work and the days off. This way everyone shares equally in the number of weekends off.
Schedule consistency. When organizations go overboard to accommodate employee preferences and maximize flexibility, they may compromise the business requirements and deprive employees of a predictable schedule.
Expanding to 24/7. When an organization reaches the limits of its physical or equipment capacity, it often decides to add more shifts or to operate 7 days a week. Changing to a 24/7 schedule can be done incrementally.
Overtime. Some people believe overtime is bad and should be eliminated from the schedule. They either have to sacrifice coverage or employ more staff. It turns out that avoiding overtime is often more expensive than leaving it in the schedule.
Staffing changes. When headcount is reduced or additional positions are authorized, the organization may need to adopt a new schedule.
Cost reduction. When costs get out of control or companies undertake lean manufacturing initiatives, management may seek ways to cut staff or make their shift schedules more efficient.
Variable workloads. Not every company has a steady volume of work. Some have workloads that vary by month, by day, or by hour of the day. Matching the coverage with a variable workload may require multiple shift lengths, overlapping shifts, overlay shifts, and staggered shift start times.
Misc. issues. General articles about shift schedules.