Ensure compliance of your schedules

Scheduling is often one of the main tasks of planners, but also, let us be honest, one of the least exciting. However, it is essential to create a schedule while respecting the constraints that are irrevocably linked to it, such as unionization, current legislation or the distribution of employees on different sites. While this task is manual, it could easily be automated to save time and avoid multiple errors.

How important is a well-constructed schedule?

Indeed, an effectively created schedule saves time for planners, as: "More than half of managers report spending at least two hours a week scheduling employees". Some even spend up to 12 hours on it every week! But generally, it brings peace of mind to the entire company.

For the employer

A well-adjusted schedule mostly guarantees a significant reduction in management costs. It avoids labour shortages, and therefore overtime pay or the inability to provide certain services to customers. The satisfaction of the latter will inevitably decrease if the service is of lower quality, which will require the management team to step up efforts to ensure customer loyalty towards the company.

Moreover, in a context of labour shortage that hits 94% of Canadian businesses, it is almost impossible for the employer to effectively retain employees when an unpredictable schedule is offered to them each week.

For employees

Their work/family balance is undoubtedly affected by a flexible schedule, as "Knowing your weekly schedule 24 to 48 hours in advance can be the last straw in an already busy family schedule. This reality adds a major challenge: it is impossible to organize time with the family well in advance". It is difficult for them to schedule time with their loved ones and achieve financial stability when their shifts can change at any time.

As a result of this widespread instability, employees' commitment to the company declines, as does their motivation and well-being. And we all know that in an era where burn-out is unfortunately common, being serene at work is a non-negotiable condition.

What elements complicate the creation of a schedule?

Legislation

Planners need to keep abreast of any changes in laws that would impact their business. For example, the City of Chicago, will implement an ordinance effective in 2022 that will require employers to provide low-income workers with their schedules two weeks in advance. This ordinance will disrupt the way schedules are created in some organizations, so planners need to adapt quickly.

Unionization

In the case of a unionized company, an additional layer of complexity is added. Indeed, if union rules are not followed to the letter, employees may have legal recourse. This process would undermine internal cohesion and the company's image. But always respecting the company's collective agreement(s) is not easy. For example, in the United States, there is no federal law specifically regulating trade union agreements. It is therefore necessary for planners to deal with the legislation of each state as well as with the collective agreement(s) specific to the company.

Multi-site

An employee assigned to the wrong location or to two locations at once does happen. The error is usually spotted at the beginning of the employee's shift and ongoing projects are then delayed, so the manager must remedy the situation as soon as possible, even if it is already too late. However, this becomes extremely problematic if this situation is repeated regularly. This is a sign of ineffective internal communication, since without the appropriate technological tools and from a distance, it is almost impossible for the manager to be aware of potential scheduling conflicts, delays or absences of employees.

Why is it essential to adopt an automated system?

Planners can quickly feel overwhelmed by all these constraints. So, in 2019, with all the available technologies, why not turn to a workforce management software that can handle the difficulties specific to each company independently?

Customization for each company

Automated workforce management software removes a thorn from the side of planners by eliminating the need to always consult collective agreements or internal regulations. It is possible to customize the software according to the guidelines to be followed. The software will then automatically adapt the creation of the schedule, the requests for overtime, replacement hours, vacations, etc. Managers will no longer have to deal with repetitive tasks and will be able to concentrate on concrete field projects.

Data centralization

Automated management tools also make it possible to have a centralized database that can be updated in real time. It is impossible to create a compliant schedule without being aware of the specificities of each employee, such as their availability, qualifications, seniority, location, hourly rates, etc. All these criteria, when centralized on the same platform, become less complex to manage!

Anticipation of problems

Secondly, the data collection, thanks to the reports that will be generated, allows to anticipate delicate situations even before they occur. Planners will then be able to react efficiently to absences, delays, shortages or surpluses of manpower. The company will save time and minimize the delay that unexpected events can cause on a project.

Employee empowerment

Employees are also the main actors in the creation of their schedule. They will be able to update their own availability, their requests for time off or the way they prefer to be contacted, all on their own. Planners will no longer need to contact each employee individually to fill a shift: the automated communication system can contact the employees itself!

Our Conclusion

Setting the perfect schedule is obviously possible manually. But your company may decide to achieve new and more sophisticated goals, such as reducing the budget allocated to overtime or making employees more autonomous. You will be able to carry out tasks that are as complex as ever while having more resources available. Manual planning can therefore become a barrier to the achievement of these goals. It can generate errors and waste time and money for the entire company.

You may not feel concerned about these issues, but keep in mind that grievances related to schedule non-compliance can affect any company, regardless of size or industry. Employees should not be overlooked either, as they are the lifeblood of any business. Without the right number of employees, it will be impossible to reach the full potential of your organization. Therefore, you will eventually need an automated assistant at some stage of your company's development.

An automated management system also allows you to abandon the execution of recurring tasks since an artificial intelligence will do it for you! You will be able to redirect your energy on tasks that require more human contact. Saving time and money (not to mention Advils' savings) is therefore possible when you equip yourself properly to create schedules that are always compliant.