How will a new schedule impact your Employee Handbook?

Measure twice, cut once.

This adage is as applicable to a schedule change as it is for those in the carpentry trade.

Make one mistake and either be prepared to live with it or face the uphill battle of yet making another major change to your workplace.

There are all types of pitfalls.ย  You can put in the wrong schedule (yes, not all schedules are the same).ย  You can alienate a section of your workforce.ย  You can use the wrong staffing model.ย  You can overlook an opportunity.ย  Or you can put in the wrong policies.

This last mistake, the “policy” mistake is a big one.

Let’s take a look at a going from a 5-day schedule to a 7-day schedule.

To begin with, you will need “process” policies. The workforce will want to know “how” you are going to do things.ย  How will you decide who goes to what shift?ย  How will you pick the shift times?ย  How will you pick the schedule?ย  Does seniority count more than skills?ย  Should temporary employees participate?ย  Will there be a trial period?ย  This is a list that can seemingly go on forever.

Once the schedule is in place, will you have policies ready to support it?

If your answer is “Yes, our 5-day policies will work on a 7-day schedule,” then the answer is “No” your policies are not ready to go.

You will need to look at the following, at a minimum:

  • Overtime pay
  • Holiday pay, Holiday premiums, Recognized Holidays
  • Shift Differentials
  • Breaks
  • Jury Duty
  • Partial vacations
  • Vacations
  • Overtime coverage
  • Training
  • Shift Swaps
  • Absentee coverage
  • Attendance policy
  • Pay week hours
  • Payroll system settings

Let’s just take a look at vacation; possibly the simplest policy to address.ย  If you go to a 12-hour schedule, will employees still be able to take off full weeks or will they change to blocks of days?ย  Will they be able to take single days off and how much will their account be charged when they do and how much will they be paid?ย  Will vacation count towards hours worked for overtime calculations?ย  Can they carry over or sell back time at the end of the year?ย  Suppose they have some vacation left but not enough to take a week or even a full day off, what do they do?ย  Can they combine vacation time with other types of PTO?ย  Suppose I am on vacation (12-hour shifts) and a holiday falls during my time off, will I get 8 hours or 12 hours of pay?

Be ready to address your policies ahead of time if you want to have a successful transition.ย  They should be ready to go before the change takes place.ย  Remember to get your IT people involved as well.

Call or text us today atย (415) 763-5005.

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