Such models are called differently by different companies for example as just-in-time planning or demand or customer-oriented shift planning. For example this system was recently introduced by the American retail company Lowes The aim is to adjust the number of staff to the number of customers in the branches. In theory this sounds like a good business system but in practice it limits the number of consecutive days off employees can take and reduces transparency and scheduling flexibility. Due to the change the everyday life of the employees became less plannable and predictable which had a negative impact on their work-life balance and reduced the motivation of the workforce.

While its often thought that unstable scheduling is the norm in todays flexible business environments companies like Nandos and The Gap Inc. are showing that stable shift planning is not only feasible but can also increase sales and productivity. The following three tips should help you to create a stable shift plan in your own company. Create a successful shift schedule with tips Tip Give employees better insight into their shift schedules Imagine the following situation Specific Database Markus works at the cash register in a clothing store. The Christmas holidays are just around the corner and he wants to plan a few days off with his family. However the Christmas season is also the busiest time of the year in his shop and he still has no idea which days and which shifts he will be working in the coming week.

There is a high probability that the lack of transparency in his shift schedule is quite frustrating and disappointing for Markus and employees like him in such situations and can quickly make him lose interest in his work. Drag-and-drop shift planning in Findmyshift Drag-and-drop shift planning in Findmyshift source Employers can easily avoid such situations by planning shifts well in advance for example on paper calendars or in attendance registers. Better yet use shift and rostering software to create and share shift rosters and send reminders to staff before each shift.