Scheduling help

[Rev_D21]

My boss came to me and said we need to change everyone's schedule to be ready for a new business market we won last week. I have 3 positions that needs to cover the following hours.

Monday= 8-8
Tuesday= 8-8
Wednesday= 8-8
Thursday= 8-8
Friday= 8-6
Saturday= 8-5

I want to keep my 8-5pm M-F schedule and keep one other employee on from 8-5 to cover our wholesale section...can someone draw up a work schedule from those parameters?

[Bubba1]

My boss came to me and said we need to change everyone's schedule to be ready for a new business market we won last week. I have 3 positions that needs to cover the following hours.

Monday= 8-8
Tuesday= 8-8
Wednesday= 8-8
Thursday= 8-8
Friday= 8-6
Saturday= 8-5

I want to keep my 8-5pm M-F schedule and keep one other employee on from 8-5 to cover our wholesale section...can someone draw up a work schedule from those parameters?

For a 3 full time man /6day operation, where you need a minimum of two people there mst of the time (have to make assumptions here, you gave very little detail, eg, are all 3 full time, what are your peak hours/peak days, 40 hr workweek per employee)) that 3rd position is going to suffer if you insist on a preferential schedule for two of the three. A bit more challenging for #3 to get 2 consecutive days off that includes a weekend day (which I think is as important as M-F).

Here's one suggestion off the top of my head, you get what you want but #2 shares a little pain.

you
M-F 8-5 sat/Sun off

your friend #2
Tues- 10-8
Wed,Thu,Fri 9-6
Sat 8-5
SunMon off

hosed guy #3
Mon, Wed, thu - 10-8
Fri- 9-6
Sat 8-5
Tues,Sun off

It's a start, but there are plenty of ways you can go with it. Hope that helps.

[Dattebayo]

Lol

That last schedule is horrible.

[nissangirl74]

I used to do this for a living. I did the best I could with the information you gave me, which was kind of vague. You didn't mention if both of the other employees were full time or part-time or what their time off preferences / requirements were. You didn't tell me what your payroll hour limit was, if lunch was paid or unpaid, how long lunch lasts, if you are required to have 2 people in the store at all times,etc. I based this solely on your wishes: weekends off for you and double coverage for 8-5 through the week. If there are other specifics, give them to me and I'll re-do it.

YOU:

M 8-5
T 8-5
W 8-5
R 8-5
F 8-5

Total hours: 45

Employee 2

M 12-8
T 12-8
W 12-8
R 12-8
F 2-6

Total Hours: 40

Employee 3

M 8-12
T 8-12
W 8-12
R 8-12
F 8-2
S 8-5

Total Hours: 31

Doing it this way, You and Employee #2 both have two consecutive days off. Employee 3 does but that's OK because he/she is not working full time. Saturday is their only full day to work.

[Bubba1]

Lol

That last schedule is horrible.

It really is. It's a small full time crew, and those restrictions like no evenings or
weekends, means the other two must make up the less favorable days/hours. It's even tougher when two of the three have restrictions. This schedule gives two of the three consecutive days off. To give #3 consecutive days off might require either a more complex rotating schedule, and/or perhaps a little shared sacrifice by #1.

FWIW, my first job out of college was an asst. store manager for a big dept. store, and part of the job involved scheduling employees (considerably more than 3 employees, and included seasonal and part timers, which made it easier to cover the less desireable days/times). Being one of the few salaried employees also meant ridiculously long hours for me, and hardfeelings for my boss who took weekends off.

[Dattebayo]

I know I'm guilty of not really contributing anything to this thread so far, so I will add this:

I used to have to do this as well for a major retail bookstore, but I kinda sucked at it. Sometimes I had people complain and threaten that they would quit based on how I scheduled them. The managers demanded certain hours and got them due to their seniority, and they would go in and change them in the computer after me if I did make a sacrifice on behalf of the managers for the lowly ones unless it was needed for a doctor visit, death in the family (and sometimes despite all that, ugh) etc... In the end it made them lose several awesome employees and a lot of the support they needed on the weekends.

Just a little niblet to chew on, no sermon intended.