Best Practices for Employee Scheduling

Effective employee scheduling is both an art and a science. It requires balancing business needs, employee preferences, labor costs, and legal requirements—all while keeping your team happy and productive.

Here are proven best practices to help you master the art of scheduling:

1. Schedule in Advance

Why it matters: Employees need time to plan their lives. Last-minute schedules create stress and reduce satisfaction.

Best practice:

• Publish schedules at least 2 weeks in advance
• For some industries, 3-4 weeks is ideal
• Set a consistent schedule release day (e.g., "Schedules published every Friday")

How Shiffy helps: Create and publish schedules well in advance, and employees get instant notifications.

2. Respect Employee Availability

Why it matters: Scheduling employees when they're unavailable leads to call-offs, no-shows, and resentment.

Best practice:

• Collect availability preferences regularly
• Honor stated availability when possible
• Communicate when you need to schedule outside availability
• Be flexible when employees have legitimate conflicts

How Shiffy helps: Employees can set their availability in the app, and you'll see conflicts before scheduling.

3. Distribute Hours Fairly

Why it matters: Perceived unfairness in hour distribution is a major source of employee dissatisfaction.

Best practice:

• Rotate desirable shifts (weekends, holidays)
• Distribute hours equitably among qualified employees
• Consider seniority, but don't let it be the only factor
• Document your distribution method

How Shiffy helps: Analytics show hour distribution, helping you identify and correct imbalances.

4. Use Templates and Patterns

Why it matters: Consistency saves time and reduces errors.

Best practice:

• Create templates for common shift patterns
• Use recurring shifts for consistent schedules
• Standardize shift times when possible
• Build a library of templates for different scenarios

How Shiffy helps: Create reusable templates and set up recurring shifts that generate automatically.

5. Plan for Coverage

Why it matters: Being understaffed hurts service quality and employee morale.

Best practice:

• Always schedule slightly above minimum requirements
• Have backup employees available for call-offs
• Cross-train employees to cover multiple positions
• Plan for peak times and special events

How Shiffy helps: See coverage at a glance and get alerts when shifts are understaffed.

6. Communicate Clearly

Why it matters: Miscommunication leads to confusion, no-shows, and frustration.

Best practice:

• Use a single source of truth for schedules
• Notify employees immediately of changes
• Explain the reasoning behind difficult scheduling decisions
• Provide multiple ways to access schedule information

How Shiffy helps: Centralized schedules with push notifications ensure everyone stays informed.

7. Handle Time-Off Requests Fairly

Why it matters: Employees need time off, and how you handle requests affects morale.

Best practice:

• Establish clear time-off request policies
• Process requests in a timely manner
• Use a first-come, first-served approach when possible
• Be consistent in approval/denial decisions
• Document all requests and decisions

How Shiffy helps: Streamlined request system with automatic notifications and easy approval workflow.

8. Allow Shift Swaps

Why it matters: Flexibility improves employee satisfaction and reduces call-offs.

Best practice:

• Create a clear shift swap policy
• Require manager approval for swaps
• Set deadlines for swap requests
• Make it easy for employees to find coverage

How Shiffy helps: Employees can request swaps directly in the app, and you approve with one tap.

9. Track and Analyze

Why it matters: Data helps you identify patterns and optimize scheduling.

Best practice:

• Track labor costs regularly
• Monitor scheduling patterns
• Identify peak hours and adjust accordingly
• Review employee feedback about schedules
• Adjust based on what you learn

How Shiffy helps: Built-in analytics show labor costs, hours, and patterns at a glance.

10. Be Flexible When Possible

Why it matters: Rigid scheduling policies create unnecessary friction.

Best practice:

• Accommodate reasonable requests when possible
• Allow employees to trade shifts
• Consider part-time and flexible arrangements
• Be understanding of personal emergencies
• Balance flexibility with business needs

How Shiffy helps: Easy-to-use tools make it simple to accommodate requests and make changes.

Common Scheduling Mistakes to Avoid

1. Scheduling too close to the work period: Give employees advance notice 2. Ignoring availability: Respect stated availability preferences 3. Unequal hour distribution: Monitor and balance hours fairly 4. Poor communication: Use multiple channels to communicate schedules 5. No backup plan: Always have coverage options 6. Ignoring feedback: Listen to employee concerns about scheduling 7. Overcomplicating: Keep schedules as simple as possible 8. Not documenting policies: Write down your scheduling rules

Industry-Specific Considerations

Restaurants

• Schedule based on reservation patterns and historical data
• Account for prep time and cleanup
• Consider tip-sharing arrangements

Retail

• Align with store traffic patterns
• Plan for inventory days and sales events
• Consider seasonal fluctuations

Healthcare

• Ensure proper coverage for all shifts
• Account for certifications and qualifications
• Plan for on-call requirements

Conclusion

Effective scheduling requires balancing many competing priorities. By following these best practices and using the right tools, you can create schedules that work for both your business and your employees.

The key is consistency, communication, and a willingness to adapt based on feedback and data.

Ready to implement these best practices? Try Shiffy free for 14 days and see how it can help you create better schedules.