There are a lot of technologies that help you make a shared schedule with different team members, shift employees, …. A planning tool makes it possible to choose your own shifts. In this way, you can create your own rotation system. For example, unexpectedly someone can’t work, he/she can put this is on the planning tool so that colleagues can switch. ZoomShift is an example of such a technology.
Note that:
- If specific skills are needed for specific shifts, train workers for those specific skills or make clear not to take a shift if they lack those skills. Alternatively, create special channels on the app for subgroups with special skills to trade shifts.
- Decide whether managers need to pre-approve shift swaps.
- Set up a clear protocol for approval so everyone knows when a shift swap has been finalized and make sure that your shift workers know that they are still responsible for their scheduled shift if it does not get covered.
- Train employees, so they know that posting to the app is not a substitute for requesting time off or changing their “availability”: for example, when a change in someone’s school schedule means she will never be able to work on Tuesdays.
