BUS606: Operations and Supply Chain Management

The scheduling of staff is based on the labor hours needed to meet the projected sales volume. The supervisor also needs to keep an eye on labor dollars by considering whether staff on a lower wage scale could be scheduled. For example, on holidays or other times when overtime rates must be paid, it would be less costly to bring in a new employee who is not eligible for statutory holiday pay. Other factors to consider when developing schedules include the following:

Staggered work schedules can be used to meet the demand over peak periods without incurring additional labor costs throughout the full shift.

Part-time staff can be used to work short shifts of four or five hours to reduce overall labor costs.

Full-time staff are usually used to cover all key administrative positions; sometimes full-time positions can consist of a mix of supervisory and front-line tasks in order to make up a full-time job.

Temporary employees can be used to meet labor needs that are temporary in nature such as banquets, employee illness, or vacation relief.

Legal considerations such as the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act and provisions of any collective agreement must be kept in mind.

Staff capabilities should be taken into consideration; some employees may thrive in a stressful dinner rush while others perform well under less stressful situations. Some employees may have additional skills (e.g., hosting, bartending), which can be used effectively when sales volume is low if collective agreements or staff policies permit.

Employee's preferences should also be accounted for in the schedule. Policies should be in place for requesting shift preferences or exchanging shifts between staff members.

No matter how well you have planned the schedule, problems can arise. A staff member may call in sick or fail to show up without warning. The volume of sales may be lower or higher than anticipated. You must have contingency plans to deal with these problems. You could have a staff member (or a casual employee) on call in case he or she is needed. You also have to know the capabilities of your staff. On a night when you have mostly experienced, capable servers and cooks who can handle stressful situations, you may be able to get by with one fewer staff than your staffing guide calls for.

When demand is lower than expected, you must know what limitations there are on sending staff home early, while still maintaining the minimum staffing needed to remain open. Of course, you must comply with collective agreements and all legislation that affects your workplace. If you understand the agreements and the Fair Labor Standards Act (2) well, you will know what flexibility you have to adjust to the situations that arise in the workplace.