Availability

Availability (in shift work): Times an employee can work.

Availability

The specific times when an employee is able to work plays a crucial role in shift planning and self-scheduling, enabling managers to align workforce needs with employee preferences.

What is Availability

This is a key concept in the realm of shift planning and self-scheduling. It encompasses the hours and days that employees can work, and helps with forming schedules that accommodate their personal commitments.

For example, an employee may indicate that they are available Tuesday through Saturday from 8 AM to 4 PM, but not available on Sundays due to family obligations. Or an employee may have variable availability due to school or second jobs, requiring a flexible approach to scheduling. Understanding this not only aids in optimizing staff deployment but also boosts employee morale since they see their personal lives respected.

Just knowing someone’s availability is not enough; managers must regularly update this information to account for changes like vacations or shifts in personal circumstances. Availability must be communicated clearly within the scheduling framework, ensuring everyone has a seamless experience when picking shifts.

Scheduling tools often allow employees to indicate their availability preferences in a user-friendly interface, making the process interactive and participatory. Availability shouldn’t be confused with shift requests; while the former is what times a worker can be on duty, the latter is about what shifts they wish to take. So think of it as the foundation upon which effective scheduling is built.

Best practices

• Regularly update availability. Fluctuating personal circumstances mean employees need to communicate changes. Use technology to streamline the process, enabling real-time updates.
• Encourage open dialogue between staff and management to clarify any scheduling issues caused by misalignment.
• Store availability information securely and make it easily accessible for quick references.

Common pitfalls

• Ignoring updates can lead to scheduling conflicts that frustrate staff. Assuming employees’ availability hasn’t changed is a gamble you shouldn’t take.
• Failing to take personal commitments into consideration could lead to disengagement or high turnover.
• Overcomplicating the process causes confusion and diminishes the ease of self-scheduling.

How we can help

Our team is dedicated to refining self-scheduling solutions that help you schedule without keeping quickly expiring availability data on file.

We recommend giving Zelos Team Management a shot to see how it can streamline your scheduling processes. Sign up for a free account on our website and let’s see if we can help you manage your schedules more effectively!

Shift work glossary