Avoid Potential Staff Scheduling Conflicts

A scheduling conflict is when two mutually exclusive events are competing in the staff schedule. They need to be either prevented or easily monitored so they can be identified and resolved especially with automated staff schedules.

The most common conflicts include scheduling staff to more than one shift, or two locations at the same time. Even when a good staff schedule has been created, changes can induce conflicts that were not thought of at the time it was originally created. A scheduling conflict can be contrasted with poor scheduling that produce events that are possible but generally undesirable.

Examples of poor scheduling include poor juxtaposition of shifts preventing sufficient rest periods between shifts. For example, finishing a night shift followed immediately by an early morning shift or double-shifts involving excessive daily hours, poorly distributed days-off that reduce quality time, a direction of shift rotation (DOR) that impacts the body’s internal clock sometimes referred to as the circadian rhythm and speed of shift rotation (SOR) that can compound the effects of sleep deprivation.

Schedule24 Professional will not allow schedule conflicts involving two mutually exclusive events competing. Staff cannot be assigned to more than one shift or more than one location at the same time. Staff cannot be assigned a shift and leave or sickness at the same time. Conversely staff cannot be scheduled shift assignments on a day-off.

Schedule24 Professional provides the tools to minimize and avoid poor scheduling practice but will not mandate they never occur. A double shift may be necessary and a member of staff can agree to work a double shift on occasions. Similarly, re-scheduling days-off from a weekend to a week day may be requested by staff for a number of good reasons. Schedule24 Professional prevents events that are impossible and also provides flexibility for events that are generally undesirable but the occasion makes them acceptable.