Variable Work Schedules
Routines are important. If you have children, you know this to be a fact—but you may not have realized it remains true for adults as well. It is important for us all to have usual times for when we go to bed and for when wake up in the morning. Those sleep- routines optimize our rest and ability to recharge and to wake ready for the day. Many people also have set schedules for when they go to the gym (usually when they have their highest energy levels or the most motivation) or for when they have their peak performance hours at work. We know when we are at our best.
So, how does this translate to jobs/industries where demand can change from hour to hour and from day to day? Many organizations use variable work scheduling, especially for their frontline workers, where employees’ schedules change from day to day or from week to week. (This is especially true in hospitality businesses – restaurants and hotels – and in entertainment – zoos, museums, amusement parks, etc. It can also be true in other service sectors and in non-service fields, even if only seasonally.)
And variable work schedules are useful. They allow managers to bring in workers only when they’ll be needed, which is a cost savings to the business. However, these savings may only be real for the short-term. Research shows that variable work schedules have “negative consequences for employees’ economic security, health, and work-life balance.” (2) Increased variability in worker schedules leads to more turnover; people quit when they can’t count on the certainty of their hours or their income. Even if your employees aren’t quitting, they also probably aren’t giving it their all. The same research relates that higher turnover rates are associated with decreased performance in the people who stay.
If you have frontline workers – including any of their managers – who have variable work schedules, think about steps you can take to increase their sense of routine. (And if you can’t do that, how can you frame the variability as flexibility for them – something we know workers are seeking from surveys during The Great Resignation? Perhaps you can offer hours of work for employees to select each day/week based on their own schedule or needs.) As with everything, be sure the lines of communication are open. Ask your people what would work best for them. And keep in mind that it might be worth paying for a few extra hours when you don’t need your people in order to keep them longer-term.
What other steps have you taken (or are you thinking of taking) to bring a sense of certainty to your variable schedule workers?
How might this research be applicable to your full-time employees on set schedules (or who set their own work hours)? Do you have times or seasons where work hours are longer? Can those be offset with times when they are shorter? How else can you compensate your people for crunch times? In what other ways might you be able to offer an increased sense of routine and/or security?
Sources:
(main) http://www.ioatwork.com/how-variable-work-schedules-influence-turnover-and-performance/
(2) https://www.ioatwork.com/how-parents-can-improve-their-work-life-balance/