Employee scheduling best practices

Employee scheduling is the process of assigning shifts to teams based on the availability of employees. It is most often utilised in businesses that operate with employees on hourly schedules. The other form of scheduling relates to resource planning, where you designate a certain number of hours to particular projects. Whichever model a business employs, the aim is to ultimately cover the needs of the business.

Effective scheduling of staff can give you flexibility and improve the work-life balance of employees. Work-life balance plays an integral part in the mental and physical wellbeing of employees. A study found that non-standard schedules can lead to sleep disturbances and shortened sleep patterns.

Whilst standardising schedules across your whole business may be difficult, establishing a strong scheduling process is beneficial. Varying schedules, resource planning, and scheduling of staff far in advance will allow employees the flexibility to swap working arrangements to suit any commitments they may have. Giving employees that flexibility and agency to help manage their own schedules, within the confines of a strong process, can improve employee engagement. A report by Gallup highlights concerning employee engagement levels in the UK reveals that only 10% of UK employees are engaged in their work, positioning the UK among the least engaged workforces in Europe. This disengagement has significant implications, with low worker engagement costing the UK economy approximately £257 billion annually. 

Effective scheduling of staff goes beyond just the filling out of shifts and responsibilities. The practice has broader organisational benefits, including operational efficiency and employee satisfaction. Employees that feel supported and heard can have a positive impact on the employer brand and overall productivity. 

Improved shift coverage 

Effective scheduling of staff can help a business have the right people, in the right place, at the right time. With scheduling templates and scheduling software, you can anticipate peak periods and fluctuations. By doing this, you can minimise gaps and prevent overstaffing. With oversight of the employee scheduling process, you can adjust as necessary, and staff have the opportunity to swap shifts. Templates and software can also highlight areas that are understaffed or lacking resources, which can lead to burnout. The Burnout Report from Mental Health UK details that levels of pressure and stress remains high, with 91% of UK adults surveyed reporting that they experienced high or extreme levels of pressure or stress in the past year. 

When your business is larger and has more sites, this control and oversight of processes and scheduling is important. Projects will tend to rely on more employees and managing their time effectively will help you deliver on time. 

Lower staff turnover 

Proactive and balanced scheduling empowers your team and fosters a thriving work environment. By maintaining strong control over staff scheduling and project workloads, you can distribute work fairly, preventing employee overload. This allows you to confidently approve annual leave requests and support a healthy work-life balance for your team. When employees feel their time is valued and their wellbeing prioritised, stress levels can decrease, leading to increased job satisfaction and a more positive and productive workplace. 

It is beneficial to have an organisational focus on wellbeing to lower staff turnover. A study involving over 46,000 UK workers found that changes at an organisational level, such as flexibility of scheduling, play a crucial role in improving workplace wellbeing. The research also suggests that individual interventions are insufficient. 

Better control of costs 

By accurately anticipating workloads, you can schedule staff and resources effectively and not have to spend extra on unnecessary overtime. This can be the case across all industries. For example, a marketing agency may be on a tight deadline for a project. Due to inefficient scheduling of staff, they may have to outsource some work to freelancers, which can lead to missed deadlines and increased costs. 

Manage attendance and pay 

Employee scheduling can help you with absence management in the workplace. Accurate tracking can highlight any issues that crop up with repeated absences or any trends that can help optimise the scheduling of staff further. When you have a scheduling system as part of a wholesale HR suite, it is integrated with payroll directly. This can lessen the administrative burden and ensure that employees are paid correctly and on time. To learn more about the benefits of an absence management process, read our ‘How to manage absence in the workplace’ blog. 

It’s important to know what types of staff schedules your business offers. Every business and industry is different but you can implement different forms of schedules, depending on needs. These schedules include the following: 

Full time 

A full time schedule is around 35 - 40 hours per week in the UK, but there is no set limit. Working Time Regulations do cap the maximum hours at 48, but businesses can offer opt out options for staff. The schedule may be the same every day, or those hours could be distributed differently every week to meet business needs or fit an employee’s needs. ]

Part time 

A part time schedule is usually less than 35 hours a week and gives employees flexibility to take care of commitments like caring for family. The scheduling of staff for part time work is more likely to vary every week, depending on availability. 

Fixed shifts 

A fixed schedule will usually line up with the opening hours for a business. For example, office-based staff are likely to work 8 – 9 hours between 8am and 6pm. Part time staff can also have fixed schedules where they work only certain days or certain hours on certain days. This all depends on the flexibility and arrangements between the business and employees. 

Rotating shifts 

Many industries like manufacturing and construction operate 24/7. Construction projects can often run overnight to lessen the disruption to the public, such as motorway works. As such, the scheduling of staff is done on a rotating basis. Staff will often work longer shifts – 10 to 12 hours, for 4 days – and then get a longer 3-day break to recover. It’s particularly important to schedule rotating shifts effectively. Shift work can disrupt sleep and circadian rhythms, leading to fatigue and increased risk of accidents. In the UK, over 3.5 million shift workers, including those in healthcare and emergency services, are at risk of fatigue due to poorly designed schedules and long working hours. 

The 4-day working week – a different solution to employee scheduling? 

The 4-day working week has been the next step in flexible working policy. As of January 2025, over 200 UK companies have permanently adopted a four-day working week without reducing staff pay, collectively employing more than 5,000 people. Businesses can schedule different parts of their workforce to work different days which can lead to maintained service throughout the working week.  

For a shorter working week to become the norm, the benefits have to be felt by both the employees and employers. In terms of employee wellbeing, research by Henley Business School reported that up to 78% of employees feel happier and less stressed after switching to a four-day workweek. Following a trial, 85% of businesses also reported that their revenue either increased or stayed the same. The same trial reported a 65% reduction in sick days and a 57% decrease in staff turnover compared to the previous year, suggesting that a shorter workweek can improve employee retention and health. 

The talent drain is a consistent issue across all industries, therefore employing tactics to help long-term retention can be advantageous. For other tactics to help retain talent, download our Actionable Guide to Navigating HR Tech Challenges. 

Employee scheduling plays a significant role in the success of a business as it informs the overall workforce management strategy. Workforce management is an important step in the employee lifecycle, which you can learn about with our Employee Lifecycle Toolkit.  

To grow the success of the business, it’s beneficial to follow a set of best practices that inform your scheduling process. These practices include the following: 

1. Understand your workforce

One of the keys to scheduling staff effectively is to understand every employee’s needs. Understanding your workforce goes beyond just asking when people are available. Needs may include care responsibilities for family or children and taking that into account is important for effective understanding. When you understand your employee’s situations, they may also feel more appreciated and engaged. Greater insight into your workforce will also allow you to plan further ahead and set parameters in your scheduling programme based on who is not available at certain times. 

2. Plan ahead

With an understanding of your workforce in place, you can plan sufficiently in advance. There are multiple benefits to doing so. With a staff schedule in place, you leave time for unexpected changes and offer staff the opportunity to change their hours or days. You can also strategically distribute workloads depending on the needs of the business. Planning ahead can also help your business during the anticipated busy or quiet periods. Ultimately, you are looking to be proactive with your employee scheduling, rather than reactive. Employees may respond more positively to an organised business that focuses on effective employee scheduling. A study by HR Magazine found that 66% of employees with unpredictable work hours experience job-related stress

3. Balance employee and business needs 

Creating a schedule that works for everyone requires intricate choreography, balancing a spot where employees feel satisfied, and business efficiency is at its peak. Think of it this way: your business has peak hours, deadlines, and customer demands. Your employees have lives outside of work, commitments, and personal needs. The goal is to weave these two sets of requirements together into a seamless schedule. Consider things like the fair distribution of shifts and work, so no employees feel unjustly treated and place emphasis on the wellbeing of staff. 

4. Use employee scheduling templates and software 

Embracing employee scheduling templates and software isn't just about convenience; it's about efficiency, accuracy, and ultimately, creating a smoother workflow for everyone. Scheduling software acts like a digital assistant, automating a significant portion of the process, freeing up time for more strategic tasks. It does so by streamlining schedules, with customisable interfaces, and automated shift rotations. Automation can also minimise errors which often occur due to human inputs. Employees can also access their schedules from anywhere, like mobile apps or online portals. Many workforce management suites have AI enabled which can analyse historical data, predict staffing needs, and highlight potential gaps. Leveraging these tools can transform a scheduling process into an efficient operation. 

Templates are not just for the scheduling of staff, they can have a wide range of applications across the workforce. For an example of how to use templates to manage both staff and distribution of resources, check out our ‘Workforce planning template’. 

5. Analyse data to predict busy periods 

By diving into your historical and seasonal data, you can gain valuable insights into your business's ebb and flow, allowing you to anticipate busy periods and staff accordingly. Some periods are going to be inherently busy, however, data analysis can help you identify crucial junctures in project timelines that may require more resources. Sales and website data can also help you identify patterns and trends with your customers; what days do they shop or visit most often? Insight into these patterns can help you schedule the right number of staff to maintain your level of service. Meeting customer demand does not just improve satisfaction, it can also reduce employee burnout and maximise efficiency.  

Employee wellbeing should be at the forefront for business as a healthy workforce translates to a smooth-running business; a survey by Indeed Flex revealed that 34% of UK businesses experience staff shortages at least once a week, primarily due to employee sickness. These shortages can lead to increased workloads for existing staff, contributing to burnout. 

6. Maintain clear communication with employees 

A well-crafted schedule or rota has to be supported by a clear communication between the business and employees. It's about creating an environment where employees feel heard, understood, and informed. This means establishing clear channels for them to voice their needs, request changes, and raise any concerns they may have. To maintain clear communication about employee scheduling, share schedules well in advance and provide explanations for any changes. This can help alleviate any potential anxiety and build trust. Employees also feel valued and respected, and you can minimise the risk of scheduling-related conflicts. 

7. Allow employees to swap shifts freely

Allowing your employees to effectively manage and swap their shifts, depending on their needs, and within reasonable boundaries to ensure continuity, is more than a perk. The practice can foster a culture of flexibility, trust, and a strong sense of ownership. When an employee has an unexpected appointment or a family emergency, the ability to swap shifts with a colleague can be a lifesaver. This not only reduces absenteeism but also minimises the disruption to your business operations. Shift swapping can also encourage collaboration and better communication within your team, ultimately leading to an improved working environment. 

An employee schedule template can be an effective tool for scheduling staff. It should include the following information to capture the relevant data that can support any forecasting. 

• Employee names & roles – Clearly define who is working and job responsibilities 
• Shift dates & times – Display work hours, start and end times, and break periods 
• Coverage & availability – Ensure adequate staffing and resource allocation by tracking availability 
• Time off & absences – Accounts for holidays, sick days, and other leaves 
• Notes & special instructions – Allows for addition of reminders or key details for specific shifts or projects 

Employee scheduling in spreadsheets 

The platform you choose for your employee scheduling will dictate what functionalities are available. The listed data can be put into a manual Excel spreadsheet or Google Sheets document. This can be an attractive, low-cost solution for smaller businesses, where the management team have greater control over the intricacies of tracking and scheduling. However, it does rely on accurate data entry and time being dedicated to avoiding any scheduling conflicts. Discover how templates streamline staff and resource management with our 'Workforce planning template'. 

Employee scheduling through software 

The alternative to spreadsheets is an integrated rota scheduling software. The software offers features like automated rostering, compatibility with various devices, integration with payroll and absence management systems, and real-time cost tracking. It helps businesses match staffing levels to demand, understand shift costs, configure rotas for different contract types, and allows employees to view schedules and make shift swaps. 

Scheduling of staff can often seem like a puzzle. However, turning over much of the administrative work to workforce management software can solve multiple headaches at once. Workforce management software is a part of our all-in-one AI-enabled HR suite and can help businesses manage and automate various workforce-related tasks, such as onboarding, scheduling, absences, holidays, forecasting, and pay. It includes features like a holiday booking system, absence management tools, rostering software, HR self-service portals, reporting and analytics, and seamless integration with payroll systems. 

With HR software like this in place, your business can improve operational efficiency, workforce productivity, and the overall employee experience. Benefits include automated workflows, optimal staffing levels, accurate cost views, improved workforce planning, employee empowerment through self-service apps, flexible scheduling options, and data-driven decision-making through insightful reports.