Notice of shift pattern change, what's reasonable?

[Tyre Smoke]

My drivers pretty much work the same shifts week in, week out. I've recently undertaken a bit of a rationalisation exercise and want to move a few people off days during the week to less comfortable one Friday night in three, one Saturday in three with days off during the week,etc.

Their contracts state that the hours worked will be advised in advance - but there are no specific hours or days. I know if I wanted a mass walkout I could just impose it tomorrow, but we only have 7 drivers and some are going to be affected more than the others. The bottom line is the new pattern has to come into effect to reduce the labour bill. If push comes to shove, I have a contingency plan if anyone does walk which will cover the short to medium term anyway.

I haven't quite finalised the plan but I want to save money, but am happy to compromise some of the saving by incorporating an 'on call' payment for covering weekends when they're not working and also an across the board payrise (funded by the saving).

So, I want to save money. I want to spend less of my own time covering unsocial hours (Friday nights, Saturday days and Sunday days) and get the benefit of running a business for me rather than my employees. I'm off to Kenya for two weeks at the end of April and not back until the middle of May. Obviously I don't want to rock the boat before I go. So would a two week notice period be acceptable or should I give a full month (i.e. start the new regime from mid June)?

And lastly, if anyone is any good at rostering staff and wants to have a go at a rotating shift pattern for me, just PM me!!!

Thanks for trawling through all that and I hope it makes sense. Basically I have built up a strong company but now what to change things so I get a life back and see my wife and son more. The company is on a sound financial footing, I just want to make it a bit leaner and fitter to tackle the end of the recession (and put more wonga in my pocket)

[Taita]

Obviously I don't know the industry. But I would want 4 weeks at least for a change that could affect childcare social life blah blah.

[Tyre Smoke]

Sorry, forgot to say they're all taxi drivers.

[Taita]

Yup I got that, I meant that I am not familiar with that particular industry

[Arun_D]

Ohhhhh....that sort of shift pattern!

[whythem]

I'd say 2 wks notice is enough, its not like drivers are hard to find at the moment. But in the interest of employee relations, then 4 weeks is more than fare

How about continental shift pattern 3X12hr days, on a rolling week. This gets you saturday cover and your employess work 3 on 5 off allowing plenty of drivers available for fri nite OT

[mattdaniels]

How often are they paid?

[Tyre Smoke]

mattdaniels said:

How often are they paid?

Weekly in arrears.

[Tyre Smoke]

whythem said:

I'd say 2 wks notice is enough, its not like drivers are hard to find at the moment. But in the interest of employee relations, then 4 weeks is more than fare

How about continental shift pattern 3X12hr days, on a rolling week. This gets you saturday cover and your employess work 3 on 5 off allowing plenty of drivers available for fri nite OT

I like this idea, but I need school run cover and differing start/finish times

[Four Cofffee]

Tyre Smoke said:

whythem said:

I'd say 2 wks notice is enough, its not like drivers are hard to find at the moment. But in the interest of employee relations, then 4 weeks is more than fare

How about continental shift pattern 3X12hr days, on a rolling week. This gets you saturday cover and your employess work 3 on 5 off allowing plenty of drivers available for fri nite OT

I like this idea, but I need school run cover and differing start/finish times

There is software to design shift paterns to cover the peak times. You input minimum cover levels, times etc and tells you the best pattern.

One idea I came across when asked to look at it was annualised hours, used by the RAC I think? A set nummber of hours a year (say 2000) with some hours being set in stone (school run times, which weekends etc) but other hours notified X days in advance which enables you to cope with holidays but maintain cover at key earning time like Friday nights, major events etc , and some which are notified and agreed with the employee at much shorter notice which enables you to cope with unexpected peaks and urgent jobs etc.

That pattern meant that people knew they knew exactly would be working 60% of the time, had 30% notified 4 weeks in advance and then the remaining 10% was 'flexible' and done with agreement but with extra reward without it actualy costing you hard cash. Often they run on 3 month cycles of say 500 hours, with a settling up at that pint and a minimum and mximum cary forward of any deficit/surplus. What tended to happen was that the more flexible people quickly used bp their flexible hours and the less flexible then had to be shioved to do their bit but if the contract says 50 hours a quarter are flexible and notified at 24 hours notice they have to be able to do it.

It alos means that you can reduce stafffing levels if the weather or another event reduces demand by not calling in the 10% flexi-hours.


I think the RAC used annualised hours because of the call-out issues and you could weight those last minute hours to be worth 1.25 or 1.5 hours to encourage flexibility.

I would ask the staff, you might find that they have better ideas.

[Mr Overheads]

Four Cofffee said:

I would ask the staff, you might find that they have better ideas.

That's good advice, rather than impose your ideas, ask them for their ideas you may find that 2 or 3 of them are happy to do Friday/Saturday every week.

[Tyre Smoke]

Mr Overheads said:

Four Cofffee said:

I would ask the staff, you might find that they have better ideas.

That's good advice, rather than impose your ideas, ask them for their ideas you may find that 2 or 3 of them are happy to do Friday/Saturday every week.

I agree, in part. The trouble is, those that are happy to work weekends are already doing so and those that aren't have engineered their hours to suit themselves rather than the company and I'm spending my 'quality' time filling the gaps no one else want to. I need and want this to work for me not the drivers.

[bitwrx]

Tyre Smoke said:

Mr Overheads said:

Four Cofffee said:

I would ask the staff, you might find that they have better ideas.

That's good advice, rather than impose your ideas, ask them for their ideas you may find that 2 or 3 of them are happy to do Friday/Saturday every week.

I agree, in part. The trouble is, those that are happy to work weekends are already doing so and those that aren't have engineered their hours to suit themselves rather than the company and I'm spending my 'quality' time filling the gaps no one else want to. I need and want this to work for me and the drivers.

Edited for an ideal world!!