Have you ever wondered how a well-structured work schedule has a huge impact on the efficiency of a company? It is not just a statement of hours - it is the foundation on which the organization of tasks and the management of human resources are based. In our article you will find answers to the question - how to create an ideal work schedule, what to include and what to pay attention to?
Is the schedule the same as the schedule?
Yes, work schedule and working time schedule are concepts replacements. Both are defined as precise planning of working hours for each employee in a given billing period. Thanks to it, everyone knows when and where to be, which allows to avoid misunderstandings and ensures the smooth operation of the entire team.
The importance of the work schedule in working time management
For employers This means the possibility Optimal use of resources, reducing costs and ensuring business continuity. With a well-planned work schedule Avoids downtime and excessive overtimewhich has a positive effect on the morale of the team. From perspective worker A clear schedule allows you to plan your professional and private life effectively, reducing the stress associated with unpredictability. By knowing exactly when and how much we work, we can better manage our leisure time and household chores.
Does the employee have an influence on the schedule?
It turns out that yes. Increasingly, managers pay attention to the availability reported by employees, which avoids unnecessary misunderstandings. The schedule is flexible enough that changes can be made if necessary, and employees have the opportunity to work at the hours that suit them more.
In addition, access to the system on different devices makes it easy to check and manage information, no matter where you are. A vacation application is also a simple matter — without unnecessary formalities, and communication in the company is better organized, so everything runs more smoothly.
Labor Code and important concepts in the work schedule that you should know well
The Labor Code sets the framework within which we must navigate when creating schedules. Knowledge of these laws is essential to avoid violations and ensure compliance with the law.
Working time dimension is nothing more than multiplying the weekly norm (40 hours) by the number of full weeks in a given billing period. Then we add the product of the daily norm (8 hours) and the number of remaining days of the so-called “protruding”, which fall from Monday to Friday.
Daily and weekly norm These are the basics from which we start. According to the regulations, the working time cannot exceed 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week in an average 5-day work week. That is, in the standard system, an employee should not work more than 5 days a week, and his daily working time should not exceed 8 hours.
Billing period is another important aspect. As standard, it is 4 months, but can be extended up to 12 months in certain cases. Such a solution can be beneficial for companies (especially hotels) that have a variable demand for work during the year, but require certain conditions to be met.
Working day is 24 hours another 24 hours, counted from the moment the employee starts work according to the schedule. For example, if your employee starts a shift at 8:00 a.m., their working day continues until 8:00 a.m. the next day.
Daily and weekly rest must have a minimum of 11 hours of uninterrupted free time in each day. This means that at least 11 hours should elapse between the end of one shift and the start of the next. Whereas weekly rest should be at least 35 hours of uninterrupted free time, including one full day.
How to create a work schedule
In the first place determine the planning period - decide whether the schedule will include a month or the entire billing period. The choice depends on the specifics of your company and the needs of the team. Planning for a longer period can make it easier to organize, but it requires more flexibility.
Include all the ingredients - when creating a schedule, remember:
- compliance with the Labor Code and the rules specified in the labor regulations;
- compliance with the provisions of labor law;
- working days and days off and holidays;
- the start and end times of work on a given day;
- breaks and possible overtime;
- special events or trainings;
- any changes or substitutions;
Attention! If your employee submits a written request for an individual distribution of working time, you must establish it, as long as you decide to accept it.
Tips for the work schedule
Employers deal differently with the creation of work schedules. They often use proven or worked out methods that facilitate the organization. Here are the most popular*:
- Designation of days off and holidays - using colors or symbols, such as “X” for the day off and “U” for the holiday, to have a list of available employees;
- Grouping by department - marking employees of different departments or roles with different colors, which will make it easier to recognize availability (also in terms of skills or privileges);
- Overtime shifts — Highlight overtime with a special symbol or colour, such as an asterisk, to easily see additional shifts and overtime work
- Flexible working hours — mark flexible changes with a separate color, e.g. yellow - they will stand out against the background of the entire graphic and will not be missed;
- Employee schedule in online and physical version — provide employees with a ready-made schedule in electronic and paper form (e.g. posted in your company or bulletin board), thanks to which everyone will have easy and quick access to their working hours;
*The given methods can be used for ongoing adjustments in the schedule, allowing analysis and optimization of work. Thanks to this, the schedule better suits the needs of the company and employees.
Effective management of the work schedule
The key, first of all, is handing over the work schedule in good time - is the basis of efficient organization in your company. The employer should provide a schedule at least 7 days before its startso that employees have time to familiarize themselves with the plan and reconcile their professional and private lives.
It is equally important transportation between the employee and the employer. Employees should inform about their needs and any absences that significantly affect the work schedule - this will allow you to make the necessary changes and avoid chaos.
Hint: Make it easier for employees to access the schedule. Use modern solutions such as electronic systems whether mobile applications. Thanks to this, anyone can check their working hours at any time and receive notifications before starting work and well in advance.
Where to start?
It is worth starting with an analysis of needs. Evaluate the demand of the company in different periods - whether it is months of increased activity or perhaps quieter weeks. Thanks to this adapt the number of employees to current requirements, avoiding both a shortage and an excess of personnel.
Another important element is balance. Try to evenly distribute the workload between team members. After all, no one likes to feel overwhelmed, while others have fewer responsibilities.
Reminder: Include seasons, holidays, and special events (e.g. sales) in your business — that's when you might need a larger team.
When should an employer give a work schedule?
The employer should provide the employee with a work schedule Adequate advance and after each change in the working time scheduleso that employees have time to plan their duties and private life. According to the regulations, the schedule should be available on at least one week before the start of the period concerned. This allows both the company and the team to operate more efficiently, and any changes can be made more easily without last-minute chaos.
Recommended tools - Proplanum - faster time planning
Proplanum is a modern solution, thanks to which companies can quicker and more effectively plan work schedules, record working time, manage holidays and internal communication. With cloud availability, employees have constant insight into your scheduleand managers can make changes quickly.
Automatic work planning
The application will help you take into account parameters such as availability and employee preferencesand even salary costs. You have control over everything — you can limit overtime by setting the maximum number of working hours per day, schedule work according to employee competencies, and set replacements faster based on the list of applications willing to work.
Availability 24h
Program based on cloud platform provides full flexibility — thanks to the mobile application, it is literally at your fingertips, regardless of the place or time of day. Managers can easily manage and communicate with their team, and employees receive a single, simple and convenient work schedule tool.
For those who like to keep up to date, the app automatically sends notifications after each change you make, so you always have up-to-date information at hand.
Compliance with the Labor Code
The application automatically controls compliance with the provisions of the Labor Code Scheduled schedule. Thanks to this, you will ensure compliance with the legal regulations regarding working hours, breaks and rest, shift work, etc.
Interesting fact: The settings for the Labor Code are flexible, which allows them to be easily adapted to the specific needs and preferences of the company. This allows you to be sure that schedules and other processes will comply with applicable regulations while being tailored to the unique requirements of the organization.
Electronic leave requests and employee availability
Each employee can report their availability, submit leave requests, inform about sudden absences and check how much leave they have left. Managers, on the other hand, have full visibility into the situation of the team, can quickly approve an employee's request and instantly organize replacements when there is a sudden absence.
It is useful to know: Vacation applications - both those pending a decision and accepted are already visible at the planning stage in the work schedule.
New opportunities for recording working time - electronic RCP
It effectively replaces the traditional working time record cards. Sistema automatically compares the scheduled working time with the actual, informing about any deviations, such as late arrivals, early departures, absences or overtime. Thanks to this, you have full control over the presence of employees in real time and can react quickly to possible changes.
Additional Facilitation: Proplanum also allows data export to accounting and personnel programs, which significantly speeds up the billing process and eliminates errors due to manual scheduling.
Data security
Modern solutions also offer modern security. The system is constantly monitored for suspicious activity, and new security mechanisms are regularly implemented to ensure Maximum protection. The software is developed in accordance with security best practices, in accordance with the guidelines Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP). The data is stored in Microsoft Azure cloud, considered one of the safest in the world. It is also worth noting that the system uses infrastructure Stripe to handle online payments, which ensures complete security in this area.
Why is work schedule automation crucial for modern companies?
Nowadays, when technology is developing at a breakneck pace, automation of working time management is becoming a necessity. With online work scheduling tools, you can easily match schedules to your company's current needs. Integration with working time registration systems greatly simplifies the tracking of working hours, overtime, and submitting vacation requests. The ability to view the work schedule in electronic form ensures that both employees and managers always have access to up-to-date information. Combining all the mentioned functionalities and applying them in the company eliminates the risk of errors and improves communication, which directly translates into smooth management in your organization.
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