Reducing Employee Turnover
A case study Problem This food processing company was experiencing severe problems with employee turnover. The underlying cause of this turnover problem was excessive overtime. Located in a small town with several other labor-intensive companies, the company constantly competes for labor, often operating with less than a full complement of personnel. This staffing shortfall was … Continue reading “Reducing Employee Turnover”
Communicating Major Changes: how a production facility did it successfully
Jim Dillingham, Partner, Shiftwork Solutions LLC When leaders initiate a major change that affects their employees, they want everything to proceed smoothly. They donβt want to alienate the workforce or create any long-lasting disruptions or unnecessary delays. Change that affects the personal lives of people is the most difficult and riskiest type of change. Yet … Continue reading “Communicating Major Changes: how a production facility did it successfully”
Are Maintenance Workers Really Different than Other Shiftworkers?
By Bruce Oliver and Dan Capshaw, Shiftwork Solutions LLC Many maintenance managers will tell you their workforce is different than other shift workers β that their attitudes and behaviors are not the same. Recognizing, understanding, and accounting for how maintenance personnel evaluates shift schedules are essential to finding a schedule that will satisfy their needs … Continue reading “Are Maintenance Workers Really Different than Other Shiftworkers?”
Considerations in Changing the Work Schedules of Non-Exempt Employees
by Bruce Oliver, Consultant, Shiftwork Solutions LLC (Republished with permission from the Society of Human Resource Management) Organizations change the work schedules of their non-exempt employees for a variety of reasons: Change the hours/days of operation to match the demand for their products or services. Fix problems such as high absenteeism, hiring/retention issues, or excessive … Continue reading “Considerations in Changing the Work Schedules of Non-Exempt Employees”
Employee Shift Work Schedules: an Introduction
Be sure to look at our News Topics (on the menu bar above) to find a wealth of information about all sorts of shiftwork issues, including schedules, staffing, overtime and change management. by Bruce Oliver, Consultant, and Dan Capshaw, Partner, Shiftwork Solutions LLC (Republished with permission from the Society of Human Resource Management) According to the Bureau … Continue reading “Employee Shift Work Schedules: an Introduction”
Best Practices in Shift Work Operations (Part 2 of 10)
Operators and Sanitors should be the same people. The sanitation process associate with all food manufacturing processes is often a time-thief. It takes away from valuable production time. Many such operations will have a separate sanitation crew that specializes in sanitation but is not skilled or staffed to run the lines. This has two negative … Continue reading “Best Practices in Shift Work Operations (Part 2 of 10)”
Best Practices in Shiftwork Operations (part 1 of 10)
Whenever we meet with a leadership team at a facility, the question always comes up, “What are other sites doing that works?” The second most asked question is, “What are other sites doing that doesn’t work?” Operations managers want to hear the answers with regards to other operations while Human Resource managers want the answers … Continue reading “Best Practices in Shiftwork Operations (part 1 of 10)”
5 Things Human Resource Managers Need to Know About Shift Work
Letβs start with this: my intent with this post is NOT to tell H.R. how to do their job. Rather, I want to round up some of the most important aspects of shift work that seem obvious but are easily overlooked. So, letβs get to the listβ¦ #1: Beware of the lone messenger. No one … Continue reading “5 Things Human Resource Managers Need to Know About Shift Work”
When should Management consider a Shift Schedule Unsustainable?
Most production managers have been there. Demand is higher than their ability to supply β without the use of overtime. The logical, and possibly, the best solution in the short-run is to go ahead and produce more by using overtime hours. What is going on when you ramp up overtime? What are the costs? What … Continue reading “When should Management consider a Shift Schedule Unsustainable?”
What does the New Year Bring to a Tight Labor Market?
During our 30+years of cross-industry experience we have found that once unemployment drops below 6%, companies find it hard to staff adequately to meet production demands. At the current 3.6% unemployment rate [1] a labor shortage is the single biggest production problem many companies are facing. For as many as eleven states, unemployment falls to … Continue reading “What does the New Year Bring to a Tight Labor Market?”