If you run a service-oriented business, you’re all too familiar with staff requesting to suddenly change or drop shifts. It’s something that any business owner cannot control; staff will encounter unlikely situations and will get sick from time to time.

What is shift swapping?

Shift swapping is a need for staff to change the time that they’re rostered for work. A situation where shift swaps happen can vary from work-related to personal reasons, but all the same, the employer is always given the power to let changes in rosters happen.

Operational risks

Letting staff take control of their time is one way of showing respect to your people. Sick leaves and personal emergencies are really out of the question when it comes to approving time off. However, without the knowledge of who can immediately fill in vacancies, more so the ability to get replacements instantly, business operations become tricky.

Shift swapping that results in vacancies gives your business the risk of giving inconsistent service to your customers. For pubs, loyal customers come back for the quality of drinks and those who serve them. We hear regulars say, “the usual” when they order something, and having that one person take unexpected time off can derail your customers’ expectations. Because businesses enter ‘firefighting mode’ when staff is out, it’s not easy to assure that whoever comes in will provide the same level of service — or worse, that someone else even agrees to come in in the first place.

Administrative costs

It’s not a chore to mark your staff unavailable when they suddenly decide to take some time off. But it becomes confusing when multiple shift swaps happen within a day, week, or month. The fact that staff members have different rates, allowances, and hours can leave you organising pay data for ages.

The good news

Despite the risks you get with shift swapping, managers are still in control of their operations. With modern technology, apps can now accommodate these gaps. No-show shifts can easily be filled without the worry of overlapping schedules and calculating hours for payroll.

Recent shift swapping technology not only fills your vacancies, but it also ensures that whoever is taking up a shift is a good fit, i.e. they are available for the hours, they belong in the same team, and will cost your business the same/less.

So yes, go ahead and approve shift swap requests at work. With shift swapping technology, there’s no room for worry and firefighting for your business. Not only are you creating trust between managers and staff,  but you’re also at ease knowing that operations will keep running while keeping costs in check.

To know more about Shift Swapping, visit https://www.tanda.co/shift-swapping/