scheduling nightmares

[shooter5]

Union shop...Solid group of veteran shooters and a couple of stellar part timers . Everyone wanting a M-F, dayside shift. Station adding new shows including weekend mornings. Overnite coverage and weekend on-call needed. But nobody wants to be on call. Tons of vacation and comp to be filled. Who gets what and how do you implement?

 

[avidfaa]

having worked in a NABET shop...

Since you are bound by the contract you negotiated with management, it's always the last hired that gets the shaft and has to work that wonderful 3:30am-11:30am shift! That was my personal favorite but at least I was off weekends.

I would post the proposed work schedule, look for "volunteers" and finding none, implement the contract and whatever you can't fill, dump in on the part-timers...

 

[satop]

all contracts I have seen, kept pay and 40 hours a week but I have never saw a contract that had a schedule for veterans in it. sorry, but you make the schedule, they are just going to live with it.

 

[Dedline]

Perhaps use the bidding method, based on seniority. Make up a new schedule from scratch with the bodies you have in any slot. Then have everyone bid for shifts, starting with most senior photog going first... Sucks for everyone cept the first couple guys, but the operation comes first and you're management's tool for getting it done. Not sure if any union regs against that method.

 

[A Step Above Productions]

all contracts I have seen, kept pay and 40 hours a week but I have never saw a contract that had a schedule for veterans in it. sorry, but you make the schedule, they are just going to live with it.

“they are just going to live with it” is the wrong attitude. I understand you have slots to fill, but you don’t want people so upset with their new schedule that they put zero effort into the job.

Also keep in mind people have a life outside of work and they have families, changing someone’s schedule can effect how much time they get with their family. If they have kids a new schedule can force them to put the kids in daycare and that costs money and who knows they may not be able to afford that.

It is more than just filling slots on a schedule – it can be a pay cut for some if they do have to put the kids in daycare or anything on those lines.

Just think before you drastically change the lives of your Photogs – Personally I freelance now, and I don’t have to worry about a Chief telling me where and when to be somewhere… but if I were in your shop and had my schedule changed to the point where I got less time with my son – I would be out of there before you could say overnight shift.

What you are about to do is major – so think long and hard before you make any dramatic changes, and me prepared to loss some people.

 

[yellowbeta]

You may want to look into a rotation based schedule. That way people get both the good and the bad. Maybe have people rotate out on weekend duty.

Otherwise, make seniority count. I know from being in the business a while, I get ticked when a new person gets the better schedule just because they don't want it.

 

[Just Wondering]

When all else fails....SENIORITY is the best solution. No one can dispute it, and, you still maintain respect from the ranks.

The schedule rotation senario is viable. Lets say you have 20 shooters and have them in place for one month at a time, that is once every 20 months hmmmmmmm. I think that is doable.

 

[Todio]

Perhaps a rotating schedule with the option that a senior guy can 'bump' a junior guy out of his shift. That way if a junior guy keeps getting shafted you aren't the bad guy.

Bumps could be 'cascading' if you will; ie. Joe on nights bumps Frank on days who in turn bumps Bill on weekends etc etc. The end result is Joe (originally scheduled for nights) is now on days, Frank (originally on days) is now on weekends and Bill (originally on weekends) is now on nights. Since Bill is lowest in seniority he cannot bump anyone else so must accept his shift. Joe could also jump directly to Bill if he wanted weekends.

You might implement it on a pilot basis with three provisos: one, bumps have to happen a set time in advance (say two weeks) to give the bumpee a chance to re-arrange his life (babysitters etc.) and must go through you (so you know who's working when). Two, that if it gets abused then you will implement a firm non-bump schedule and three, you will re-visit the issue again in six months regardless and may revise the procedure.

I know I'm not explaining this very well so PM me and I can go into greater detail. You have to make sure that they don't abuse the system or the most senior will constantly bump into the plum slot every day. Maybe you can only bump shifts 5 or 6 times a year...?