Organize Your Way to Smart Overtime Scheduling

It’s no secret that success in customer service industries hinges largely on prioritizing customer needs, and a common place for businesses to improve is simple availability. In order to cater to customers, some businesses have expanded their hours so that they open before the crack of dawn, or stay open late into the night, or they just keep the place open 24-hours a day. While this may result in a wider customer reach, employees often become drained, and managers may be overwhelmed with overtime hours that need to be paid out.

According to Alicia Sloan, a former Taco Bell shift managers, overtime weighed on employee satisfaction, without adding any weight to their paychecks. Over her eight years of employment with Taco Bell, she says that managers often shaved hours off of worker’s time cards in order to avoid paying out overtime. Sadly, this situation isn’t entirely uncommon; according to another Huffington Post article, lawsuits filed against employers for unpaid overtime have jumped 32% since 2008.While most managers (thankfully) don’t jump to withholding overtime pay when budgets are tight, it’s crucial that managers find a balance between their resources and their customer requests.

Availability and longer hours of operation need to be balanced with a highly organized schedule, so managers can clearly see employee availability, and the number of hours each employee is scheduled for per-week. By allowing managers to view crucial employee information as they build the schedule, When I Work makes it easy for managers to assess their resources, and determine if overtime is necessary, or if they need to hire additional employees.

When I Work can’t correct morally questionable decisions like not paying overtime, but it sure can help the overwhelmed manager find some peace while still keeping customers and employees happy. Sign up for a free 30-day trial, and find your own scheduling harmony.