In the United States, full-time employees put in 41.5 hours a week on average, while in European nations like Denmark, the average workweek is 37.2 hours. Without workforce management system software in place, it’s easy to lose track of what each hourly employee did and for how long, which can result in payroll errors. Also, organizations that disobey municipal, state, and federal wage and overtime rules are subject to harsh penalties and fines.
Additionally, you must understand how to establish the weekly work schedules for your employees in a logical, balanced manner, keeping in mind the needs of the law, business profitability, and employee morale. Here’s how to figure out how many hours per week your workforce should be working:
1. Adhere to legal rules
You must ensure that your weekly schedule complies with all applicable local, state, and federal regulations. A specific length of time between shifts may also be required by law in your state so that your staff can take a break. In New York, you must give employees who perform split shifts an extra hour’s compensation.
Laws governing overtime must also be followed. Even though some states have varying overtime compensation regulations, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) mandates that non-exempt workers get extra pay for any period worked above 40 hours. You’ll discover that you can eliminate overtime expenses, or at least significantly reduce them if you precisely arrange your weekly work hours using your staff scheduling software.
2. Recognize the demands of your workforce
Learn about the objectives of your staff’s jobs and personal lives before establishing weekly work plans. Some employees could be in college, while others would have obligations to their families. Discuss their expectations for a weekly work schedule with them so that you can take them into account.
Your staff’s productivity and health can suffer if you fix long weekly working hours. Set staff members’ weekly schedules in a way that will increase production while keeping them happy and healthy. This will increase staff retention rates, which will ultimately increase profitability.
Establishing weekly work hours as a joint endeavor between you and your workers is the best approach to increasing productivity and morale. You must get their opinion before and after deciding on their weekly schedule. This will enable you to assess their preferences and understand how they are feeling following a full work week of service.
3. Determine what your company requires
Supply and demand play a key role in business. When your sales are strong, you require additional workers to meet client expectations, so how do you forecast sales demand so you can plan your weekly work schedule to accommodate it? Examining your previous sales data is the easiest way to estimate sales demand. You’ll be able to identify the shifts that were busy for you in the past and those that were calm. Additionally, there is a good likelihood that future sales will also follow a similar trend.
4. Make use of innovative and fresh technology
Utilizing cutting-edge technology is a new trend in the global workforce. Your staff scheduling software’s income and shift data can be used to precisely construct weekly work schedules to satisfy customer demand. However, you may also avoid the costly error of understaffing or overstaffing. Make use of the predictive scheduling options in your staff scheduling software to plan out your weekly work plans. Be careful not to irritate staff members who could be picky about their working environment.
Endnote
In order to make sure that your company is cost-effectively setting weekly hours, strive to have a lean and dynamic staff. Keep in mind that weekly scheduling necessitates striking a balance between legal requirements, corporate performance, and employee satisfaction. By accommodating these three demands, you can be certain that your team will have the ideal number of weekly work hours.
