Employment law expert and CEO of BrightHR Alan Price offers some adviceโฆ
With lockdown measures lifting, your business may now look to return employees to work – at least, those who canโt continue in their role remotely.
However, coronavirus now presents a significant operational problem. You may have to return many employees to an enclosed working space, for example.
If youโre bringing employees back, then you should consider the best approach.
With the challenges ahead, you may want to consider a staggered shift approach. This will help your workplace health & safety needs. Plus, make it easier for your staff to return. So, whatโs this all about?
What is a staggered shift pattern?
Itโs where a business plan for employees to start, and finish, work at different times. Typically, itโll take the same hours, but with a change in their structure.
During the coronavirus pandemic, itโs an essential approach as it can help you control social distancing and infection risk.
So, if you arrange your shifts to keep employees arriving at different times, this can control the health & safety issues you face.
How staggered shift pattern can help with social distancing measures
This step is crucial when it comes to the two-metre rule. Thatโs the UK governmentโs guidelines on the issue.
The staggered shifts consideration after coronavirus lockdown is something the government actively wants businesses to consider.
Itโs particularly important if youโre in the retail industry, have a bar or restaurant, or run an office.
If you have a lot of employees, or they work in an enclosed working area, then you can take this approach to make sure you stick to the governmentโs rules.
Here are some of the advantages of this system:
- Itโll help you and your staff fix times when they (or you) want to start and finish.
- The approach will help avoid traffic in your workplace, particularly during peak hoursโso, there will be no crowding onto lifts or queues in the canteen.
- In a quieter workplace, you can monitor your health & safety procedures more effectivelyโsimply as there are fewer people at any given time.
- Itโll ease pressure on employees, many of whom will feel nervous about their return to work.
In short, youโll have more control over how your business functions. It may seem odd, but in effect, the fewer employees you have at work, the better you can manage the situation. And that can help your productivity. As well as minimise the risk of infection.
So, while it may seem logical to return your workforce at the same time, if you do that it could lead to an outbreak of coronavirus.
And if that happens, youโll have to look into remote working more members of staffโor closing down again, temporarily.
A sample staggered shift schedule
How should you approach this system? Well, itโs a bit easier than it looks. You can follow a certain structure.
For example, you can use the 5/4/9 plan. Thatโs a โcompressedโ work schedule. Your employees will work nine-hour shiftsโand one eight-hour day. Making a total of 80 hours over a fortnight.
Thereโs also the 4/10 schedule. Basically, it means staff work a 10-hour day over four days. Thatโs during the course of a working week.
That could lead to a three-day weekend for employees as a result. But it depends on when, during the working week, they take their extra day off for the working hours they accumulate.
Thereโs also a four-week cycle, where your team works two consecutive shifts. What follows that is two days offโthen three days back on. Before two more days off.
That then heads around in a rotating fashion, making for an unusual structureโbut one that provides you with room to control the coronavirus outbreak.
You can take control
Ultimately, itโs down to your businessโyou can plan out what you think works best. Nothing is set in stone, of course.
But remember that these arenโt just standard shiftsโthey can help you to limit the threat of coronavirus.
You must also take all the other steps you can to support your employees. The UK government advice may also change in timeโso, stay alert for updates.
