Shift overlap
Workforce Management Glossary
Shift overlap
What is a shift overlap?
A shift overlap works to provide double coverage during shift handovers and peak times. This planning tool is used so that information transfer can be seamless while business critical activities such as tending to customers can still be prioritised.
Why are more businesses scheduling shift overlaps?
A shift overlap can be as little as 15 minutes and as long as an hour. However, no matter how long or short the overlap, the benefits are widespread. In one example, a hospital may employ a shift overlap so that there are smoother transitions between the day staff and the night staff. Rather than an abrupt change to patient care, the starting employee can learn what the employee they are relieving has been experiencing and doing.
In another example, shift overlaps can help give a business the coverage they need in order to adequately manage times of peak demand. Someone working in a cafe by themselves during the day might appreciate a shift overlap in the afternoon to help account for the lunchtime and after school rush.
How can businesses manage shift overlaps?
Many different factors need to be taken into account when scheduling a roster. Businesses want to make sure that the right staff is rostered on at the right time. In order to do this, analytics such as demand and hourly sales data need to be taken into account.
With Roubler’s staff rostering software, in particular the demand-based rostering feature, this key business data is taken into account and as such, rosters are automatically created with these insights in mind.