Now more than ever, there needs to be an emphasis on flexibility for working parents. Not only are they a larger share of today’s workforce, they also demand more from employers. Decades ago, for at least one spouse, working long hours away from fami...

A few years ago a North American regional police authority asked us to find and implement a schedule that would improve service and reduce costs. The entire effort was backed by the chief of police, the officer’s association, and the police services...

Every holiday season I see people villainize retailers, manufacturers, and many businesses for their holiday work practices. “They should let their employees enjoy time at home during the holidays!” That is generally the message people convey. I don’...

We often say at Coleman Consulting Group that a schedule is not about your day on and day off pattern or your shift length. Schedules are about understanding the impact of the entire system on process and people.

The "Three Circles" represent the three key elements required to design the best schedule successfully. These elements also reflect Coleman Consulting Groups definition of a schedule:

Business Needs - "a system for deploying capital and personnel."

Emp...

At Coleman Consulting Group, we have surveyed thousands of employees across the country and around the world. The health and safety portion of the survey asks about sleep and fatigue relative to employee schedules. Our senior partner Frank Pereira ta...

I love it when we make a real difference for both the employee and the company! This story starts out like so many others in manufacturing plants all over the world. Demand for the product being produced grows, so a facility that might traditionally...

A recent Wall Street Journal Article discussed the difficulty in finding workers for 911 call centers. As the labor market tightens, all organizations, not just 911 call centers are having trouble acquiring and keeping qualified employees.  This situ...

Our bodies body’s Circadian Rhythm, or biological clock, is controlled by a bundle of cells (the hypothalamus) atop the bridge of the nose in your head.  It tells a person when to wake up, when to go to sleep, and when to use the bathroom among other...

Over my twenty years of designing and implementing shift schedules, I have stopped a number of companies from going to 7-day operations just as often as I have recommended 7x24 operations. My number one tip is, “Don't just put in 7-day schedules in e...