I have been changing people’s lives for over 19 years. I have to admit – I love my job. I get to help companies and employees from all around the world find new ways to work. I am a shift work schedule expert. I am one of only a handful of shift work schedule experts in the world. What does it mean to be a "schedule" expert? Let me explain.
Technically speaking, I am an expert at designing and implementing systems for deploying capital and personnel, with employee buy-in, and specific work, pay, and coverage policies. More practically, I change people’s lives. My goal is to create shift schedules where employees’ lives are made better no matter what the business demands. When employees are happier, they are more productive, the morale is higher, and they can look forward to (and count on) regularly scheduled time off. I’ve had grandmothers hug me and thank me for giving them the time off with their grandchildren. I had a union president introduce me to his peers as, “the guy who saved our jobs.” I use data to show people new ways of doing things that they never even considered. I do this through creative shift scheduling.
I have personally heard many people say they are "schedule" experts who have never designed schedules for industries like customer service centers, utilities, mining companies, distribution facilities, field service employees, along with all types of manufacturing. Tens of thousands of employees have been impacted with the schedules I have designed. Dozens of companies have saved millions of dollars. Countless jobs have been saved, families positively impacted, and employees lives on and off the job made better. All levels of management and hourly employees have learned more than they could have imagined about schedules. This is not to say there haven't been setbacks in 19 years – I don't think anyone can claim to be an expert without some setbacks.
Many professed "experts" can draw any number of 8-hour or 12-hour schedules that cover 24x7 operations. The reality is that anyone can find one of those schedules using an Internet search. Other "experts" can instruct shift employees on the proper diet, the best exercise routine, and habits that promote better adaptation to shift schedules all while ignoring the social realities that employees face. Still other "experts" will tell companies "you need to" work a certain schedule to be more productive or make more money, perhaps ignoring safety and employees.
My hope is that many of you will follow me as I share my thoughts, my experience, and my knowledge on schedules.