Industries like healthcare, retail, hospitality, and food service often expand to multiple locations. While the growth can be exciting for the success of the business, managing your hourly employees across multiple locations can present some challenges. Here are some of the main concerns and tools available to help.
What Is Multi-Location Scheduling?
When a business has multiple locations, it may be beneficial for a central group to manage schedules for all employees across all locations. This involves:
- Determining staffing needs for each individual location
- Coordinating employee availability
- Creating multiple schedules
- Addressing shift swaps and call-outs
- Delivering the schedules
Multi-location scheduling offers several benefits:
- Optimized schedules
- Big picture view that includes swapping employee locations if needed
- Compliance with federal and local labor laws
- Reduced scheduling and payroll errors
Challenges of Managing Employees Across Multiple Locations
These challenges make it difficult to manage workers across locations.
- Logistics. Concerns like working across time zones, understanding cultural differences and local customs, or communication styles can cause confusion or friction.
- Compliance. Additional locations may be in other states or countries, requiring careful attention to local labor laws regarding minimum wage, overtime, mandatory breaks, or tax rates. Compliance mistakes can be costly in back wages or even litigation.
- Poor communication. If on-site managers don’t communicate staffing needs or changes, the central team may create schedules that need last-minute changing. This can lead to confusion and frustration for managers and employees.
- Variable scheduling complexity. Depending on the number of staff, operating hours, and demand, there may be variability in each location’s scheduling, making automation more difficult.
- Operational inconsistencies. Each location will have some ways they operate differently, but if managers take too many liberties in operational changes, it can lead to scheduling complications for the central team.
Tools to Manage Employees Across Multiple Locations
Review some of the top tools that help with managing teams across different work locations.
Scheduling software
A tool like WorkforceHub integrates seamlessly with HR and payroll records, allowing the centralized scheduling group to access employee information that’s essential for optimal scheduling. This may include:
- Length of time they’ve worked at the company
- Training level
- Management position
- Certifications
- Relevant skills
- Typical shift assignment
For employees, the software provides real-time access to the schedule and facilitates shift swapping within parameters set by the central scheduling team. This feature allows for some autonomy among employees, encouraging teamwork and cooperation that carries over into the shift.
Geofencing time clock
Mobile timekeeping is a valuable tool that allows easy access to the time clock for every employee, regardless of location. With the added geofencing feature, central scheduling can verify that each employee is where they’re expected to be, per the schedule.
Advance scheduling
A policy of scheduling in advance allows a more measured response to the inevitable shift swaps, vacations, and callouts. With the schedule prepared enough in advance, adjustments can be made without panic or, worse, unexpected and costly overtime.
Team leads who report back to central scheduling
Each location can have a designated liaison between the employees there and the scheduling staff. This ensures important messages don’t get lost in the shuffle, and problems can be dealt with quickly and efficiently.
Clear policies
Providing easy access to company policies regarding paid time off, vacation, sick leave, tardiness, and benefits helps managers and employees at each location stay on top of needs as they arise. Give every new employee a clear outline of company policies and ensure they know the right person to contact with questions or concerns.
Standardized workflow processes
Representing your company and brand well requires consistency and predictability. By standardizing your workflow practices, you make it easier to onboard and train new employees and to create well-balanced shifts where each employee knows their tasks. Create company documents and handbooks that are easily accessible at each worksite.
Managing a growing company with multiple locations can pose challenges. With an organized scheduling staff using all the tools at their disposal, you can manage your team of hourly employees with ease. Try WorkforceHub for free and experience how scheduling software can streamline everyday operations.
