Managing Shift Patterns Workshop

This training seminar is designed to equip participants with the essential tools and techniques to manage shift patterns effectively. Suitable for anyone overseeing shift operations, this seminar focuses on improving strategies to address the common challenges faced in day-to-day management of shifts.

Learning Objectives:

Master holiday management tactics to ensure operational continuity.
Develop and implement effective coping strategies for staff absences.
Identify the most common issues in shift management and create practical policies to address them.
Understand and apply methods to mitigate fatigue, enhancing productivity and well-being in shift work.

Whether you’re managing a single team or overseeing a complex operation, this seminar will help you streamline your processes and create a healthier, more efficient work environment.

If your company would like to attend, please email us with your contact details and include “Managing Shift Patterns Workshop” in the subject line. Please note that spaces are limited, so we encourage you to reserve your place as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Addressing Common Challenges in Shift Operations Many organisations managing shift operations face similar issues, such as accommodating staff holidays and handling absences. Our expertise lies in helping organizations develop systems that allow employees to take holidays without disrupting operations, as well as providing effective solutions to cover both expected and unexpected absences.

Course Overview This workshop combines our deep knowledge of shift pattern design and operational policies to deliver a comprehensive course tailored to tackle these challenges. Participants will gain practical tools and strategies for optimising shift management, ensuring smoother operations and improved productivity.

Who Should Attend This course is specifically designed for HR professionals, managers, and operations coordinators, providing essential insights to successfully enhance their shift operations.

First introduced in 2008 alongside our groundbreaking book, How to Manage Your Shift Pattern—the first-ever publication dedicated to shift pattern management—this course has been delivered in various venues and to private companies, helping them refine their approach to workforce scheduling.

Over the years, we’ve continually updated the course to reflect evolving workplace practices and industry standards, ensuring it aligns with the latest strategies adopted by leading UK companies. By enhancing skills and introducing more effective shift patterns, our training empowers organisations to optimise workforce management and improve operational efficiency.

Participants will receive an exclusive package designed to enhance their learning experience and support their operational success, including:

1-Day In-Person Course in London: A comprehensive training session with limited places for personalized attention.
Refreshments and Lunch: Enjoy refreshments throughout the day and a working lunch provided.
Exclusive Book: “How to Manage Your Shift Pattern: Holidays and Absence”—a detailed resource valued at £100.
Notes Workbook: A companion book containing slides and notes for personal reference.
Online Video Course Access: Gain one-month access to an accompanying online video course.
Downloadable Software: Manage your shift operations seamlessly with software designed for up to 25 employees.

This workshop offers participants everything they need to master shift management and drive operational efficiency. Don’t miss out on this valuable opportunity!

“Managing Shift Patterns Workshop” Our flagship course for shift managers is an essential workshop that no manager should miss. Packed with unique solutions to the challenges facing shift pattern managers today, this course provides practical strategies to tackle common issues and optimize operations.

This comprehensive training outlines the primary problems in running a shift pattern and offers a complete set of solutions for any scenario. Participants will receive a workbook containing presentation slides, detailed notes, and our highly-regarded book, “How to Manage Your Shift Pattern: Holidays and Absences”, valued at £100. Filled with summary pages, worked examples, and sample shift patterns, this book is designed to help any manager run their shift pattern. It simplifies this complex topic allowing you to embrace your creativity and adapt to the changing needs of your operation.

Key Challenges and Solutions One of the biggest hurdles for shift pattern managers is accommodating holidays without disrupting operations. This course emphasizes the importance of advanced holiday planning. With the right shift pattern and holiday management strategy, managing holidays for over 100 staff members can take less than 30 minutes per day. The course includes a range of actionable solutions, detailed explanations, and real-life examples to help implement these strategies effectively.

Once holidays are managed, the next challenge is handling absences, often unpredictable and disruptive. The course covers different types of absences, explores the practical implications of absence rates (e.g., what 3% actually looks like in practice), and presents a variety of cover arrangements. Participants will learn how to integrate these solutions seamlessly into their shift patterns.

Additional Course Topics Beyond holidays and absences, the course delves into:

Determining the optimal number of staff
Banked Hours
Training and Skills Mix
Fatigue management
Terms and Conditions of Employment
Annualised Hours

What sets this course apart is its step-by-step approach to answering the critical question, “How many staff do I need?” Through hands-on calculations and worked examples, participants will gain the skills to quickly assess staffing levels, identify gaps, and implement effective solutions. Attendees will also have the opportunity to discuss their own workload challenges and receive tailored advice.

About CDT CDT is a specialized management consultancy focusing on shift pattern design. We guide companies through every stage of shift operations—from conception and negotiations to migration planning—helping businesses organize and run their shift patterns effectively and efficiently.

Alec is a highly experienced Mechanical Engineer with a proven track record in business management. Before founding C-Desk Technology in 1996, he successfully ran his own 24/7 operation for over 15 years. His consultancy specialises in designing customised shift patterns for round-the-clock businesses, combining expertise in HR and Workforce Management to optimise efficiency.

With extensive experience and a background as a Union Negotiator, Alec excels in crafting shift structures that balance business needs with employee well-being. His designs ensure operational efficiency, compliance with labor laws, and a positive work-life balance, fostering a more sustainable and motivated workforce.

Alec’s forward-thinking approach helps organisations adapt to shifting demands while minimising disruptions and reducing costs. His workforce management solutions enhance productivity, maintain adequate staffing levels, and improve overall operational resilience. Having successfully implemented his strategies across industries—including manufacturing, healthcare, and emergency services—Alec has earned recognition for his ability to create practical, employee-friendly shift patterns that benefit both businesses and their teams.

Dr. Angela Moore is a consulting mathematician specialising in predictive analytics for workforce optimisation. With expertise in data analysis, trend forecasting, and simulation modelling, she delivers efficient, cost-effective solutions—particularly in the realm of shift scheduling.

A key member of C-Desk Technology for over 20 years, Angela holds a Doctorate in Management with a focus on statistical modelling from Southampton University, alongside an MSc in Operations Management from Manchester Business School. As a seasoned mathematician and statistician, she has helped numerous organisations refine workloads, enhance shift pattern designs, and achieve operational excellence.

Angela’s approach to shift scheduling prioritises flexibility, ensuring that both current and future departmental demands are met. In an era of increasing customer expectations and the need for seamless 24/7 service, her mathematical models ensure the right personnel, with the right skills, are in the right place at the right time. Beyond operational efficiency, Angela is committed to fostering employee well-being by designing shift patterns that minimise fatigue, reduce stress, and support a healthy work-life balance.

Through her global workforce strategies, Angela optimises human resource allocation, helping organisations thrive in dynamic and fast-paced environments.

9:00 AM – Registration Arrival and check-in.

9:30 AM – Welcome and Coffee to kick off the day with introductions and refreshments.

9:45 AM – Introduction to Running a Shift Pattern

Calculating staffing requirements.
Exploring popular shift patterns.
Setting up shift patterns and annualised hours.

10:45 AM – Challenges with Holidays

Introduction to holiday management.
Understanding the impact of holidays on operations.
The disproportionate cost of holidays on budgets.

11:15 AM – Coffee Break

11:30 AM – Holiday Management Strategies

Developing a comprehensive holiday management plan.
Practical solutions for effective holiday management.

1:00 PM – Lunch

1:45 PM – Absence Cover Arrangements

Exploring solutions and establishing policies to manage absences.

2:30 PM – Incorporating Training into Shift Patterns

Using a training matrix effectively.
Scheduling training sessions within shift patterns.

2:45 PM – Coffee Break

3:00 PM – Managing Fatigue and Shift Work

Minimising the impact of fatigue on productivity.
Tips to improve sleep habits for shift workers.

3:30 PM – Terms and Conditions of Employment

Best practices for implementing new shift patterns.
Key HR considerations and updates.

4:00 PM – Summary and Q&A

Recap of the day’s sessions and an opportunity to ask questions.

The Managing Shift Patterns Workshop is designed to support managers in their day-to-day operations, equipping them with the essential tools and skills needed to succeed. By simplifying complex topics and providing a wealth of innovative solutions, the workshop enables managers to unleash their creativity and focus on crafting tailored shift patterns.

Participants will discover how to approach shift pattern design as an enjoyable process—like solving a puzzle. Armed with clues and insights, they’ll learn to create new arrangements that perfectly align with the unique needs of their operation. The satisfaction of designing the ideal shift pattern—incorporating both business requirements and individual needs—fosters a sense of mastery and accomplishment.

The workshop aims to transform shift pattern management from a chore into an empowering experience. Managers will gain confidence as they apply the best techniques used by some of the world’s leading organizations, turning the challenges of workforce planning into opportunities for growth and innovation.

This book is designed to equip managers with tools and techniques to ensure shift patterns run smoothly, addressing challenges like holidays, absences, workload management, and implementation. The ultimate goal is to guarantee the right people, with the right skills, are available when and where you need them.

Key Focus Areas:

Holidays and Absences: Practical strategies are provided to accommodate holidays without disrupting operations and to handle absences effectively with proactive planning.
Workload: A foundational chapter highlights calculating staffing needs based on workload, the driving force behind shift patterns.
Shift Pattern Design: Explore various patterns and templates, adaptable for flat or variable workloads, offering versatility across industries.
Additional Considerations: Insight into training, fatigue mitigation, and effective break planning ensures a comprehensive approach.

Implementation Made Easy: The book outlines structured steps for implementing solutions, including revisiting terms and conditions of employment to accommodate 24/7 operations and rolling out new policies efficiently. Case studies demonstrate how transition to new shift patterns can be achieved quickly and effectively.

The book emphasises the importance of adapting and future-proofing shift patterns while prioritising employee well-being. Managers will gain actionable insights to streamline operations, minimize disruptions, and achieve a hassle-free, effective shift system.

VisualrotaX is a robust software tool designed to streamline the creation of efficient shift patterns. Once the patterns are complete, managing day-to-day operations becomes straightforward.

Built within Excel, VisualrotaX is equipped with user-friendly features that simplify shift management, ensuring smooth operations and empowering managers to handle daily events with confidence and ease.

Key Features:

Quick Creation and Upload Options: Easily design new shift patterns or upload pre-existing patterns directly from our Shift Pattern Book.
Automatic Alerts: Days where staffing levels fail to meet workload requirements are highlighted for immediate attention.
Monitoring Individuals: So you can see live updates on their holiday entitlement and sickness records.
Operational Insights: Gain visibility into staffing levels each day, segmented by skill, as well as aggregated sickness and holiday totals for both individuals and the team.

With VisualrotaX, shift patterns are straightforward to set up and adapt. Its intuitive design enables you to meet workload requirements efficiently, whether managing holidays, absences, or changing schedules.

Unleash your creativity by customizing shift patterns to seamlessly meet both operational requirements, deadlines and individual needs, all within one cohesive and intuitive system.

VisualrotaX: Included with Your Course

As part of this course, participants will receive VisualrotaX software for up to 25 employees. This powerful tool allows you to immediately apply the skills you develop during the course to your next shift pattern.

With VisualrotaX, you can efficiently design your annual shift pattern, ensuring it aligns with your operational needs. Beyond annual planning, the software streamlines day-to-day management by simplifying holiday and absence tracking. With its intuitive features, you’ll be able to reduce your workload while responding effectively to absences as they occur, ensuring smooth and reliable operations.

This comprehensive online course is included as part of your “Managing Shift Patterns Workshop” package, offering a month of access to reinforce your learning experience. With over 16 hours of content and 100 individual lessons, it’s designed to provide tools and techniques for anyone managing shifts and seeking to improve day-to-day operations.

What You’ll Learn:

Workforce Planning: Calculate the number of employees needed to meet workload demands effectively.
Shift Pattern Design: Step-by-step guidance on creating shift patterns and evaluating staffing levels using our exclusive headcount software.
Software Training: Detailed lessons on using VisualrotaX for annual planning and daily management of holidays and absences.
Shift Pattern Review: Learn how to assess and update patterns at year-end to prepare for the next operational cycle.

Additional Topics Covered:

Pros and cons of popular shift patterns to find the best fit for your organisation.
Annualised hours: how to calculate and implement them effectively.
Comprehensive holiday management, including quota systems, booking procedures, calendars, and approval processes.
Absence cover strategies and contingency planning for unexpected disruptions.
Fatigue minimisation techniques for shift and night work.
Flexible working arrangements, such as Banked Hours.
Incorporating training into shift patterns and developing training solutions. Thus you can create a robust self-sufficient operation at minimum cost.

Why Choose This Course? The course covers everything introduced in the one-day workshop, allowing you to revisit key lessons through video tutorials and reinforce your understanding of complex concepts. With additional insights into shift design and management, it equips you to optimise operations and boost efficiency.

shiftpatterns.com

Managing Shift Patterns Workshop

Managing Shift Patterns Workshop

Upcoming Course

What’s Included in the “Managing Shift Patterns Workshop”?

Previous Attendees

How to Manage you Shift Pattern: Holidays and Absences

Presenters

Alec Jezewski

Dr Angela Moore

Training Day Agenda

Managing Shift Patterns Workshop: Empowering Managers for Success

Our Book “How to Manage Your Shift Pattern: Holidays and Absences”

VisualrotaX: Shift Pattern Management Tool

Our On-line Course “How to Manage Your Shift Operation: Holidays and Absences”