Flex Your Manpower!

Inflexible work rotas are costing British companies billions of pounds according to working time experts.

Many companies are failing to see the direct link between poor turnover and poor management of employeesí hours, according to Kevin White, Managing Director of Manchester-based Working Time Solutions Ltd.

The worst offenders are companies in the manufacturing, construction and engineering sectors, as well as hospitality and leisure providers.

They are often affected by the seasonal changes of Christmas, Easter or summer holidays, as well as irregular contracts.

However, many more sectors are increasingly feeling the pressure of keeping their working hours management systems in good order.

Kevin says companies should not need to revert to paying staff for costly overtime, or for casual staff.

He has been given the task of reforming working hours systems for scores of companies including Coca Cola Enterprises, Siemens Power Generation, and Unileverís Colmanís Mustard, Ice Cream and Frozen Food divisions.

Kevin, who has been an expert in working time for more than 20 years, says there is evidence of an ever-growing need for British firms to work more flexibly and cost-effectively.

ìI have seen companies struggling to stay afloat because their work schedules and shift patterns are poorly managed,î he said.

ìPeople in manufacturing, construction and hospitality traditionally work long hours, which are often unsociable. They become notoriously dissatisfied with their jobs.

ìInevitably, what you get with poorly managed staff rostas is high levels of fatigue, stress and short-term sickness, and staff turnover is inflated. These are a massive drain on resources.

ìPeople in the UK work the longest hours in the European Union ñ but our long-hours culture is seriously damaging productivity.î

Kevin suggests consultation with working time experts, to highlight areas where simple changes could produce dramatic results.

He said: ìEach company has individual needs from working patterns and the key is to identify these needs and provide answers.î

Working Time Solutions is a pioneer in the field of staff and work scheduling software tools, and consultancy.

It has made dramatic breakthroughs with its WORK Suiteô portfolio of products ñ which are highly effective at aligning staffing levels with the peaks and troughs of work demand.

Kevin says he has seen a new interest in working hours practices over recent years, and more and more companies are using annualised hours ñ a revolutionary system of hours worked out over the whole year.

Annualised hours allows shift patterns to fit production and service requirements - cutting down on costly overtime and labour wastage, but giving employees more acceptable working patterns and more usable leisure time.

One company which has benefited from annualised hours is the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire. It implemented an annual hours system in a bid to overcome staff dissatisfaction, split shifts and unpaid overtime.

The exclusive hotel reduced staff turnover by around 10% and allowed for a 20% increase in gross revenue the following year, with no increase in staffing.

Prysmian, (previously Pirelli Cables), which employs 150 people at its Aberdare plant in South Wales, has recently introduced annual hours contracts for 115 shop floor workers in May 2005.

The plant, which manufactures electrical wire cable, estimated sickness and poorly managed overtime and holidays were causing a net productivity loss of 16%. Since the introduction of annual hours this figure has dropped significantly, and is continuing to fall.

Another popular method of managing time is the self managed rostering system.

East Midlands Ambulance Service recently slashed its overtime, and brought the working week in line with the Governmentís Agenda for Change 37.5 hours target, after changing to a self rostering system.

The system is used by organisations which need staff to work shifts. It works on the basis that holidays are rostered into the shift pattern.

Paul St Clair, Assistant Director (Operational Support) at EMAS, said: ìWe recognised the fact that demand on services had changed and shifted over the years, and a complete rethink was needed to ensure we continued to provide the best possible service.

ìWe now have a tool that allows us to match demand to resources.

ìThe feedback from members of staff on the self-rostering system has been very positive.

ìIn simple terms, the system gives them a set number of contracted hours and finds solutions to managing that time to fit around them and their leisure time requirements.î

Kevin White added: ìOvertime and long-hours cultures are institutionalised in some industries, and difficult to change, but the promise of shorter hours, family-friendly working patterns and more accessible leisure time is advantageous to both staff and employers.î

* For more information about flexible working and scheduling solutions, including annualised hours, contact Kevin White at Working Time Solutions on 0161 929 3333 or visit www.workingtime-solutions.com.