By Katari Technologies Ltd · Published
Start from the posts, not the people
A roster is a promise that every post is covered at every hour it must be. Begin by writing down each post, the hours it runs and what a person needs in order to work it: a licence, a certificate, a vehicle permit. Only then look at who is available. Starting from people produces rosters that are comfortable and, sooner or later, short.
Check qualifications before you assign
The costliest roster mistake is assigning someone who is not allowed to do the work. Keep credentials with their expiry dates in the same place as the roster, so a lapsed licence is visible when you assign, not discovered on the day. Warnings ahead of expiry give people time to renew.
Be predictable and be fair
People plan their lives around shifts. Publish rosters early and review what changed before you publish so that nobody is surprised. Spread unpopular shifts evenly and keep a visible record of how they were shared, so fairness can be shown rather than argued.
- Publish on a regular day each period
- Rotate nights, weekends and holidays
- Show what changed since the last version
- Keep swaps and give-aways inside clear rules
Make swaps and open shifts easy, and visible
Shifts will change. Let people request swaps, give shifts away and apply for open shifts inside the system, with a supervisor approving, so every change is recorded and the credential check still applies. Off-system swaps are how rosters stop matching reality.
Record what actually happened
A roster is a plan. Attendance is the evidence. Record start and end times, keep corrections as separate attributed entries, and review missing punches and no-shows. Pay should follow from the time that was approved, not from the plan.
Kinetic VOC supports each of these steps, from posts and credentials to swaps, attendance and the review of exceptions.