This is the 5th and last post regarding unpredictable shift schedules and how they impact employee morale. This post will address unpredictable product demand.

This is one of the hardest issues to correct. Not knowing your production needs from day to day can sometimes cause idle time and overtime within the same week. The best solution is to graph your production levels on a weekly basis over a couple of years. What appears to be unpredictable will often have a seasonal pattern. Schedule vacations or major maintenance during slow periods and limit vacations during busy times.

If production really is unpredictable, you can practice planned overtime periods where one or two crews are designated for overtime coverage, if needed, during a specified period of time. This allows the other crews to know their time off is really going to be off, until it's their turn for overtime duty.

Don't let an unpredictable schedule affect your employee morale. Using the solutions I've discussed in the last five blogs will give you a happier workforce.