Are Companies Still Using Paper to Schedule Their Employees?

In a world filled with technology, where we rely on our mobile phones and computers for communication,  entertainment, education, and work, it’s hard to believe that many businesses still rely on pen and paper for employee scheduling. Although this system can work for small businesses with only a few employees, paper schedules lead to frustration for managers in larger business and organizations with complex schedules.

Companies that operate 24/7 and schedule for shifts often have more robust schedules that require managers to track time-off requests, employee training and certifications, and ensure every shift is covered by the right employees. This can be an arduous process that takes managers away from day-to-day operations and other core responsibilities. Factor in filling open shifts, managing shift swaps and other schedule changes, and it’s hard to imagine managers have much time for anything other than employee scheduling.

Paper schedules are not only a hassle for managers, they are also an inconvenience to staff members. Employees often don’t know when the schedule has been posted, and when it does become available, they can only view it when they are at work. Schedule requests are submitted to managers on paper or via email. This often leads to misplaced or forgotten requests resulting in upset employees and missed shifts.

Amy Pickren, who manages employee scheduling at Harrison County Community Hospital understands the frustration of paper scheduling all too well. “When we were using a paper schedule, staff members had to physically come to the hospital to see their schedules, and I never knew if everyone had the most current schedule information. Additionally, they would have to fill out a request form and wait for it to be reviewed, signed and approved.”

Paper schedules were challenging for everyone at the hospital, and they knew they had to find a employee scheduling program. Read how ScheduleAnywhere staff scheduling software simplified scheduling, improved communication and gave everyone 24/7 access to real-time schedules at Harrison County Community Hospital.

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