In a fast-paced retail environment that never stops, scheduling isn’t just about shifts — it’s about precision, compliance, and giving employees the flexibility they need to thrive. With more than 500 employees across two major airports, the retailer needed a better way to coordinate coverage, manage compliance, and give staff the flexibility they need.
That’s why they turned to Humanity Schedule.
Manual scheduling couldn’t keep up with nonstop airport operations
Cyprus Duty Free operates at Larnaca and Pafos airports, serving travelers from all over the world. At Larnaca, the schedule runs around the clock. At Pafos, charter traffic creates constant fluctuations. In both locations, retail teams, warehouse crews, and office staff need coverage across morning, afternoon, and night shifts — all while maintaining compliance with Cyprus labor laws.
For Rostering Administrator Theodosis Kyriacou, building schedules for office staff, warehouse crews, and frontline retail employees was a high-stakes puzzle. And he was trying to solve that puzzle through spreadsheets. Rotating shifts, labor laws, time-off requests, and holiday coverage added to the complexity.
“We wanted to support employee work–life balance, stay compliant with the law, and manage costs,” Kyriacou said. “But the manual system made that really difficult.”
One system for smarter, faster scheduling
In 2017, Cyprus Duty Free implemented Humanity Schedule, TCP Software’s automated scheduling solution built for dynamic, multi-location workforces.
With automated scheduling, forecasting, and mobile functionality, Humanity Schedule helped Kyriacou create schedules faster, maintain compliance, and empower employees to manage their time without endless spreadsheets or back-and-forth emails.
With Humanity’s ShiftPlanning module, Kyriacou creates customized schedules for every team — from shop floor supervisors to warehouse drivers and office staff. Drag-and-drop functionality, team-specific views, and role-based templates help ensure accurate coverage across all departments.
“It’s intuitive and flexible,” Kyriacou said. “I know we have the right people in the right place to keep things running smoothly.”
Whether the shift is in the warehouse or in a duty-free store, everyone has the visibility they need — and Kyriacou has the confidence that operations will stay on track.
FORECASTING DEMAND FOR JUST-RIGHT COVERAGE
Passenger flow at Pafos airport can vary significantly from one day to the next, especially with irregular charter flights. With Humanity’s Demand-Driven Scheduling, Kyriacou uploads passengers-per-hour data to forecast staffing needs. Then, using the Coverage Checker, he can compare scheduled coverage to demand in real time.
“We can adapt our shifts to match passenger flow,” said Kyriacou. “Having our shops properly staffed during high-traffic periods helps for better sales at the end of the day. We’re trying to balance everything, stay compliant with the law, and have the maximum productivity that we can.”
MAINTAINING COMPLIANCE WHILE RESPECTING EMPLOYEE NEEDS
With Conflict Rules, Kyriacou sets schedule parameters that align with Cyprus labor law — including limits on maximum hours, night shift rules, and paid leave requirements. This prevents violations before they happen and gives HR confidence that shifts are legally sound.
Holiday scheduling is another key focus. Humanity makes it easy to publish holiday shifts in advance and track requests for alternative days off. Employees get the time they’re entitled to, and HR has a simple way to monitor and approve leave.
“It’s important for us that employees take all their leave and don’t lose any,” he said. “Humanity Schedule helps us make that possible.”
EMPOWERING EMPLOYEES WITH MOBILE ACCESS
Employees use the Humanity mobile app to view their schedules, manage time-off requests, and swap shifts — all without waiting on emails or phone calls. Shift trades are submitted directly through the app and approved automatically if they meet compliance requirements.
“They can request swaps themselves, and if it complies with legal requirements, we just approve it,” said Kyriacou. “It’s incredibly efficient and transparent.”
This level of self-service improves employee satisfaction, reduces admin work, and helps staff feel more in control of their schedules.
CENTRALIZED COMMUNICATION AND UPDATES
Humanity Schedule’s Training module acts as an internal hub where HR and leadership can share resources, announcements, and reminders. That includes uploading PDFs with job postings, policy updates, or airport ID renewal notices.
“It functions almost like a newsletter,” said Kyriacou. “Everything employees need is in one place.”
Faster schedules, better staffing, and a stronger employee experience
Since implementing Humanity Schedule, Cyprus Duty Free has:
- Reduced scheduling time
- Improved compliance with labor regulations
- Delivered earlier visibility into schedules and leave
- Boosted employee satisfaction through transparency and self-service tools
“With Humanity Schedule, I can create schedules more intuitively and publish them faster,” Kyriacou said. “It helps us stay compliant, support our staff’s work–life balance, and plan more efficient, economical shifts.”
Looking Ahead – Continuing to grow with confidence
As Cyprus airports continue to grow, so does the demand for responsive, round-the-clock operations. Humanity Schedule gives Cyprus Duty Free the tools to plan smarter, act faster, and support both business performance and employee satisfaction.
Whether it’s staffing for high-traffic days or helping an employee plan their next holiday, the team has the clarity and control to manage it all — with a scheduling solution that’s built to keep up.
Inspired by this customer story? Your team could see the same impact with the right tools in place.
TCP Software’s employee scheduling and time and attendance solutions have the flexibility and scalability to suit your business and your employees, now and as you grow.
From TimeClock Plus, which automates even the most complex payroll calculations and leave management requests, to Humanity Schedule for dynamic employee scheduling that saves you time and money, we have everything you need to meet your organization’s needs, no matter how unique. Plus, with Aladtec, we offer 24/7 public safety scheduling solutions for your hometown heroes.
Ready to learn how TCP Software takes the pain out of employee scheduling and time tracking? Speak with an expert today.
