Patent ID: 8463638

Claim:
A method of workforce scheduling to handle an expected workload, the method comprising: in an instruction execution system, receiving a first workforce schedule describing existing assignments of a plurality of workers to a plurality of shifts, each of the shifts being associated with a time range and a day; in response to a variance in the expected workload, selecting a modification to the first workforce schedule required to handle the variance in the expected workload during the day; and in the instruction execution system, identifying a time period during the day during which to accommodate the modification for a worker of the plurality of workers based at least in part on the worker-specific scheduling preferences that are associated with the worker, wherein the worker-specific scheduling preferences that are associated with the worker comprise overtime placement preferences and voluntary time-off placement preferences of the worker; and producing, by the instruction execution system, a second workforce schedule that modifies the length of at least one of the plurality of shifts that is associated with the worker to accommodate the modification to the first workforce schedule during the identified time period.