Roster period The amount of time a roster is prepared for (commonly, but not always/only two weeks) Succession planning Action by an organisation to prepare it for situations where key personnel leave the enterprise and there is a need for others to take over Up-skilling Can mean (1) Enhancing current skills – being able to do a job better (2) Cross-skilling; multi-skilling – being able to do a different job/different work
Intimate knowledge of the employment instruments – as they to all staff covered by the rosters Good operating knowledge of the business – so there is an understanding of: The busy and slow times of departments or the business – which may relate to: Hours of the day – certain times may be busy, others may be very quiet Days of the week – some days may be traditionally busy while others are not Holiday periods – which (depending on the business) can mean trade is busy/busier or slow/slower Up-coming trade for the business – in terms (for example) of: Accommodation booked Function bookings/reservations Tours which have been booked Good knowledge of staff within the organisation – in relation to their: Skills, attitudes and knowledge Experience and expertise Availability Preferences Thorough knowledge of all factors impacting on staffing for the business – which can address: Service levels, standards and promises made to customers Legislation applying to employment and IR Plans the organisation has – which may (for example) address expansion, contraction, succession planning and other staff-related training and development matters Labour budget. ‘Responsible persons’ The job of developing rosters may be allocated to: Owner of the business – which is usually the case in smaller owner-operated businesses with very few staff, and no internal hierarchical structure Managers – these may be: Office Managers or Business Managers – who are in-charge of a branch or single office Department manager or Supervisor – who are in-charge of a department/area/revenue centre within the business Division or Section Manager – being a person responsible for several departments/areas/revenue centres
over-Award and similar payments and similar, highlights points to note when determining applicable rates and indicates how the applicable pay rates can be identified. Need to pay applicable Payment of applicable rates of pay to staff is an important requirement because: It is a legal requirement – it is an offence to under-pay staff It helps keeps staff happy and working for the business – because employees usually know what they should be paid and become disgruntled if they do not receive this amount/their entitlements It ensures the labour costs being incurred genuinely reflect the hours worked and the staffing roster prepared – as opposed to simply being an estimation of the cost of wages/labour. Again, the relevant ‘employment instruments’ are the source documentation for identifying applicable pay rates. Examples of different rates, allowances and entitlements When calculating the wages which will be incurred from implementing a roster which has been prepared there is a need to be accurate and include all relevant and legitimate payments to which staff are entitled. Depending on the employment instrument these payments can relate to: Rates of pay – for permanent, part-time and casual staff as applicable to the days rostered as they apply to individual worker classification It is standard/common for these classifications to receive a different hourly rate of pay. Generally: Full-time staff receive the least per hour – but the up-side is they are eligible to a range of entitlements and they work more hours Casual staff receive the most per hour – as they are eligible to no/fewer entitlements and they work fewer hours Part-time staff – their hourly rate of pay usually sits somewhere in between full-time and casual staff Penalty rates – which may apply to work performed at certain times and under nominated circumstances such as work undertaken on weekends, public holidays, split shifts, early starts, late finishes, and designated overtime situations For example, an employment instrument may provide in some cases: Time-and-a-half for some hours worked under certain conditions – that is payment at a rate that is 1½ times normal rate Double time certain circumstances Double time-and-a-half for hours in other situations Payments for allowances – as they may relate to travel, accommodations, special qualifications held, use of personal equipment and similar other topics specified under individual employment instruments
Element 3: 3.1 Introduction All staff rosters need to be prepared so they meet identified workplace demands. This section gives practical advice to those with responsibility for preparing rosters. Advice in relation to preparing rosters The following points are critical for those with responsibility for creating staffing rosters to meet operational demands of a department, section or organisation: Allocate adequate time for the process – developing rosters takes time and is important to allocate sufficient time Time is needed to: Become familiar with a range of issues which can change over time and thus vary in relation to each roster which has to be prepared – these issues can be changes in bookings, staff requests for time off/leave, new or different management directives, special events/occasions an original – then revise and refine it (potentially many times) Cost the – to ensure the roster fits within the allocated labour budget for the period Liaise with supervisors/managers – to coordinate efforts in relation to overall staffing of the business: for example, it may be possible/necessary to share staff between departments where two different persons are responsible for preparing relevant rosters Avoid distractions while preparing the roster – make an effort to ensure no interruptions from telephone calls, hands-on work obligations or other forms of interruptions It is critical to on the task and not get distracted Be sure of the ‘rules’ which apply to rosters as they apply to the roster being prepared – this means it is vital to have a comprehensive and detailed knowledge (and copies) of: Relevant legislation Internal policies SOPs Applicable employment instruments Gather all information relevant to the roster period – this can include: Details of expected levels – which may be influenced by: Advanced bookings Upcoming public holidays
Time of the year Internal historic data on trade/sales/activity Known staff absences – due (for example) to: Leave Illness Training Staff requests – for: Time off Preferential treatment Ensure documentation which may be required is readily available – this can include: Previous rosters – which may provide a basis/framework for the roster being developed Job descriptions of employees – to confirm capacity to perform work Rates of pay – to assist with costing Use technology to assist in the process – applicable use rostering software programmes to: Help develop draft rosters Cost labour Compare roster options/alternatives Work in a structured manner – develop a ‘system’ for creating the roster, for example: In a dining room – start with (say) the supervisors, then the bar staff, then the food waiters then the drink waiters, then the cleaners In an office setting start with (say) supervisors, then receptionists, then consultants/customer service staff and then cleaners In a housekeeping setting start (say) with Executive Housekeeper, then Assistant Housekeeper, then Room Attendants, then Porters Where a roster has to be developed for a number of departments/sections: Develop the roster for the largest and busiest department/section/area first – and then move on to other areas in descending order of size/activity Be prepared to use staff who are multi-skilled and can be moved between departments/roles Double-check/verify staff who have been rostered and the times at which they have been rostered actually will: Cover all opening/service times – which must embrace: Work required before the department or section opens for business – known as ‘opening procedures’
Various – regarding employee number, pay period, location and other internal requirements as specific to individual employer needs/operations Day Date Start Stop Stop Daily Total Overtime Overtime Total Signed Stop Mon Tues Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun Total Pay office codes and calculations: (Space used by Payroll/HR to show their calculations when determining the money to be paid to staff for the time claimed on this sheet) Totals: __________(Hours) Signature/Authorisation for Payment:____________________ Employee details The above style of timesheet will contain details as follows: Employee name and payroll number Cost centre against which the wages will be posted Employment status – full-time, regular part-time or casual Date member started work with the organisation The ordinary hours worked, shown as a fraction – full-time staff are shown as 1.0, and a regular part-time employee working 19 hours/week (where fulltime hours are 38 per week) would be shown as 0.5