Ensuring a Fair Rota System

When it comes to creating and managing rotas, ensuring that schedules are fair is so important. But creating a fair rota system can be tricky –  adding yet another layer of complexity on top of an already difficult job.

Luckily, Rotaready’s scheduling algorithm (which builds accurate rotas in seconds) will automatically factor in whatever “fair” means to you and your employees.

The Problem with an Unfair Rota System

No-one likes being treated unfairly. An unfair rota at work will inevitably, over time, lead to staff unhappiness, lower productivity, potentially higher staff turnover and even a poor reputation as an employer. Examples of unfair rota practices can include consistently giving one employee the least desirable shifts or failing to consider staff availability.

The Hidden Cost of Unfair Rotas

When employees feel their schedules are unfair, it impacts more than just their mood—it affects their performance and loyalty to your business. Consistently unfair shifts can create a toxic work environment, leading to burnout and pushing talented staff to seek employment elsewhere. This is why it’s critical to keep rotas fair.

But what does “fair” really mean when it comes to building rotas? Is it about equal shifts, balancing weekends off, or considering individual preferences? The reality is, keeping rotas fair is a lot more complicated than just distributing shifts evenly.

Complexity of Creating a Fair Rota

“Fair” certainly goes a lot further than distributing shifts evenly…

There’s already lots to factor in when building a roster: availability, skills, contracted hours, rest requirements (plus the Working Time Directive), individuals’ working preferences and more. As if that wasn’t time-consuming and difficult enough, you may also need to apply your own fairness rules. This additional layer of complexity means more time spent and more risk of making a mistake.

What Makes a Fair Rota System?

From the outset, we at Rotaready built fairness into our algorithm’s decision-making. Our software solves the challenge of unfair rotas by generating fair and accurate schedules in seconds –  respecting staff availability, skills, contracted hours, etc., while adhering to your specific fairness rules.

• Balancing early & late shifts to avoid unfair rotas at work? But staff may prefer early and late starts differently…
• Sharing out undesirable roles? But how is “undesirable” defined? Undesirable for one person may be desirable for someone else…
• Giving one in every few weekends off? But some employees may only be available at weekends…
• Keeping rest in check (e.g. don’t start early if you finished late the night before)? But what if the opposite was required?
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Customising Fairness to Your Business

The point I’m trying to make is that everyone can have a different take on what “fair” means (in fact, an interesting article I stumbled upon summed up fairness into 3 concepts: sameness, deservedness, and need). That’s why we made Rotaready’s handling of fairness customisable for every client. In short –you define what “fair” means for your business and when you come to generate a schedule on Rotaready, these rules are automatically factored in, ensuring your rosters are fair as well as accurate.

How to Make a Fair Rota with Rotaready

This is all part of our setup process. Every time we onboard a new client, we take the time to understand their intricacies and niche requirements, ensuring that your fair rota system works for your team. No more unfair rota complaints.

What does “fair” mean to you and your employees? Leave us a comment below and let us help you design the perfect fair rota system for your business.