Are you struggling with shift scheduling and continuous coverage? Worried about overburdening your employees with difficult work hours?
Duty rosters offer a practical solution.
A duty roster lets you systematically organize shifts and assign tasks that are harder to capture in traditional schedules.
This article will show you what duty rosters are and how they differ from detailed work schedules. We’ll give an example, discuss advanced duty roster software, and share 12 best practices for making optimal use of duty rosters.
What is a duty roster?
A duty roster is a schedule that outlines the assignments and responsibilities of individuals or teams over a specific period. It details who is expected to perform certain tasks (when and where) so that all necessary roles are covered.
Duty rosters are common in the military, schools, and workplaces that operate on a shift system. They’re particularly helpful for scheduling staffing in management and supervisory positions, optimizing resource allocation, and pinpointing individual accountabilities.
Settings where duty rosters are used may be more common than you think. About 16% of US employees don’t work the traditional 9–5 beat — they follow alternative shift schedules. Work environments where this is the norm include transportation and utilities (6.3%), manufacturing (5.7%), and hospitality (2.6%).
What is the purpose of a duty roster?
A staff duty roster plays a number of different roles in workplace organization. Here’s an overview of its most important functions:
1. Planning and monitoring employee shifts
A duty roster helps you organize and schedule employee shifts in such a way that each shift is adequately staffed, without overlaps or gaps in coverage.
Monitoring shifts through a duty roster allows management to keep track of who is working when, which leads to better time management and accountability.
2. Continuous coverage
A staff duty roster ensures there are always employees on duty. This is particularly critical for workplaces that require 24/7 coverage, such as hospitals, security services, and customer support centers.
3. Clear responsibility for tasks and duties
A duty roster specifies which employees are responsible for particular tasks during their shifts so that nothing falls through the cracks and there’s no unintended duplication of efforts.
4. Optimized resource allocation
By clearly outlining who is working when and on which tasks, a duty roster helps managers make the most of the company’s human resources.
With a duty roster, the right number of employees with the appropriate skills will be available at the right times.
5. Better communication and coordination
A duty roster also serves as a communication tool that informs employees of their schedules and responsibilities. This contributes to better coordination among team members since everyone is aware of who is on duty at any time and what tasks they’re supposed to be handling.
6. Improved accountability and performance management
With a duty roster, it’s easier to track employee attendance, punctuality, and performance. The roster provides a record that managers can use to conduct performance reviews, address attendance issues, and make sure that employees stick to their scheduled shifts and responsibilities.
In short, a duty roster is an essential tool for planning and optimizing employee shifts within an organization.
How is a duty roster different from a standard work schedule?
A duty roster gives an overview of who is responsible for different tasks and when those tasks are to be performed. However, unlike a standard schedule or list of responsibilities, it doesn’t detail the specific activities to be done within each time slot.
For example, a restaurant duty roster could assign John Smith to manage the opening shift from 7:00 to 11:00 AM every Monday through Wednesday.
But that shift could be broken down into a more detailed personal schedule that specifies John’s exact duties during that period, such as assigning tasks to the morning shift personnel, checking on kitchen readiness, or opening the restaurant by 7:30 AM.
So, the duty roster serves as a higher-level tool for overall task assignment and coordination, while individual schedules provide details on the specific actions employees are expected to take within those assigned periods.
Given their specific role, it’s clear that not all industries or types of positions benefit from having duty rosters.
For example, office environments generally don’t need duty rosters for most of the tasks office staff perform. On the other hand, shift-based industries like manufacturing, retail, security services, utilities and infrastructure, emergency services, hospitality, and 24/7 healthcare services would be difficult to run without them.
12 duty roster planning best practices you should follow for better scheduling
When setting up a duty roster, it’s helpful to follow industry-standard best practices for the best efficiency, fairness, and employee satisfaction possible.
Here are some key practices HR managers should use when implementing a duty roster system:
1. Clearly understand your operational needs
First, thoroughly inventory your organization’s operational needs. Identify peak times, critical tasks, and required staffing levels.
Explore different shift schedules, such as the compressed work week schedule (CWS), the 2-2-3 work schedule, or the 9/80 work schedule. One of these might fit your needs better than the traditional 40-hour schedule.
Align your roster with these demands and ideal shift patterns to get your people into the right places at the right times and avoid under- or overstaffing.
2. Involve employees in the planning process
Shift schedules aren’t necessarily employees’ favorites because the work patterns are less regular. So, for more buy-in, it’s good practice to include your employees in the scheduling process.
Determine employees’ preferences and availability through surveys or meetings and schedule them accordingly. This will give your workforce a sense of ownership since they’ll feel like their needs and preferences are being taken seriously.
3. Practice fairness and transparency
One of the dangers of 24/7 shift allocations is a perception of favoritism: favorite employees get the better shifts, whereas others end up with the crummiest ones.
To avoid this perception, make sure to distribute shifts equitably and rotate them fairly — especially undesirable ones, like night shifts and weekends.
Share each new weekly or monthly roster in advance, too, so that employees have ample time to raise any concerns they might have or request changes.
4. Comply with legal and regulatory requirements
Shift scheduling requires strict adherence to labor laws and regulations, such as maximum working hours, minimum rest periods, and overtime rules. Make sure your roster complies with these requirements to avoid legal issues.
Don’t forget to take employee well-being into account — including scheduling staff in a way that helps prevent burnout.
5. Balance employee flexibility and scheduling consistency
While consistency in scheduling helps your employees plan their lives, flexibility is essential to accommodate unexpected changes.
So, create a system that easily allows for adjustments due to emergencies, personal requests, or changes in operational demand without disrupting the entire schedule.
6. Invest in the right scheduling and attendance management technology
Like all schedules, duty rosters take some clear thinking to puzzle out.
The traditional way to create duty charts is to use spreadsheets. However, scheduling software can automate roster creation, making the whole process faster and more accurate. These technologies can also track employee availability, manage shift swaps, and integrate considerations like hourly rates and busiest days.
Lark Suite is one of these modern, comprehensive tools. It includes a broad spectrum of HR tools that make creating and managing duty rosters and other schedules easy to do.
Here are some of its features:
Lark Attendance is a sophisticated attendance management system for setting and managing schedules and employee attendance sheets. A bonus is its Wi-Fi attendance-tracking features.
Lark Messenger and Lark Meetings are great tools for discussing shift changes, time-off requests, etc.
Lark Approval can be used for handling time off requests, shift change requests, and more.
Lark Docs is a complete document creation program for any kind of scheduling. It includes many different templates for a variety of industries.
Lark Base and Lark Meegle are sophisticated tools with strong automation capabilities for project management, including keeping track of the duties assigned to employees on your duty roster. For example, you could use Base to list a healthcare employee’s detailed tasks for the day.
This broad spectrum of integrated features and apps makes Lark a powerful productivity platform that can seamlessly support your duty rosters.
7. Set the schedule for the busiest days first
Do the scheduling for the busiest days of the week first. That way, key employees are available during peak times and won’t be using up most of their hours on less important days. This is key to optimal productivity and top-notch service.
8. Consider hourly rates to cut costs
Optimize labor costs by considering employees’ hourly rates when scheduling them. For example, you could allocate more hours to part-time employees with lower hourly rates while balancing the schedule in a way that makes the best use of employees with higher rates.
This strategy helps you manage labor costs effectively without compromising the quality of work or service.
9. Communicate the roster regularly to those involved
Another key to successful roster management is frequent communication. Your employees should never be left in the dark as to when they’re supposed to report for duty and what’s expected of them for every shift. This is especially an issue when shift patterns change or updates are made.
To prevent employees from missing out on these important communications, it’s advisable to use multiple channels, such as emails, bulletin boards, or dedicated apps. This helps everyone stay informed.
10. Plan for contingencies
Your duty roster may be picture-perfect. But unexpected problems such as sudden absences or emergencies can still pop up.
So, prepare for unforeseen circumstances by having a backup plan. For instance, it’s good practice to identify potential substitutes or cross-train employees to cover essential roles when needed.
11. Encourage feedback
Regularly solicit feedback from employees about the duty roster. Is it working for them? Is everyone staying busy? Is everything operating smoothly, or are certain tasks falling through the cracks?
Your employees are your best intel source, so use their feedback to make informed changes and improvements.
12. Monitor and adjust regularly
Regularly review and adjust the duty roster based on changing organizational needs. Conduct periodic evaluations to identify any issues, such as understaffing or overworking certain employees, and make necessary changes to keep the roster effective and responsive.
By implementing these best practices, you can create a duty roster that optimizes your workforce’s productivity and contributes to a positive and collaborative work environment.
Duty roster FAQs
Let’s take a look at some common questions about duty rosters.
How often should a duty roster be updated?
Update your duty roster regularly — at least weekly or monthly — to reflect current staffing needs and availability. Changes such as leave requests, unexpected absences, or fluctuating workloads will impact how often you should make adjustments.
What considerations should a manager make when creating a duty roster?
Consider employee availability, skills, and preferences. These are the building blocks for a fair workload distribution.
Also, account for legal requirements such as rest periods and maximum working hours.
Anticipate peak times and adjust the schedule accordingly to maintain your employees’ productivity while simultaneously keeping an eye on their well-being.
How can a duty roster affect employee morale?
A well-structured duty roster can impact employee morale in a positive way when it includes fair shift distribution, adequate rest periods, and consideration of personal preferences.
On the flip side, a poorly managed roster can lead to burnout, dissatisfaction, and reduced productivity.
So, regularly seek feedback and make adjustments to the roster to keep your employees happy and engaged.
How should conflicts in a duty roster be resolved?
Resolve conflicts in a duty roster through open communication and a flexible attitude. Address any concerns promptly. Realistically consider employees' needs and find mutually agreeable solutions.
Finally, use transparent scheduling processes so that all staff members know they are being treated equitably.
How can Lark help create and manage a duty roster?
Lark Suite includes sophisticated scheduling tools that make it easy to build shift schedules and rosters. When paired with attendance-tracking software, these tools provide comprehensive solutions for your duty rosters and other scheduling needs.
Let modern technology make your duty roster scheduling easy
Creating duty rosters, whether they’re simple or complex, doesn’t have to feel like a chore.
Modern software solutions like Lark Suite can help you schedule and implement your rosters in a way that’s accurate, fast, and fair to your workforce.
Interested in learning more about Lark Suite’s capabilities and seeing how these tools can make your life a whole lot easier? If so, take the first step by trying Lark for free.
