Employee Scheduling Software

Employee scheduling systems are tools used by employers to schedule work hours for their employees, and to give workers and managers visibility to the schedule. Scheduling systems often have additional functionality to allow the company to communicate changes, block out vacation time, holidays, and shift swaps.

Employee scheduling software makes scheduling more efficient, fair and less personal for both employees and employers. Businesses can post shifts far in advance and schedule employees based on their preferences. Most systems also allow for self-service functionality, giving employees the ability to swap shifts, request shift pick-ups and more.

Employee scheduling software prevents scheduling conflicts by providing a centralized system that automatically flags potential issues before they occur, while tracking real-time employee availability, time-off requests, and shift assignments. The software eliminates double-booking and automatically checks for scheduling conflicts, overtime violations, and qualification requirements, all while maintaining communication channels for schedule updates and shift trades.

Yes, employees can access and manage their schedules through scheduling software, like Paycor Scheduling, which provides 24/7 access to schedules from any device through self-service portals. Employees can view their schedules, submit time-off requests, swap shifts, and update their availability, all while receiving instant notifications about schedule changes.

Yes, employee scheduling software is suitable for businesses of all sizes. Paycor specifically offers scheduling solutions for both small businesses (fewer than 50 employees) and midsize companies (50 to 1,000 employees), with features that can be configured to match each business’s unique scheduling needs, including mobile scheduling, shift swapping, and real-time notifications that work regardless of company size.

Yes, employee scheduling software can integrate with other HR and payroll systems. Paycor’s platform specifically unifies all employee data and seamlessly connects scheduling with payroll processing, time tracking, and other HR functions, allowing businesses to streamline their operations through a single integrated system. The platform also supports integration with third-party apps and technology for additional flexibility.

Employee scheduling is often a juggling act between an employers’ need to ensure they have the right number of employees on the floor during certain shifts with employees’ needs for personal time. Scheduling software gives both employers and employees visibility to shifts and allows for easier scheduling processes for both.

Small businesses should look for the following characteristics in scheduling software:

1. Ease-of-use for both managers and employees
2. Both web and mobile functionality 
3. Integrates smoothly into your time and payroll systems. 
4. Allows pre-built templates
5. Employee access for schedule requests

Managing employee shift schedules in ways that both keep your business running and respect employees can be challenging. You should be careful to keep long shifts and overtime to a minimum, and to give employees plenty of notice about their shifts to help them manage their personal lives. Having a visible calendar of future shifts, using a scheduling system, is a great way to keep shift scheduling predictable.