During the festive period it is vitally important to strike a fair and measured balance between ensuring staff rotas meet the needs of care services while also taking into consideration the wishes and preferences of staff working the rota. At this time, the needs of both sides are often heightened and, on the face of it, in stark opposition to one another.
Owing to the increased desire of most staff wanting to work particular hours / shifts over the Christmas and New Year period, coupled with the changes that this time of the year creates within services, the task of producing staff rotas that adequately satisfies both competing needs can be an unenviable one!
The vast majority of staff working within adult social care are acutely aware of the commitment that the needs and demands of the sector can place on their personal lives and, specifically, their ability to strike a healthy work / life balance. Many of us have either directly experienced this and / or heard stories of colleagues who have worked hours that evidence the flexibility required of those privileged enough to work in this great sector.
As such, when this time of the year rolls around (as it seemingly does faster by the year!), many staff understand what this potentially means for them to be able to celebrate the festivities with friends and family… owing to the ‘needs of the service’.
But are these two demands mutually exclusive? Can festive staff rotas be produced in such a way as to meet the needs of services while also going some way to accommodate the wishes and preferences of staff?
You’ll be pleased (possibly relieved, in fact!!) to hear that with a moderate amount of pre-planning, goodwill and a willingness to compromise from both sides, that the answer is yes: a compromise that satisfies both parties can often be achieved.
Here are some tried and trusted tips that we’ve seen and / or participated in over the years, that managers can employ to hopefully compile festive staff rotas that adequately satisfy the needs of services and of staff:
Good luck… and Merry Christmas!!
CQC Consultation - The Verdict. Special Podcast from Care Home Management
June 16, 2021
How to prepare for the CQC’s Emergency Support Framework - Care Home Management COVID-19 podcast
May 25, 2020