The Unsung HR Heroes of Summer Vacation Scheduling
It’s been an extremely hot summer here in Maryland with many days exceeding the 100 degree mark. While most people get excited talking about their vacation destinations, there is no rest for the folks that have to manage all that time off for large companies. They are the unsung heroes of summer.
I’ve worked for large companies in the past, and I never realized the effort that goes into balancing associate time off with company objectives…until I talked with Terry Schilling at Tugboat Software.
Tugboat Software specializes in Labor Scheduling and Vacation Scheduling Software for medium to large companies. To properly set up their EchoQuote instance, I needed to understand as much as possible about Labor and Vacation Scheduling Software, and how customers purchase it.
Labor Scheduling Software
The variables in Labor Scheduling are endless. For typical labor scheduling, one company has a requirement to move employees from job to job on an hourly basis; it reduces worker boredom and improves cross training. The software must handle that.
Vacation Scheduling Software
For Vacation Scheduling, organizational priorities must be blended with employee self-service functions. For example, the organization may designate some vacation blocks as “first-come-first-served” with instant approval. Other requests must be reviewed and approved by management based on seniority, vacation credits or other criteria. “Key staff” roles further complicates scheduling.
Of course, Tugboat’s Vacation Scheduling Software is built to handle a variety of requirements. The difficult part, according to Terry, is the upfront definition of the rules that govern time off. This is where Tugboat’s years of experience pays off.
So, before you leave on vacation, thank the person whose job it is to schedule your time. Remember that while we’re vacationing, it is their *busy* season. Even though your time off is well deserved, it must balanced with an endless set of rules and objectives to keep the organization on solid ground. The schedulers make it look easy, especially if they are using Tugboat software.
Is it Fall yet?
