Workforce Scheduling: How to Get It Right

More than half of all hourly workers say schedule flexibility is the top thing they enjoy about their current role. That’s a huge driver of employee engagement. And yet, fair and flexible scheduling is also one of the hardest points for businesses to get right.

When everything clicks, workforce scheduling can make your team more productive, reach your overarching business goals, and increase employee satisfaction.

But get it wrong, and you’ll hit problems like overstaffing shift schedules, scheduling conflicts between teammates, and employee burnout.

We know which we’d prefer! That’s why we’ve put this guide together to outline how to follow the right approach to scheduling.

TL;DR — Key Takeaways

• Workforce scheduling is the process of planning and assigning employee shifts so you have the right people working at the right times. A well-designed schedule helps businesses meet staffing needs, reduce labor costs, improve employee satisfaction, and avoid issues like understaffing, overstaffing, and scheduling conflicts.
• You could do workforce scheduling manually, but why bother? Digital workforce planning is more convenient, allowing you to automate tasks, remove manual errors, and share updates in real-time.
• Workforce scheduling software is equipped with different features, such as templates, shift bidding, and audit trails, which you might need based on your industry and individual preferences.
• There are several practical ways to improve your workforce scheduling, including frequent team communications, historical data, and making flexibility a priority.

Checklist: Do you need workforce scheduling?

Workforce scheduling is a staple of some business models, but is it right for your business?

Let’s say you run a coffee shop at its busiest from 7-11 am. With workforce scheduling, you can assign more baristas in the morning and fewer in the afternoon. You also avoid anyone working more than 40 hours per week or accidentally scheduling employees on their days off.

Not in the coffee shop trade? Here are some tell-tale signs that workforce scheduling would work for you specifically.

• You have shift coverage problems, with too many or too few people working at the same time (overstaffing and understaffing)
• You struggle with last-minute shift changes and finding replacements when someone can’t work
• Employees complain that their schedules are unfair, constantly changing, or don’t match their availability
• You have high labor costs because you regularly fork out for overtime, or overschedule people who sit around with nothing to do
• You miss business opportunities because customers wait too long or simply leave because you don’t have enough staff
• You have problems tracking hours, and can’t tell who worked when and how much
• You do a lot of manual scheduling, creating them in sheets and on paper, making small mistakes that lead to major crises
• You constantly worry about breaking the law and violating labor laws like required breaks, maximum work hours, or fair shift practices

If you face one or more of these challenges, your business can benefit from workforce scheduling.

Top benefits of workforce scheduling software

If you’ve previously created work schedules in Google Docs or on paper, you’ll know it can get old, fast. Of course, these rudimentary tools may suit your scheduling needs for a while, but you’ll quickly encounter problems like missed shifts and communication breakdowns between teammates if you depend on them for too long.

The alternative is to use a dedicated scheduling solution, which helps by:

• Automating a huge portion of the work: The tool assigns shifts based on availability, so you don’t have to manually adjust shifts in spreadsheets.
• Removing errors: You’ll see fewer double bookings, missed shifts, and legal violations.
• Providing better coverage: Smart employee scheduling software helps you match staffing levels so you can adjust to slow and busy periods.
• Satisfying your employees: Your team can set their availability and see all of their updates in real time. Talk about convenient.
• Improving compliance: Many scheduling tools adhere to labor laws, union rules, or company policies by default, so you don’t need to double-check everything.
• Providing real-time updates: Last-minute schedule changes show up in real time in your schedule management software, so when someone calls in sick or you change the schedule, everyone can see it immediately.
• Offering data and reporting tools: You can see data on labor costs, overtime, and staffing patterns, helping you make better decisions for future schedules.

If you’re doing fine as is, hats off to you. But if any of the features above resonate, it might be worth looking into dedicated software for workforce scheduling.

Workforce scheduling features to look out for (based on your top pain points)

The right scheduling tool can make a world of difference, but not every business needs the same set of features. The best way to choose software is to match its functionality to your specific challenges. Below, we’ve outlined common scheduling pain points and the features that can solve them.

⌛ Pain point 1: If you’re wasting too much time building schedules manually

• Auto-scheduling: Suggests or builds schedules based on rules you set (like availability and shift needs).
• Drag-and-drop editor: Lets you quickly adjust shifts without retyping everything.
• Templates: Allows you to save and reuse schedules for busy periods, weekends, etc.

⛔ Pain point 2: If employees are unavailable or unhappy with their shifts

• Employee self-service: Allows workers to set their availability, request time off, and swap shifts online and on their own.
• Mobile app access: Staff can view schedules from the palm of their hand.
• Fair scheduling rules: Ensures even distribution of preferred shifts and hours.

🌧️ Pain point 3: If you have shift coverage problems (too few or too many people)

• Demand forecasting: Predicts how many workers you’ll need based on sales, foot traffic, or past patterns.
• Shift bidding: Employees can claim open shifts, helping fill gaps faster.
• Qualification tagging: Schedules the best people for certain roles (e.g., only certified workers for specialized tasks).

🚨 Pain point 4: If you’re struggling with labor laws and compliance

• Overtime alerts: Warns you before assigning shifts that would cause costly overtime.
• Break and rest compliance: Automatically schedules required breaks and rest periods.
• Audit trails: Keeps a record of all schedule changes for legal or HR reviews.

🫨 Pain point 5: If last-minute changes create chaos

• Real-time notifications: Instantly alerts staff to schedule changes via text, email, or app.
• Shift swapping: This lets employees trade shifts (with or without manager approval.)
• Find replacement feature: Suggests available workers when someone calls out.

📄 Pain point 6: If you lack decent reporting and planning

• Labor cost tracking: Shows how much each shift or schedule costs you.
• Attendance tracking: Monitors who shows up late, leaves early, or misses shifts.
• Performance insights: Some tools can even show patterns like absenteeism or your most productive employees.

How to improve your workforce scheduling process

Improving your workforce scheduling depends on your industry, team structure, and how much flexibility your business demands.

A healthcare clinic might prioritize certifications and legal compliance, while a retail store needs agility to match unpredictable customer traffic.

No matter your setup, these best practices can help you create smarter, more efficient schedules that work for both your business and your team. Here are some general rules on how to improve the way you manage workforce scheduling.

Communicate clearly with your team

While better scheduling benefits the business, employees may see it as an extra hassle — unless you show them how it works in their favor. When people can share their preferences and availability, they’re more likely to get their preferred shifts and avoid conflicts.

Make it easy to gather this data. Try:

• A quick weekly survey
• A Slack poll at the end of the week
• A show of hands during team meetings

You’ll end up with the data you need and show your team that their input matters. Both enable you to plan ahead with confidence.

Use historical data to optimize schedules

Remember when you had 10 employees working a ghost town shift, followed by a solo employee struggling during peak hours? Neither of these needs to happen again. Once you commit to workforce planning, your historical data shapes what you do next time. Here’s how different industries do it:

• Retail teams align staffing with sales data, adding more coverage during seasonal rushes or after major promotions.
• Restaurants track reservations to schedule more servers during busy dining hours — and scale back when it’s quiet.
• Healthcare offices use appointment volume and no-show trends to balance staff across the week.

Build flexibility into your schedules

85% of workers across 35 countries consider work-life balance the most important factor when evaluating current or future jobs, outranking pay and job stability. Offering flexible schedule options plays a huge role in driving employee satisfaction and making you a more desirable employer. Try the following to become more flexible:

• Staggered shifts: Instead of having everyone start at the same time, employees can arrive and leave in waves to cover peak periods more smoothly.
• Overlapping hours: Scheduling slight overlaps between shifts ensures enough coverage during busy transitions without overstaffing.
• Remote work options: For roles that don’t require a physical presence, offering remote shifts or hybrid models can widen your talent pool and keep employees happier.

Flexibility won’t negatively affect your productivity. If anything, an increase in flexibility results in higher output, on top of improved employee engagement.

Prepare for unexpected changes

The best plan in the world won’t work if you’re hit with any last-minute absences or emergencies. Here are some strategies to prepare for the unexpected.

• Maintain an on-call system with employees willing to be on standby during the week. Keep them motivated by offering extra pay or time off.
• Cross-train employees so that an employee can replace someone else in a different role in a pinch. For example, a front desk agent in a hotel could assist with basic concierge services or serve tables during busy periods.
• Build relationships with freelance or temp workers who can step in and save the day when emergencies pop up.

Avoid overloading your team

If you overschedule shifts for certain team members, you risk leading them toward burnout and lower job satisfaction, even if they’re usually thrilled to do their jobs.

Prioritize employee preferences

Your top priority? Assign your employees the shifts they need to achieve a better work-life balance. The only way to do this is to have all the information in one place to account for time-off requests, personal commitments, preferred working hours, and other details.

Automate repetitive scheduling tasks

While you may need to adjust your scheduling to accommodate seasonal changes occasionally, the bulk of your scheduling efforts will remain the same throughout the month or year.

Workforce scheduling tools automate recurring shifts or assign schedules to your team members by default based on their availability.

You’ll spend even less time on scheduling while achieving even more efficiency. But don’t rest on your laurels because scheduling and capacity planning is not a set-it-and-forget-it type of activity, as Eli Rubel, owner of Profit Labs, warns:

“Most agency owners create a forecast once and never revisit it — that’s a huge mistake. You should be treating these as living, breathing documents.”

Comply with labor laws

Failing to comply with labor laws can result in fines, lawsuits, and reputational damage. Depending on your industry, you may have strict rules around how, when, and how much employees can work, and it’s your responsibility to stay on top of the latest red tape. Watch out for:

• Rest periods and breaks: Employees require legally mandated breaks during shifts and enough time off between shifts to rest properly.
• Age restrictions: Younger workers (typically under 18) are limited with the types of work they can perform and how many hours they can work, especially during school periods.
• Overtime tracking: Employers are required to accurately measure time spent on overtime work.

Review and refine schedules regularly

Make sure to periodically check in on your schedules so you can spot problems early, such as frequent understaffing during peak times, high overtime costs, or recurring employee dissatisfaction.

There are a few practical ways to review your workforce scheduling time and time again, such as:

• Reviewing key metrics, such as absentee rates, overtime hours, and shift coverage issues, to find patterns
• Setting up feedback loops, such as short employee surveys
• Acting on insights reported by employees that come up often, e.g., notice times that are too short
• Testing and tweaking small changes, such as adjusting shift lengths or adding extra coverage during certain hours

Toggl tips for better workforce management

Workforce scheduling is an ongoing effort that requires thinking ahead, protecting your team’s energy, and using the right data to drive smarter decisions. Here are some of our best tips for managing any workforce.

Track time to understand capacity and prevent burnout

As Eli Rubel emphasized in his conversation with Toggl, time tracking is a tool for visibility.

“Time tracking isn’t about micromanaging — it’s about making profitable business decisions. If you’re overworked, we can see that in the data and adjust. If you’re underworked, we catch it before it’s too late.”

Tracking employee hours measures actual workload capacity, prevents silent burnout, and engages in more accurate labor forecasting. Knowing your team’s actual utilization rates lets you adjust schedules before problems arise rather than after.

Build flexibility into your scheduling strategy

Sticking to rigid shift patterns leaves you vulnerable to no-shows, sick days, or shifting business demands.

But you can build a more resilient schedule that adapts without breaking by offering staggered start times, overlapping shifts, and part-time remote options where possible. Flexibility also supports employee morale, which directly impacts retention and service quality.

Review and adjust your schedule regularly

Scheduling should be treated as a living system, not a set-it-and-forget-it task. Take time each month or quarter to review staffing data, absentee rates, overtime costs, and employee feedback.

Eli Rubel suggests updating forecasts continuously based on real-time market shifts and fine-tuning your schedules to reflect changing team needs, customer demand patterns, and business goals.

“This is why I started Profit Labs. Agency owners need real-time data to make the right decisions. Our dashboards bring together financials, CRM data, and time tracking to show exactly where the business stands.

With Toggl Track, you can make data-backed decisions based on employee availability, past performance, and other details.

Achieve operational efficiency with Toggl Track

No matter which industry you’re in, you can’t take workforce scheduling for granted. At the very least, you can do it manually until upgrading to a full-blown scheduling system makes sense.

Take a good look at your existing scheduling practices to see if there’s room for improvement in your operations or employee satisfaction. If so, it might be better to skip the baby steps and use a dedicated tool for the job, such as Toggl Track.

With Toggl Track by your side, you can create detailed, robust time tracking reports and make data-driven decisions on who works when.

Improve your operational efficiency today by signing up for Toggl Track for free or speak to sales for teams of 20+ users.