Overtime rotation

opstrat · 31 Mar 2017 at 10:22

at work we have a particular job that needs done on a Friday after shift. This is paid overtime, we are paid 4 hours to complete the task but because of the nature of the task it is declared job and finish. So if the job takes you half an hour you still get paid for the 4 hours so it's a very lucrative job.

Here is the issue there are 4 men to do the job but only 3 jobs needing done so a rota was set up. Every week one man would miss his turn.

In your opinion what should happen if one of the 4 men takes a holiday?

Personally I think the rota should be suspended for that week and carry on as normal the following week.

Captain · 31 Mar 2017 at 10:26

Keep the Rota going and let the next guy in line take his turn? When the other guy comes back from his holiday, he waits until his turn comes round again?

Avenged7Fold · 31 Mar 2017 at 10:27

What?

Surely just swap day with whoever wants to at the time. In the end everyone will dot he same amount of work and get paid the same overtime.

fish · 31 Mar 2017 at 10:59

Clov!s said:
Keep the Rota going and let the next guy in line take his turn? When the other guy comes back from his holiday, he waits until his turn comes round again?

This is how we run overtime rotas.

kinobestew123 · 31 Mar 2017 at 10:59

If there are only 4 of you and 3 jobs to do then when 1 person takes holiday then there is absolutely no choice but for the other three to do the job in that person's place. Presumably one person wasn't due to work according to the rota so when that person does, let's call these "off rota shifts"

If you're all taking the same amount of holiday in a given year then you will all have taken the same amount of "off rota shifts".

izzop · 31 Mar 2017 at 11:09

Just follow the rota regardless of holiday taken, it'll all level out over the course of a year.

The only time it wouldn't would be if one of the 4 is a tool and only takes holidays Mon to Thurs. Surely chances of that are slim and it could be argued that said person wouldn't get overtime on the Friday as he didn't work the week.

Keep it simple and just follow the rota.

Also... If the rota is known well in advance people can book their holiday around it, should they choose to.

Hades · 31 Mar 2017 at 11:11

The way I run rotas is to agree the shift plan a year in advance. If after that is agreed someone wants to swap then it is their responsibility to agree a swap with another team member. The swap is only valid if both team members have confirmed to me that they are happy. In exceptional circumstances such as illness I will ask for volunteers to work the extra shift.

dowie · 31 Mar 2017 at 14:17

opstrat said:
Personally I think the rota should be suspended for that week and carry on as normal the following week.

Yup, or essentially keep a tally of some sort so it can be re-balanced... it isn't really the same as shifts where you'd swap them but rather a task that 3/4 people can do. Some people would take more long weekends etc.. as holidays perhaps or various other issues - basically you just want whatever system gives an even number of days to everyone and has the minimum amount of admin/fuss to go with it.

HungryHippos · 31 Mar 2017 at 14:20

Common sense dictates a flexible approach where the person going on holiday should attempt to swap their week with someone else.

If no one agrees to swap it out, then the only acceptable solution is that person to lose their turn. If I booked holiday and it went over my own shift, then I would have to accept it if I could not swap it.

Rroff · 31 Mar 2017 at 14:21

Had problems with something similar in my job - I was off on holiday, came back expecting to have the following weekend off and without telling me they'd changed the rota around due to me being off so that I was working it instead - I hit the roof.

HungryHippos · 31 Mar 2017 at 14:24

It's only really a problem if no one can communicate though.

I work in a small team and we have a similar rota job going on. We just say "can't do that week anyone want to swap?" and someone will normally be willing to do it. No hassle to whoever organises it either, we just agree and update the rota.

Columbo · 31 Mar 2017 at 14:56

So you have a job that needs doing every Friday yet your company still pays overtime for it?
Very surprised that they haven't built this into your contractual obligations to be honest, overtime should be by exception not rule.

scratch · 31 Mar 2017 at 15:32

Hades said:
The way I run rotas is to agree the shift plan a year in advance. If after that is agreed someone wants to swap then it is their responsibility to agree a swap with another team member. The swap is only valid if both team members have confirmed to me that they are happy. In exceptional circumstances such as illness I will ask for volunteers to work the extra shift.

This is exactly how we run our On-Call rota and we've had no issues up until now.

opstrat · 31 Mar 2017 at 16:48

its causing a bit of an argument as one person claims that if they take a holiday then that should count as their turn, to which i laughed till i peed. theres a lot more drama to it that i cant really be bothered going into but as it stands if someone is takes holiday they still miss their turn.

Columbo said:
So you have a job that needs doing every Friday yet your company still pays overtime for it?
Very surprised that they haven't built this into your contractual obligations to be honest, overtime should be by exception not rule.

this job requires the machines to be off which would cost more money to the company. If we shut down for 4 hours every friday they would have to pay the 20 guys to stand about because there is nothing to do while the machines were off. then there is the money they lose by not having the machines running for 4 hours. it is a lot cheaper to pay the guys the overtime.

a1ex2001 · 1 Apr 2017 at 06:57

opstrat said:
its causing a bit of an argument as one person claims that if they take a holiday then that should count as their turn, to which i laughed till i peed. theres a lot more drama to it that i cant really be bothered going into but as it stands if someone is takes holiday they still miss their turn.

this job requires the machines to be off which would cost more money to the company. If we shut down for 4 hours every friday they would have to pay the 20 guys to stand about because there is nothing to do while the machines were off. then there is the money they lose by not having the machines running for 4 hours. it is a lot cheaper to pay the guys the overtime.

The point he is making is that it isn't really overtime if it is every Friday so if I was the employer I would be looking to have it included in your standard t&c's so I didn't have to routinely pay overtime for a standard job.