On January 1, 2023, the state of Illinois amended its “One Day Rest In Seven Act (ODRISA)” to require that employees receive at least twenty-four consecutive hours of rest in every consecutive seven-day period.
Furthermore, a day of rest must be “in addition to the regular period of rest allowed at the close of each working day.” Therefore, an employer who made someone work until noon one day, for example, and then report back at noon the next day, could not call that 24 hours off a day of rest.
CIRCADIAN can assess your schedule and help you become compliant. Our experts have deep experience in shift scheduling and protecting business efficiency and employee morale.
Shift Schedule Optimization
If you are considering a schedule change, CIRCADIAN can help through our time-honored Shift Schedule Optimization Process that involves both employee and management input to identify a set of ideal schedule solutions to meet business and family/social needs…and is compliant with the newly amended ODRISA law.
Changing schedules isn't simply a matter of researching some alternatives to vote on. The reality is that a schedule change is a highly complex and volatile issue that can easily become divisive and counterproductive if not developed properly.
CIRCADIAN Technologies has extensive experience in avoiding these pitfalls and achieving win-win solutions. This is accomplished through a proven methodology that involves management, employees, and labor representatives (when applicable) in a positive and participatory selection process.
The Shift Schedule Optimization Process Includes:
- Meeting with management to define operational criteria.
- Involving the people who will be affected by a schedule change through group meetings and presentations.
- Identifying employee lifestyle issues, needs and preferences through confidential surveys.
- Utilizing the survey data to clearly identify the sociological criteria for a new schedule.
- Providing scheduling education, so employees can make informed choices about a change that will affect both their home and work life.
- Applying innovative and effective schedule design, centered around scientific (physiological) principles, management needs, and employee preferences.
- Identifying the best alternative schedules for employees to consider.
- Utilizing proven selection procedures to ensure a fair and accurate outcome.
- Addressing implementation issues, such as overtime, holiday pay, relief coverage, cost neutrality, etc. to ensure effective solutions.
- Providing training to help shiftworkers best adapt to a new schedule.
Benefits of Employee Involvement In Shift Scheduling:
- Lower Turnover. Schedules mandated by management can have twice as much turnover compared to those selected by employees.
- Lower Absenteeism. Schedules mandated by management also tend to have higher absenteeism rates compared to those selected by employees.
- Lower Fatigue. Facilities with schedules mandated by managers had three times more of a problem with severe fatigue compared to those selected by employees.
- Better morale. The percentage of facilities reporting poor or very poor morale was nearly tripled in facilities where the schedule was mandated by management vs. employee selected.
Contact a Shift Scheduling Expert
- Call us at 781-439-6300
- Email us at
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Additional Resources:
- White Paper: Shift Scheduling & Employee Involvement
- White Paper: Biocompatible Shift Scheduling
- White Paper: The Advantages and Disadvantages of 12-hour Shifts
- White Paper: Increasing Production Beyond the Five Day Operation
- Case Study: Determine and Implement the Optimal Shift Schedule in a Union Shop
