Productive Shift Scheduling: Actively Managing Working Time Accounts with the Traffic Light Principle

Time accounts as an active management tool: Focus on the traffic light principle 

Working time accounts in shift operations must not be misunderstood as mere catch basins for time differences, but must serve as a valuable raw material for increasing labor productivity. To achieve this, consistent management according to the traffic light principle is essential. This model enables planners to align workforce scheduling precisely with actual needs and replace expensive external flexibility with internal leeway. Through this active management, not only are costs reduced, but chronic overloads are also avoided and the individual free time wishes of the employees are better integrated.

The Green Phase: Securing the target state of the working time accounts 

The core of the management is the definition of clear phases that serve as orientation for the planners. The green phase represents the desired target state.

• Bandwidth: A corridor of approx. +/- 2 weekly contractual working hours (WVA) is recommended.
• Target value: In the middle is the target value (usually 0h), which can, however, vary seasonally, for example, to maintain buffers for known workload fluctuations. As long as the balances move within this range, the system is in balance and requires no extraordinary interventions.

Yellow and Red Phases: Reaction mechanisms in case of deviations 

As soon as account balances leave the green phase, defined mechanisms come into effect to maintain the steering effect:

• Yellow Phase (Reaction): In this range, the planning department must actively investigate the causes. It is necessary to clarify whether capacity problems or individual difficulties exist, and to initiate targeted measures to return to the target value.
• Red Phase (Escalation): This range should only be reached in exceptional cases. It serves to control the planning work and triggers a reporting obligation to the management level or the works council, in which the return strategy must be explicitly set out. Paying out credits is to be avoided in order not to undermine the steering pressure.