S2-6-25 Workforce Plan: Optimizing Coverage for 25 Employees, 6 ShiftsEffective workforce planning ensures operations run smoothly, labor costs stay controlled, and employees remain engaged. The S2-6-25 model — scheduling 25 employees across 6 shifts — is a compact but flexible framework suitable for small-to-mid-sized operations that require continuous or multi-period coverage (for example, retail, manufacturing cells, healthcare units, or customer support hubs). This article explains the S2-6-25 concept, explores staffing and coverage strategies, offers a step-by-step approach to create a robust schedule, highlights common pitfalls and solutions, and provides sample templates and optimization tips.
What the S2-6-25 notation means
- S2: a scheduling pattern or shift group label (can denote “Schedule Type 2” or a two-team rotation element).
- 6: number of distinct shifts within the planning period (often within a 24-hour day or across multiple daily time blocks).
- 25: total number of employees to be assigned across those shifts.
The model’s core challenge is to distribute 25 people into 6 shifts to meet operational coverage requirements, account for breaks, manage overtime, and respect labor rules and employee preferences.
When to use S2-6-25
- Operations needing multiple overlapping time blocks (e.g., early morning, morning, mid-day, afternoon, evening, night).
- Small facilities with ⁄7 or extended-hours coverage but limited headcount.
- Teams where employees rotate among shifts or specialize in particular blocks.
- Situations requiring predictable patterns with occasional flexibility for absenteeism or demand spikes.
Key objectives for the schedule
- Ensure required coverage for each shift hour-by-hour.
- Minimize overtime and avoid understaffing.
- Provide fair distribution of unpopular shifts (nights/holidays).
- Support compliance with labor laws (rest periods, maximum hours).
- Maintain employee satisfaction through transparency and balanced rotations.
Step-by-step approach to build the S2-6-25 schedule
- Define coverage needs by shift
- For each of the 6 shifts, determine the minimum and ideal headcount (e.g., Shift A: 4–6, Shift B: 3–5).
- Map coverage to daily/weekly demand patterns (peak times, downtimes).
- Establish constraints
- Maximum weekly hours per employee.
- Required rest periods between shifts.
- Skill or certification requirements for certain shifts.
- Employee availability and preferences.
- Choose a rotation pattern
- Fixed shifts: employees consistently work the same shift (good for stability).
- Rotating shifts: employees cycle through shifts over a defined period (more fairness for nights).
- Hybrid: core team fixed, floaters rotate.
- Allocate employees
- Start by filling minimum coverage for each shift.
- Assign specialists and certified staff where needed.
- Distribute remaining employees to reach ideal coverage, balancing unpopular shifts.
- Build a time-off and backup plan
- Designate float or reserve staff (on-call or flexible shifts).
- Allow planned leaves and maintain a shift-swapping policy.
- Validate and optimize
- Run a pilot schedule for one week; track understaffing/overtime.
- Adjust headcounts and rotation frequency based on real results.
- Communicate and iterate
- Publish schedules in advance with change windows.
- Collect employee feedback and update the plan quarterly.
Common staffing patterns for 6 shifts with 25 employees
- Even distribution: 25 ÷ 6 ≈ 4.16 — aim for 4 or 5 per shift, adjusting for peak needs.
- Core + floaters: 4 shifts with 4 each (16), 2 shifts with 5 each (10) — total 26, so drop one float or rotate a 5th where needed.
- Variable coverage: assign 2–6 per shift depending on demand; keep 2–3 floaters to cover absences.
Schedule fairness and rotation examples
- 6-week rotating cycle: employees rotate one shift per week so all staff experience each shift type.
- 2-on/4-off (or similar compressed schedules): can be adapted if shift lengths vary (e.g., 12-hour shifts) while preserving 25-person constraints.
- Preference-based bidding: allow employees to express preferred shifts; award based on seniority or a rotating priority to keep fairness.
Handling breaks, overtime, and labor compliance
- Ensure minimum break windows by law (e.g., 30–60 minutes depending on jurisdiction).
- Limit consecutive night shifts to reduce fatigue (best practice: no more than 3–5 consecutive nights).
- Monitor weekly hours to avoid involuntary overtime; use floaters to absorb shortfalls.
- Keep accurate timekeeping for payroll and compliance.
Technology and tools
- Use a scheduling tool or spreadsheet template capable of:
- Visualizing shift coverage across days and weeks.
- Handling constraints (skills, rest time, max hours).
- Tracking availabilities, swaps, and leave.
- Examples: workforce management software, roster apps, or a well-structured Excel/Google Sheets template.
Sample weekly assignment approach (conceptual)
- Determine each shift’s duration (e.g., six 4-hour shifts, six 8-hour shifts, or staggered overlapping blocks).
- Build a weekly matrix (shifts × days) showing minimum, ideal, and actual assigned headcount.
- Use floats to cover variability: with 25 employees, keep 2–4 rotating floaters to cover absences without overtime.
Troubleshooting common problems
- Chronic understaffing on a specific shift: increase base headcount for that shift or re-balance rotations.
- Excessive overtime: tighten maximum weekly hours, hire part-time flex staff, or redistribute tasks.
- Employee burnout: shorten consecutive undesirable shifts, increase rest days, and rotate unpopular shifts more fairly.
Example templates (short)
- Fixed-shift roster: assign 4 employees to Shifts 1–5 and 5 employees to Shift 6, then rotate a different employee weekly into the 5th slot to equalize hours over time.
- Rotating roster: create 6 teams (A–F) of roughly 4–5 employees; each team works one shift per week, rotating forward each week so every team experiences all shifts over 6 weeks.
Metrics to track
- Shift fill rate (% of shifts meeting minimum coverage).
- Overtime hours per pay period.
- Employee satisfaction/turnover related to shift assignments.
- Absence rate by shift (to spot problematic times).
Quick checklist before publishing a schedule
- Coverage requirements met for every shift.
- Required skills/certifications covered.
- Breaks and legal rest windows respected.
- Fair rotation of unpopular shifts.
- Contingency plan for absences.
Optimizing a 25-person workforce across 6 shifts is an exercise in balancing coverage, cost, and employee wellbeing. With clear demand data, sensible rotation rules, and an intentional floating/backup strategy, S2-6-25 can deliver reliable coverage without excessive overtime or burnout.
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