Why Are Employee Availability Forms Important? It should also help with forecasting – if managers are often unable to fill certain shifts, it may be time to recruit more staff.īy maintaining a thorough record of these details, scheduling should take no time at all, and managers should find themselves free to get back to other tasks, improving customer service in the process. They should also be used to work out which employees will likely be able to cover shifts that have become available at the last minute due to sickness or emergencies.Įmployee availability forms should give managers visibility over when employees actively want to work, when they can work if it is necessary, and when they will be completely unavailable due to other commitments.

These forms are used in the work scheduling process, eliminating unnecessary back and forth between team leaders and workers about who can and can’t work during various hours. It should also contain basic information about each employee and their contact details to make the process of booking workers for shifts a straightforward one. Simply put, an employee availability form is a document that each employee fills in with the days and hours they are available to work, and the days and hours they absolutely cannot work. If possible, businesses should maintain an easily-accessible digital database of employee availability alongside the paper documents. It’s not a complicated process, but it’s important to be super conscientious when it comes to ensuring employees fill in these forms, update them, and that admin staff keep a workable record of all forms. Employee availability forms are the first line of defense against such a situation arising. Regular understaffing, on the other hand, is terrible for a brand’s reputation, as word of mouth spreads faster than ever in the era of online reviews and social media.

While some will give you a second chance, others won’t return, which inevitably leads to an impact on the bottom line. If a business that employs shift workers fails to either hand out employee availability forms or keep a meticulous record of them, it risks being left understaffed at the last minute with no way of swapping shifts. Businesses should ensure that their forms have a clear, concise format, and that they have a system in place to ensure that the information communicated by such forms is always available when needed. Employee availability forms are a vital asset for any business that employs shift workers.

Staff availability spreadsheet