ACTIVITY 1:

A.History of food and beverage in Baguio City/Benguet

Exploring the Wild Side of the Cordillera Culinary Culture

 A trip to Baguio can be transformed into a

culinary adventure with wild ethnic dishes
and native wines in the extreme or by
sampling our one-of-a-kind
local restaurants.

 Although the Cordillera mountain range

supplies 80% of the Philippines' daily
vegetable requirements, the folks here
really prefer to eat meat -- smoked, boiled,
grilled -- using the simplest cooking
techniques with long preparation times.

Brief History

 Before the time of the Spanish invasion in the

14th century, the Philippines was not
subdivided into regions, provinces, and towns;
the Filipinos divided themselves through their
common culture or through “tribes” which is
more commonly known today as the
indigenous or ethnic groups. The people of
Cordillera are no exception to this. The
particular indigenous heritage that they
belong to is probably one of the strongest, if
not the most, in terms of physical strength
and culture.Others may have already
disappeared with history, but their culture
still lives on until today.

 These people are called the Igorots, and they

are the roots of Baguio City’s modern culture.
It wasn’t until when the Americans arrived in
our country that the natives were almost
completely driven out of their homeland. The
Igorots became the outcasts of their own land
and the invaders became the residents. The
American invasion also marked the city’s westernization and also its foundation
in general.

 The fate of the Igorots was inevitable as is with the case of modernization and
progression of cultures as a whole but despite this fact, the Igorots still
managed to keep their own culture after all those years and Baguio City (given
 its massive population of different races and culture) still caters and express
that kind of culture. Let me present to you some of Igorots’ unique culture
specifically their culinary and social customs.

Culinary Culture of the Igorots

 Just like any other towns and provinces in the Philippines, Cordillera also has
its own traditional dishes and delicacies through the contribution of the Igorots.
To give you an idea and an overview of those delicacies, I’ll go over some of the
most famous Igorot dishes and describe each as careful as possible.

Tapey / Rice Wine

 A native wine made by fermenting rice

with a special yeast in a clay or wooden
jar using mountain spring water,
resulting in a strong brew popular
at cañaos or mountain feasts

 Arguably the most popular Igorot

alcoholic beverage.  It is the only rice
wine in the Philippines but unlike a
typical wine, an aged tapey bitters as it
ages and will pack a lot of kick. A
popular rice wine made in Japan
called sake have less alcoholic
percentage than
what tapey has. Because tapey’s
alcoholic content strengthens as it ages,
it would be wise to drink it casually
during the first few weeks since it was
made.

 After 1-3 years where the rice pieces are

not entirely visible anymore, don’t expect
that you can drink it just like a beer.
Also, be warned that anyone can get
pretty tipsy just by drinking a few sips of
an aged tapey.
 Pinikpikan

 is the “Igorot way” of cooking a chicken. It

involves beating the chicken with a stick
before taking out its feathers prior to its
cooking. Through that procedure, the
chicken is actually killed with less pain by
numbing its wings and neck first. It is also
believed to taste better than a regularly
cooked chicken because of the coagulated
blood formed through the aforementioned
process
 a chicken dish that is rooted in the native
ritual of reading signals from the gods to
determine one's course of action. Sometimes
humorously called 'Battered Chicken,' native
chickens, smaller in variety with darker,
tastier meat are beaten with a wooden and
grilled over open fire. 

Etag or Itag or Innasin

 is commonly known as smoked meat or ham

to some people. The name was derived from
the Igorot term “inassinan” meaning salted.
Just as its etymological definition
suggests, innasin is basically salted pork.
Some Igorots also call this dish”etag” but
some Igorots suggest that the term can also
apply to other kinds of meat like cow and
goat.  Innasin is a dish best served
with pinkipikan

 Can be a salted meat, cured and aged

underground in an earthen jar. The flavor is
comparable to blue cheese but is much oilier
and flavorful after it's cooked.
 Some elders’ day, the more maggots in it, the
more it is tastier. And the longer it is being
smoked the tastier.
Pinuneg 

 Similar to the
Filipino dinuguan, Pinuneg is a native
blood sausage composed of minced pork
and innards mixed with cooked rice
(usually the red variety known
as kintoman), salt, vinegar, garlic and other
flavors and then stuffed into clean animal
intestines.

 The Cordillera version of the longganisa

(native sausage) is then eiher sun dried,
smoked, poacked or simply boiled and
served as a main course or appetizer with a
vinegar and chili dip.

 Sabusab is mixed dish using fermented

rice, sliced meat, green onions, ginger and
moistened with Tapuey.

Benguet Coffee

 Introduced by the Spaniards, Benguet

coffee, of the Arabica variety is the
favorite beverage of the Cordilleras. It is
the first thing a native will offer you
when you visit his home, and what he
expects you to offer him when he visits
yours.

 The Baguio Coffee Shop culture is

strong with retired natives and old-
timers seated in their favorite cafes all
day discussing business and politics, or
simply shooting the breeze
Mountain Rice

 Organic mountain rice, reddish in

color, referred to by locals as kintoman,
is commonly served in Baguio
restaurants and in homes. It is
considered a healthy, flavorful
alternative to white rice.

 Easily available at the Baguio City

Market and specialty shops, this is a
more natural option preferred by the
health-conscious.

 The Cordillera culinary culture is pretty controversial. There are restaurants

openly selling dogmeat, horse meat and goat meat in Baguio City.
 For lovers of these gentle creatures, this is anathema, but for the
mountainmen, it is all but natural! And as for
pork, in true Filipino style, no part of this animal
goes to waste including the brain, the knuckles,
the intestines!
 And it seems that anything that is grown or fruit
picked from a tree can be turned into wine! We
have rice wine, strawberry wine-- and
even bugnay wine and yakun wine with all their
medicinal properties.
 Basically, the mountain people (they prefer to be
called "highlanders," by the way) are experts at
hunting and gathering (i.e. catching fresh water
eels in mountain streams and rivers) and
converting any animal into food, although the
taste and presentation may not appeal to the
mainstream palette. The cold temperature is a
natural preservative and is supplemented by ancient natural curing and
smoking techniques that are done in union with the great outdoors. And very
little goes to waste.

 In fact, that is the culinary culture in the Philippine highlands -- to convert

everything edible into food and to use all parts of the animal or plant possible.
As for plants, their edible parts -- flowers, leaves, stems and roots -- are all
ingredients. And cooking techniques use all organic ingredients and
implements, wooden jars, clay pots, the sun to dry, rain water in mountain
streams, wood for fire and smoke, the earthen soil to preserve and cure. Their
food is a testament to the ingenuous, frugal, resilient and organic nature of the
wonderful Cordillera people
B.List 10 restaurants in Baguio City. Give a brief descrption for each. Identify eache
according to the types of catering

1. Agara Ramen – North Drive, Engineer’s Hill 

 Agara Ramen is the talk of the town.
They serve authentic Japanese favorites
and delicious bowls of ramen that are
perfect for the Baguio weather.
 The bonus is, you even get to see the
chef prepare your food right before your
eyes!
 It’s definitely a food experience worth
traveling for.
 It’s for those craving authentic
Japanese cuisine
 It’s not for those who want rice meals
 Available for: Dine-in, take-out, and
delivery.

2. Farmer’s Daughter Restaurant – Longlong Road

 Get a taste of the Cordillera region at
Farmer’s Daughter Restaurant. 
 Pinikpikan, Dinakdakan, and smoked
meats are just some of the dishes you
can expect to find at this quaint
restaurant but they also are well-
known for their cakes, cheesecakes, hot
sauces, and fresh chili peppers like
habanero and ghost peppers.
 It’s for those looking for Cordilleran
food.
It’s not for creatures of habit and who
like to stick to their regular meals.
 Available for: Dine-in, take-out, and delivery.

3. Lemon and Olives Greek Taverna – Outlook Drive

 Lemon and Olives Greek Taverna is
Baguio’s first authentic Greek
restaurant that serves up Greek
staples as well as comfort food
favorites infused with Greek flavors.
 We recommend that you dine al-fresco
style to get the full Baguio dining
experience
 Fun fact: The restaurant is headed by
Chef Takis who came all the way from
Athens, Greece.
  It’s for romantic dates or bonding moments most especially for Greek cuisine
fanatics
It’s not for early risers because the restaurant opens at 11 AM.
 Available for: Dine-in, pick-up, take-out, and delivery.

4. Seollem Café – Camp 7, Baguio City 

 Seollem Cafe, would give you a slice
of Seoul right in the heart of the
Summer Capital – ready your best
OOTDs, poses, and palate!
Everything is Korean: from the
food to furniture.
 Seollem Cafe , a new Korean cafe in
Baguio City, lets you do just this
with interiors inspired by the popular
K-dramas Itaewon Class and Crash
Landing on You
 The first floor’s interior design is
inspired by Danbam, Park Saeroyi
(Park Seo-joon)’s restaurant in the K-
drama Itaewon Class.  It features
leather seats, wooden tables, and
walls with a cement finish. Plants
and lights also add a touch of
whimsy to the space.

 On the other hand, the second floor

is based on Yoon Seri (Son Ye-jin)’s
luxury apartment in Crash Landing
On You. The furniture is more or less
the same as the ones on the first
floor but is elevated by a high ceiling,
ceiling lamps, and splashes of yellow,
orange, and green.

The Menu
 From coffee-based drinks to colorful
fruit juices, Seollem Cafe’s menu
would transport you to quaint cafes
around Seoul. You can have these
drinks hot, iced, and blended,
including some signature drinks like
Misutgaru (multi-grain) Tea Latte,
Black Sesame Latte, and the viral
Dalgona Latte 
  No cafe experience is complete
without having desserts and snacks,
and Seollem has a variety of them,
from authentic bingsu, croffles,
Korean pasta, and Korean fried
chicken. They even have Korean
Street Toast, just like the ones Uju
from Hospital Playlist can’t get
enough of!

 To ensure everyone’s safety, Seollem

Cafe doesn’t accept walk-ins and
only operates through booked
reservations with up to 2 hours per
stay. 

5. Good Taste Café & Restaurant – Otek St.

 You can expect long lines outside

Good Taste Cafe, a favorite food spot
of many because of their delicious
take on Chinese cuisine.

 Their extensive menu offers

everything that you could ever crave,
from rice meals to pansit, soups
mami, bread, and desserts. Try their
specials, Crispy Pata and Lechon
Beans!

 It’s for large groups who want a salo-

salo feast
It’s not for people who don’t want a
busy atmosphere with the possibility
of waiting.
 Available for: Dine-in, take-out, and
delivery. Contact their number to
order.
6. La Casa Bianca – Leonard Wood

 La Casa Bianca is a hotel, spa,

and cafe that is often visited by
tourists for its cozy and
homey ambiance. They serve delicious
all-day breakfast fare and we heard
that their Baguio Longganisa and
Spanish Omelette are must-tries here!

 Why it’s great for dates: you nd your

significant other will feel like you’ve
been transported to a new world
thanks to the combination of Baguio’s
serene outdoors and La Casa Bianca’s
pleasing interiors and design

7. Hamada – Baguio Country Club

 Hamada is a Japanese ramen and
teppanyaki house that is conveniently
located inside Baguio Country Club. We
heard that the Yamamori special is a
sulit must-order!
 This restaurant is famous for offering
Japanese and Spanish cuisines.
 Come to Hamada to taste perfectly
cooked prawns, sushi and salmon. The
knowledgeable staff works hard, stays
positive and makes this place
wonderful.
 Service at this place is something one
can name professional. According to the
reviewers' opinions, prices are fair. It's a
nice place with the lovely atmosphere.

 Why it’s great for dates: Baguio isn’t

exactly known for their Japanese
cuisine, so Hamada is the perfect place
for those craving for a sushi date in the mountains but aren’t sure where to
look

8. Oh My Gulay – Session Road

 Owned by Kidlat Tahimik who

also owns Ili-Likha Artist
Village, Oh My Gulay is
a vegetarian cafe and restaurant
 sitting on the 5th floor of the green-
colored La Azotea Building on
Session Road. Yes, you’ll have to
climb all five floors to get here.
 It’s a haven for those who are looking
for a peaceful ambiance and healthy
meals, even veggie haters will love Oh
My Gulay’s dishes!
 Why it’s great for dates: from the 5-
story climb to the vegetarian menu to
the unique interiors, an afternoon or
evening at Oh My Gulay is definitely
an experience that you and your
partner will remember!
 It’s for veggie lovers who love art and
Philippine culture.
It’s not for those who don’t like
climbing stairs and those who have
an aversion to veggies.
 Available for: Dine-in, take-out, and
delivery. To order, you may call them
at their contact numbers or book via
Foodpanda.

9. Hill Station – Upper Session Road

 A restaurant that’s received back-
to-back recognition as Miele’s Best
Restaurants in Asian Awards, Hill
Station is a casual restaurant with
a cozy cabin ambiance that serves
up fusion dishes.

 Hill Station is a restaurant tucked

in Casa Vallejo complex, which is
considered as the Baguio’ s oldest
hotel being established in 1909. It
is a romantic place restaurant with
fine-dining quality but with a
casual quaint cottage ambiance

 It’s for intimate gatherings over 5-

star dishes.
It’s not for those relying on a tight
budget.
 Available for: Dine-in, take-out,
and delivery. For deliveries, you
may call them at their contact
numbers or book via Foodpanda.
10. Grümpy Joe – Gibraltar Rd.

 In the mood for a chill time in

Baguio? Try Grümpy Joe’s divine
menu! They have everything that
you’ll ever crave for on a lax day—
pizza, fries, buffalo wings, burger,
and pasta!

 They are famous for their double-

layered pizza with pasta tucked in
its core

 It’s for casual lunch or dinner

with the barkada.
It’s not for those who are lactose
intolerant.

 Available for: Dine in, takeout,

and delivery.

ACTIVITY 7:
What are the issues encountered in staffing and scheduling?
 Most Common Scheduling and Staffing Issues 
Businesses in any industry need staff on schedule to ensure workflows flow
smoothly and they meet their clients’ needs on time. But various stumbling
blocks can hinder optimal employee scheduling.
Scheduling issues are those issues that come in the way of a productive
business day. They could range from employee unavailability to inept systems
of employee scheduling. 
So here are the most common scheduling challenges every business owner
might face

1. Employee Shortage
 For any business to run efficiently, you need to have enough employees
running the show. 
 For example, you can never predict what a typical day has in store in the
service industry. An unexpected demand could spring anywhere,
anytime! 
 And if you’re short-staffed, it’s everyone’s worst nightmare — you may
not have enough employees to deal with a problem.
 Additionally, if you don’t know your employee availability and manage
team members inefficiently, you can add to the scheduling chaos. 
 For example, let’s suppose you’re running a store and your cashier left
early to attend to an emergency, and your grocery bagger is a no show. A
sudden influx of unappointed customers will add stress to the team.
Without extra hands, it also increases the waiting time of customers.
 This might affect morale, productivity, sales conversion, business
reputation, and ultimately your bottom line. 

2. Overscheduling
 We’ve heard it before: too much of anything is good for nothing.
 One of the main downsides of an inefficient scheduling process is that
employees would constantly have to work overtime.
 A little bit of overtime now and then doesn’t sabotage your business. But
too much of it can skew work/life balance. It can lead to lower
productivity and increase operational costs due to overtime payments.
 Not paying careful attention to the work schedule adds to employee
scheduling problems. 
 How? –If overlooked or not given due attention, your staff may end up
with a ‘clopen’ slot – i.e., doing the last shift for the day, followed by the
first shift for the next day. This is a direct result of poor scheduling.
 For example, if you’re in the food service industry, service quality reduces
when your staff (especially service crew) doesn’t have enough rest before
clocking in for the next shift. This crew scheduling problem takes a toll
on everyone, including the managers. 

3. Unfair Scheduling
  It’s okay if you’re highly confident about an employee’s skills and
abilities, but you shouldn’t play favorites – as you could face charges on
the grounds of discrimination.
 Another thing to be wary of is not giving an employee the required time
off and not being up to date with the ever-changing laws of employee
scheduling, 
 Failing to give advance notice (typically 7 to 14 days to inform of shift
changes) or not being careful with allocating night shifts, last minute
scheduling, etc., could lead to paying penalty charges. 
 For example, in Philadelphia, from January 1, 2021, the predictive
scheduling law’s advance notice period increased from 10 to 14 days.
This means your staff must be notified of any scheduling change 14 days
prior to the day of work, as prescribed by law.

4. No Formal Employee Schedule

 Resorting to rigid employee scheduling practices or following older ways
of staffing is a time killer. And the end result is always a poor schedule.
 Likewise, last-minute scheduling can also cause stress. So you need to
find that sweet spot that gives your staff a good enough notice period.
 Now, using manual spreadsheets to set your team’s schedule can drain
time and money, as there are too many variables to account for. 
 You need to slot availability, time off, and approvals for every staff, apart
from tracking leave  balances and permissions, shift preferences,
seasonal events, etc. 
 So using manual methods makes it both inflexible and incompetent to
meet the needs of any growing company. Instead, it’s best to
use employee scheduling apps like Time Doctor.

5. Employee Vacation & Absences 

 One common scheduling issue is factoring in an employee’s need to take
time off due to illness, personal emergency, or a vacation break. 
 As a manager, you’ll need to shuffle things around, even if you have
already set up a perfect schedule. 
 For example, you may need to alter your schedule if a new employee
postpones their start date due to a sudden appointment to receive the
COVID 19 vaccine.
 It’s not uncommon to have multiple leave requests the same week due to
a seasonal break. 
 If you haven’t incorporated an emergency or backup plan to handle staff
unavailability, poor communication at the last minute can derail the
work schedule – making it hard to find a replacement.

6. Shift Swapping 
 Shift swapping gives your staff the option to exchange their shifts with
colleagues, allowing them to manage their own time.
 While letting your staff cover for each other has its benefits, it could
impede the staff scheduling process. 
 An inexperienced replacement staff or a substitute could forget their new
shift – which can cause needless schedule disruptions. Additionally,
project managers could face undue stress with scheduling if an employee
 fails to update their unavailability in the scheduling software, causing a
delay in your operations.  

7. Employee Turnover
 Employee turnover is an inevitable part of any industry. This means new
team members bring their own skill sets, experience, and schedule
preferences to the table. 
 Managing this ever-changing aspect can be time-consuming, not to
mention resource-draining, resulting in more training and onboarding
processes.
 Without an employee retention strategy, a high turnover rate could affect
your business.
 You’ll need to figure out why employees are leaving your company. You
can gauge your scheduling style to see if it leads to poor communication
or poor employee engagement.  

8. Conforming To Labor Laws

 Complying with local labor laws is one of the key aspects of employee
scheduling. These laws protect the rights of shift employees. 
 But this can add another layer of constraint and complexity to the
already difficult task of staff scheduling.
 How?
 The laws are constantly changing. Additionally, you have to factor in
multiple rules to ensure compliance, or you might have to pay penalties. 
 For example, according to Michigan labor laws, employers are not
supposed to change work schedules unless they’ve notified the employee
96 hours in advance. Otherwise, employees must be given at least two
shifts off and paid overtime for the extra shift worked.

9. Scrambling to Find Qualified Labor

 Employees can leave with little or no notice, causing massive project
delays as you work to fill the gaps - but filling the gaps just isn't enough.
 You can't rely on just anyone - and finding the right skilled labor can
bring a host of other problems as you look down the barrel of time-to-
completion and achieving project
 Factor in workforce constraints and replacing skilled labor becomes a
daunting task.
 These conditions are creating staffing issues more evident, especially
when a business has to quickly adapt to market needs, like a spike in
demand for services.

10. Lost Productivity From Employee Turnover

 Turnover rate is not just a threat to project completion - it can be a total
nightmare.
 Finding and keeping the right workers for your job is a critical part to
any organization. Depending on the position the cost to on board and
prep skilled labor can be in the tens of thousands of dollars - when these
workers up and leave it can create a bottleneck with work deliverables.
  But in addition your project running smoothly, any downtime as a result
of lost labor directly affects an organization's revenue and the people that
need to react, like owners and hiring managers.
 A pivot here means that you need to drop everything you're doing to go
on a hiring spree that includes the following:
o Posting job descriptions to job boards
o Sifting through resumes
o Conducting interviews
o Negotiating terms

11. Training the new employee to get up-to-speed.

 And if you need to replace multiple skilled positions at the same time it
will put a massive strain on your hiring process.
 But that's just the tip of the iceberg.  Here are additional challenges that
hiring managers have to overcome:
 Inability to Attract the Right Candidates - you'd better make sure that
your job descriptions are out of this world good. Competition for bringing
in talent is increasing as a result of scarce labor. The US economy
has 7.6 million unfilled jobs and a mere 6 million people looking to fill
those positions.
 Not Using Tech to Streamline the Hiring Process -  are you manually
looking through resumes to identify the candidates that have the right
credentials and experience to fill your position? This can eat up hours of
your day alone - new tech and AI has opened the door for seamless
evaluation that can separate the good from the bad automatically.

12. Having an Inflexible Workforce

 Here's the trick - can your organization handle full-time employees
during low times and high times?
 Staffing problems can exist simply because your organization has too
many permanent positions on payroll. In fact, having these commitments
is only emphasizing the dangers of a high turnover rate.
 You've invested time and critical resources into these employees because
you know how valuable their talents are - but can you get access to the
same quality of work without the long term commitments?
 Having temporary workers in your business can help alleviate the strain
on your payroll and give you the flexibility to adapt to a shift in market
needs.

13. Tax and Payroll Burdens on Company Coffers

 Two things in life are said to be certain - and one of those is taxes...
 You're no stranger to the Taxman taking his cut - but could there be a
way for you to pass off a part of this burden to someone else? Temporary
workers that come from a great staffing company can provide relief from
tax obligations because they handle some of those for you.
 A great staffing agency covers the following costs:
o FICA, FUTA and SUTA
o PTO and vacation pay
o Workers compensation
 o Medical Insurance and Wellness Benefits
o Administrative costs like recruiting, onboarding, payroll, benefits
management, garnishments and much more
 Companies that learn how to navigate the challenges of meeting project
and profitability will have a distinct competitive advantage. Learning how
to properly address these staffing challenges is the act of achieving that.

**Tips To Overcome Scheduling and Staffing Challenges 

1) Staffing Compliance with Laws and Regulations:
 Solution: It may sound mundane, but the only way out here is to stay
updated with the employment laws of your as well other countries in
which you may wish to operate. You can tie-up with a few law firms, or
have an in-house legal expert who can raise alarm bells when probable
dangers are in sight. Note that there are regulations on everything from
hiring practices, to wage payment, to workplace safety.

2) Wrong Hire
 Solution: It’s always better to hand over tasks to staffing services
specialists who know their work like the back of their hands. Staffing
agencies, who have seen enough ebbs and flows of the staffing terrain,
can judge instinctively the compatibility of the candidate with any given
job role. You can dot down what you would like to see in potential
candidates and hand it over to staffing veterans. Besides, staffing service
agencies have access to larger networks than internal recruiters. This
infinitely ups the possibility of finding a perfect candidate- the ultimate
goal of any staffing endeavor.

3) Managing Seasonal Workload Fluctuations:

 Solution: The most rational solution to this too-real problem is to rethink
the idea of having permanent employees- at least for few departments
and functionalities. Bringing in the idea of temporary or contract
employment can beef up staffing levels during the crunch time. It will cut
down the overhead costs like premiums, overtime pay, and increased risk
of higher claims costs in the event of a permanent employee injury.

4) Churn Out:
 Churn out is easily the most detrimental spot of bother by some huge
margin. What makes it worse is it hampers companies in two ways. First,
it robs you of the quality employees. Second, it may impose an
astronomical cost. Note that it has hard expenses, such as paying for job
postings and advertisements to recruit people again. But its soft
expenses can damage companies with equal ferocity, as factors like
lowered productivity, overworked remaining staff, training cost for
replacement workers, lost knowledge sneak in whenever good talent
walks out the door
 Solution: To be very honest, it’s not very wise to look at the turnover
problem only through the prism of staffing. The reasons behind
employees’ bidding adieus to companies can be multi-faceted. Maybe
someone is offering them a much higher package. They may have to
relocate due to some personal reasons; or, they may not be happy with
 the overall work culture, facilities, and opportunities that their current
organizations are offering. In that case, it needs an overhaul of a
company structure.
 However, from HR and staffing side, it’s possible to pin down the most
probable reasons of resignations. Exit interviews can be supremely
effective in achieving this feat, as you can gather enough data and
reasons behind most of the departures. Based on these nuggets of
information, you can offer those things to employees that attract them at
the time of hiring itself. Besides, as it uncovers issues that can be
addressed to improve the work environment, it will automatically reduce
the turnover rate.

5. Hire Enough Staff

 To run a small business optimally, a manager must have enough staff on
board. 
 By hiring more people, you’ll have a more reliable schedule. This can
empower both organization and staff and helps everyone to serve
customers better.
 Here are some tips to help you hire a suitable amount of employees:
o Hire so that you have the right blend of experienced and junior
staff. 
o Ensure that you have enough members available in the morning,
evening, weekend, etc.
o Forecast or predict how many employees you would need to
prevent understaffing.
o Upskill your workforce to extend the employee lifecycle. This
increases the profitability of an organization and maximizes staff’s
earning potential.

6. Offer Time Between Shifts

 Having a fair schedule that allows the staff to work optimally, with
enough time to head back home and rest, is crucial. 
 While some jurisdictions (including Vermont, Oregon, New York, San
Francisco, etc.) have passed scheduling rules for better management
and breaks, it hasn’t made its way across all jobs and industries. 
 It’s still up to every business to make it count – so adopt a consistent
policy that benefits all your staff. You can also constantly monitor shifts
to see employees don’t have a clopen slot.

7. Maintain Effective Communication 

 Communication plays a pivotal role in the success of any organization.
 You should set up a clear and transparent communication channel for
your whole team. Ensure that your staff routes their messages through
one preferred medium alone. 
 For example, if you use Slack for communication, don’t accept messages
via emails or text messages. This ensures there are no mix-ups or
delayed messages.
 Consistent accountability allows efficient shift swapping, prior
notifications, and other schedule-related information.
8. Set Clear Expectations
 A key to successful workforce management is to be open and honest
about expectations and policies. It adds clarity to the process and
removes scheduling challenges, helping you avoid mishaps and
miscommunication. 
 As a manager, you can set up a schedule notice to go a minimum of 7-14
days in advance. Or you could follow a set notification and compensation
policy for last-minute scheduling changes. 
 Be up-to-date with the laws that govern staff policies and get to know
your employees to see who’s ready to volunteer during emergencies, and
set up overtime bonuses.
 Additionally, you’ll have to be fair and consistent when dealing with
many time off requests at the same time.  

9. Reduce Employee Turnover

 Seeing your best employees go is a difficult pill to swallow,
but turnover is inevitable, so closely follow the reasons why they leave. 
 If it has anything to do with business policy or a scheduling problem, it
helps you reassess the process and make changes.
 Here are some ways to reduce employee turnover:
o Establish consistent and fair policies to win their rest.
o Communicate shift changes well in advance.
o Build a great work environment that can propel your staff
members to stay.
o Utilize the potential of scheduling software and strengthen
employee lifecycle even more via growth opportunities and healthy
competition. 

10. Regulatory Compliance

 Compliance is an integral part of business, and an employer needs to be
well aware of the local laws. This protects your business and validates to
your staff that you got their back. 
 Here are some ways to ensure legal compliance:
o Keep an eye out for scheduling limitations, warranted time off, and
give enough advance notice of the schedule. 
o Be wary of the clopen problem, as lapses in your process will
incur heavy audit fines. 
o Employee scheduling software prunes out many of these issues:
saving your time to focus on important tasks (rather than
scheduling) as most of the features are automated via an
algorithm.

11. Vacation & Leave Management

 Absentee management is really easy with an employee scheduling app. 
 The scheduling software allows employees to apply for leaves, so the
managers and HR department can quickly approve or deny vacations. 
 It can remind employees how many leaves are remaining in a month to
plan their vacations accordingly. These tools can also integrate with
 calendars and give timely shift reminders to employees – reducing the
overall workload for the HR department. 
12. Reduce Employee Stress
 A reliable schedule is a crucial factor in the growth story, as it creates
a happy workplace for employees. 
 Scheduling is indeed an art that makes all the difference. It factors in the
personal needs of every worker, giving them a stress-free environment to
employ their skills. 

13. Improve Business Efficiency

 A fair and flexible schedule lets the staff thrive and increases employee
retention. This means boosted staff morale and a lower turnover rate,
saving plenty of time and money.  
 Better work-life balance also reduces scheduling mishaps, as there is
no burnout.
 When the work atmosphere ticks all of the above checkboxes, your team
enjoys working. This makes way for a happier and better-served
customer base.

14. Enforce Legal Compliance

 Staying on top of scheduling needs through skilled workforce
management helps you automatically comply with legal laws. 
 Using scheduling software can help you here as it reduces the risk and
labor costs by optimizing employee time. Most employee scheduling
software also comes with automated checks for violation, customization,
auditing, relaying notes, etc.