3/10/2019 4:03 PM
Not to beat a dead horse on this subject, but as the grasp of an arduous winter is about to release across the northern plains, it nice to revisit topics as such.
So when you all are doing the 3 off, 11 on scenario, I'd like to ask what is the backbone of your crew? I'm going to go out on limb here an add why I'm no longer an advocate of this. As years have gone by, and our operation moprhed from utilizing predominantly H2B labor; to what I will call transient post high school or college experience workers; to now being a 50/50 split of retired work campers, middle age guys/girls who don't want to grow up, and college students (zero local labor force to draw from mind you), there's no way my older guys could endure the 11 on to reach a 3 off. I'll even advocate the effort improves, to a degree, from the consistant 2.5 days off per week scenario.
Scheduling and labor are and will be the largest challenge for turf managers going forward. All the technology in the world is great and wonderful, but the ability to implement the human touch and artistic eye is becoming rapidly more difficult. Finding the proverbial "gym rat" who just wants to play a bunch of golf after work is harder and harder, especially in the more remote locations where a labor pool is non existant.
All that being said, and with no malice of intent, I think the scheduling thing is going to be very property dependent. There's no model that represents each facilities needs and staffing requirements. I guess I'll utilize my experenience and leave it with a statement that suggests getting some input from your longest tenured employees. I think we all have to remember that the grass doesn't care what day of the week anything happens. I understand standards and quality concerns, and I believe I have extremely high standards, and that not every suggestion can be implemented, but make sure your staff are pleased to come to work. Because let's face it, we all need each and everyone of them to look our best each and every day.