Collective labour agreement as a template for customised shift planning

A collective labour agreement is often a very rigid set of rules that makes flexible shift planning difficult. Déhora can help companies with the formulation of rules for work times and break times and during collective labour agreement negotiations. If the rules for work times and break times in a collective labour agreement are formulated in the right way, this can have benefits for both the employees and the employer.

It means shift patterns can be designed that match the peaks and troughs in the workload, take into account the wishes of the employees, and are fully in compliance with the Working Hours Act.

Collective labour agreement prevented customised shift planning

Trespa International, a manufacturer of plastic panels for indoor and outdoor applications, wanted to modify its collective labour agreement so the allowance for working non-standard shifts could be calculated properly. However, this was not possible under the existing collective labour agreement; a shift allowance could not be calculated for shifts that deviated from the standards in the collective labour agreement.

Clock hour matrix for non-standard shift rosters

Just before the collective labour agreement negotiations started, a clock hour matrix was developed that made it possible to calculate the appropriate shift allowance for each non-standard shift roster. Trespa now uses this matrix to calculate the shift allowance for all part-time workers who work shifts.

Trespa expects more and more double-earner couples with children to opt for part-time work. The collective labour agreement now provides a template for shift rosters that allow a better work-life balance. In this way Trespa is prepared for a tighter labour market with a growing number of double-earner couples.

“By changing the rules in the collective labour agreement, Trespa is now prepared for a tighter labour market with a growing number of double-earner couples.”