Donate

Workforce scheduling systems

Negotiating Tech: An Inventory of U.S. Union Contract Provisions for the Digital Age

Governance of workplace technology applications

4.2.c Workforce scheduling systems

Digital scheduling platforms now play a central role in organizing work time, distributing shifts, and coordinating employee availability. As these systems shape day-to-day job access and working conditions, unions have negotiated contract provisions to influence how they are configured, how schedule changes are communicated, and how fairness is maintained in assigning work. While some provisions focus on maintaining predictability and honoring existing scheduling practices, others establish rights to review or adjust system parameters to prevent inequities or inconsistencies. 

The following two categories highlight how scheduling systems are governed through collective bargaining:

Scheduling system configuration and protocols for use

These provisions set standards for how digital scheduling systems are deployed and operated, including how shifts are assigned, preferences submitted, and time-off requests processed. They may also specify posting timelines, communication expectations, and access to tools needed to view and manage schedules. Some agreements require that systems accommodate established procedures, such as seniority rules or collaborative coverage arrangements, and that employers meet with unions when new systems are introduced or expanded.

Examples:

  • “Where the [workforce scheduling system] is used, the Company will take appropriate steps to educate employees, Managers, and Union Shop Stewards on how to properly use [workforce scheduling system]. Should the Company decide to implement [workforce deployment system] in new locations, the Company will meet and discuss the implementation plan with the respective Union. The Company will work to resolve employees’ issues regarding [workforce scheduling system] in a timely manner and will have a contingency plan to provide timely rest periods, lunch periods, and rotational bumps, in the event of unforeseen circumstances.” (STCU-OLMS71)
  • The Company and the Union have reached the following agreement regarding the automated scheduling system: Managers will remain responsible for handling time-off requests, shift changes, and addressing employee concerns related to scheduling. Schedules will be posted every Thursday for the following week, following a process that considers seniority and classification. Shift preferences and time-off requests will follow an established procedure, and the employer agrees to discuss any scheduling issues that may arise at the union’s request. (UNITEHERE-OLMS75)
  • “Employees shall have the right to designate their choice of vacation dates prior to February 15 of each year. The Supervisor or Manager shall enter all approved vacation time into ADP Workforce Now, which will notify the employee that their request is approved and place their vacation in the timekeeping system….  Any additional vacation time requested outside of the annual bidding process shall be requested in ADP  WorkforceNow by the employee and considered for approval by the Manager or Supervisor. An employee may cancel vacation that has been scheduled at any time. This is to be done in advance of the scheduled vacation time and cancelled in ADP WorkforceNow so that the timekeeping system properly reflects the cancellation.” (IUE-CWA-OLMS24).
  • The procedures for awarding overtime or ECI (Early Call-In) shifts through an automated system: Employees must indicate availability on the Overtime List (OTL) between 24 and 12 hours before the overtime shift starts. Once awarded via the automated system, the overtime is considered accepted and cannot be refused. For hold-over overtime, employees must sign up and be assigned their overtime through the automated system between the 5th and 6th hours of an 8-hour shift or between the 7th and 8th hours of a 10-hour shift. (TWU-IAM-PCBA37)
  • “Vacation Requests must be made through UKG [scheduling technology vendor], unless UKG is down, in which case supervisors will advise employees of the period during which a hard copy of a time off request should be submitted. Thereafter, the procedures below shall be followed. Consistent with past practice, any [Employer] Lead Teacher or Assistant Teacher who arranges with a qualified coworker to cover an anticipated absence for the duration of a vacation request covering eligible vacation dates on the applicable [Employer] calendar will list the name of the confirmed substitute in the comment box of the UKG request. If the coworker with whom the arrangement was made verifies the arrangement to [the Employer] and is qualified to cover, then the employee will receive an approval e-mail from UKG. The first [Employer] Lead Teacher or Assistant Teacher in any classroom who submits a vacation request at least 60 calendar days ahead of the first requested vacation day will receive automatic approval communicated through UKG. Any [employer] Lead Teacher or Assistant Teacher who wishes to take vacation but has not submitted and been granted an advance vacation request under 3 above and cannot, or prefers not to, arrange for coverage of a desired vacation request shall submit such patient vacation request through UKG at least 21 calendar days in advance of the first date of the requested vacation. [The Employer] shall thereafter make good faith attempts to arrange for coverage and shall advise the employee whether that vacation request is granted or denied no more than 10 days in advance of the first date of the requested vacation.” (SEIU-OLMS46)
  • “Work schedules shall be posted as early as practical, but no later than the twentieth (20th) day of the month preceding the month on the schedule. If the Employer uses an online scheduling system, the posted schedule must match the online system. Once work schedules are posted, the Employer must give Bargaining Unit Employees fourteen (14) days notice if changes are to be made to the schedule, unless affected Bargaining Unit Employees approve changes.” (SEIU-OLMS18)
  • Employees are not required to maintain an employer-provided email to access Operational Planning and Scheduling (OPAS) or receive notifications. They can view OPAS outside of the firewall on personal devices like PCs, Macs, and mobile devices. Notifications can be sent via employer email or text, but participation in electronic notifications is optional. Additionally, messages from OPAS will not serve as official shift change or time-off approvals or denial. The employer will provide employees with computers and duty time to print or view schedules and other OPAS-related information. (NATCA-OPM100)
  • “Employees whose leave request has been disapproved shall be informed of the reason(s) for disapproval in writing via email or automated time and attendance system.” (AFGE-OPM129)
  • “The Employer shall post the name of the Manager on Duty for each shift on Hot Schedule.” (CWU-UNITEHERE-OLMS54)

Scheduling system equity, oversight and adjustments

To support fairness and accountability, some agreements include mechanisms for union oversight of scheduling systems, particularly where overtime or shift assignments are managed through automated processes. These provisions may require access to scheduling data, regular review of system parameters, or the ability to verify compliance with established protocols. In a few cases, agreements define staffing standards or escalation procedures to address workload inequities and ensure appropriate adjustments in response to changing operational needs.

Examples:

  • “Should technology allow for the automation of overtime and work callout, the Company and Local Committee will establish a fair and equitable process of offering overtime and additional hours of work available to part time employees that are in excess of scheduled hours.” (IAMAW-PCBA50)
  • Once annually, the Parties will review the Operational Planning and Scheduling (OPAS) tool, including application parameter settings, other duty (detail) shift designations, and collaboratively make adjustments as necessary. Any enhancements and/or updates to OPAS will be addressed by the Parties. The Union may designate a Representative who shall work in collaboration with Management. (NATCA-OPM100)
  • “If the calculation process used to maintain the overtime lists used to track low man hours becomes automated, a copy of the list will be turned over to the local committee on the fifth (5th) day of every month in order to review proper application of call out procedures and overtime award.” (IAMAW-PCBA50)
  • “The Company shall maintain the record of overtime hours charged. When overtime is called, a record of calls that they have made, time of call, person calling, and response shall be provided to the Union. When overtime is awarded using the automated system, the union shall be provided access to the records and to the automated computer system to verify the compliance with these procedures. Hours charged to the Overtime List (OTL) shall be updated immediately at the conclusion of the overtime offer.” (TWU-IAM-PCBA37)
  • The Employer will strive to staff hospital units and departments according to the standards outlined in this agreement, which are based on historical data analysis and staffing ratio formulas. However, exceptions may be necessary in situations involving patient acuity, nursing workload intensity, or unforeseen circumstances. Under normal circumstances, a nurse will not be assigned a patient load greater than the standards. The parties agree to meet and discuss this Agreement as changes occur due to emerging innovation, technology, empirical evidence, and resulting models of care. Any modification of these standards shall be made only by mutual consent. Disputes regarding this agreement will be escalated to an agreed upon Labor-Management Staffing Committee. (OFNHP-AFT-PCBA45)

Next

4.3 Work task technologies and applications