Title: A survey and classification of service-staff scheduling models that address employee preferences

Authors: John S. Loucks

Addresses: The Munday School of Business, St. Edward's University, 3001 S. Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78704, USA

Abstract: Scheduling service workers in operations that require staffing over long days and a long week, oftentimes 24/7, is a problem that continues to grow in importance and applicability. As research in this area progresses, proposed scheduling models are increasingly including consideration of employee preferences. Roughly 325 articles containing workforce scheduling models were examined, of which 48 (about 15%) explicitly address worker preferences. Findings suggest an upward trend over time in the number of scheduling models with preference consideration. Shift and days-off preferences are most often addressed, with task assignment, total hours scheduled, and work location preferences receiving much less attention. This study brings much needed organisation to, and hence a better picture of, the research of this type published to date. The models surveyed are classified by types of preferences considered, source of the preferences (i.e., individual or staff), and priority criterion in satisfying the preferences.

Keywords: staff scheduling; workforce scheduling; WFS; tour scheduling; scheduling models; employee schedule preferences; worker preferences; schedule preferences; shift preferences; days-off preferences; task assignment preferences; work location preferences; employee satisfaction.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPS.2018.095455

International Journal of Planning and Scheduling, 2018 Vol.2 No.4, pp.292 - 310

Received: 06 Dec 2017
Accepted: 11 Jun 2018
Published online: 04 Oct 2018 *

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