EMT Jobs Benefit from Friendlier Schedule System
Although there are many people interested in EMT jobs, there still seems to be a shortage of emergency medical services workers. As there is clearly no lack of interest, some professionals think a different scheduling system would entice more people to join the profession.
EMS workers, including EMTs and paramedics, often keep hectic hours, with schedules that shift every few weeks. However, it is a proven fact that companies that offer lifestyle-friendly schedules have a higher success rate when it comes to attracting and retaining employees.
As the current state of the economy makes it hard for employers to offer higher salaries and more benefits to attract and retain staff, implementing a more lifestyle-friendly schedule could serve as a great hiring and retention tool for EMS workers.
According to an article by EMSResponder.com, employers should try to meet the needs and preferences of most employees, offer as many scheduling options as possible and make schedules easily manageable. The new "51s schedule" seems to do just that.
The scheduling system is meant to enhance the lifestyles of EMT workers while helping systems meet their staffing and service goals. The schedule benefits employees by allowing them to plan their work schedules around their lifestyles rather than the other way around. The schedule benefits employers by allowing them to staff more units than traditional schedules.
As the preference workers most ask for is a non-rotating, same-day-every-week pattern, the 51s schedule allows for five shift options, each that includes set days every week. The second biggest preference is to have weekends off, and the first and second shift options of 51s include three-day weekends each week.
A third preference often expressed by workers is the ability to attend college courses without interruption, so the third 51s shift option offers every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday off. The fourth shift option offers normal days off, as well as regular four-day breaks. The fifth shift requires 6 percent fewer hours, with 80 percent of those shifts served during the weekend.
In essence, the 51s schedule allows workers to choose their shift options according to their preferences. The first three options require working 12 times every four weeks, with more 12-hour shifts than 24-hour shifts, while the last two options require working 10 times every four weeks, with more 24-hour shifts than 12-hour shifts.
Some of the biggest worries among EMS professions, including fatigue, injuries, poor service and burnout rate, are reduced when five overnight shifts are required by 60 percent of employees every four weeks, or six or seven overnight shifts for 40 percent of employees.
"The configuration of 51s also results in fewer personnel needed to staff each unit than more traditional schedules require," the article notes. "Your system can now staff more units than before using just the personnel you already have, and individual workload and fatigue decrease along with response times.
"Or, if hiring freezes or personnel shortages are the concern, you can now staff the same number of units as before, but using fewer people," the article continues. "Simply divide the number of personnel you have by five, and this is the new number of units you could have. Half work the entire 24 hours, and half work 12-hour shifts each day, staggered to cover demand specific to your system."
Overall, the 51s schedule seems to benefit employers and workers equally. Employees have more scheduling options, allowing for a better work-life balance, while employers are able to cover more shifts with fewer staff members, allowing for better and more cost-efficient output.