Multiple shift scheduling of workforce on four-day workweeks

This paper presents an efficient algorithm for scheduling of employees working on four-day or three-day workweeks in industries operating on multiple shift basis. Such contexts prevail in manufacturing organisations such as paper mills, steel plants and service organizations such as security or police departments and hospitals. The objective is to arrive at the minimum workforce size and to produce schedules that meet demand and achieve certain desired work characteristics. The pattern of demand for employees is such that the number of employees required for each shift during weekdays is at least as large as the number required in the corresponding shift during weekends. The desired work characteristics are parameters relating to the frequency of weekends-off in the days-off, the length of the workstretches and the transition time required when changing shifts.