LeadingAge members frequently ask me, “Do you know of any providers doing anything wild or different with their staffing? Is anyone doing anything new?”

This year, LeadingAge posed that question to its members in collaboration with our state partners at LeadingAge Minnesota, LeadingAge Pennsylvania, LeadingAge Wisconsin, LeadingAge New York, and LeadingAge Virginia. We gathered insights from over 120 provider members nationwide and conducted 20 in-depth provider interviews. From that, staffing flexibility emerged as a core workforce strategy. We’ve incorporated our findings into a comprehensive resource designed to inspire and guide organizations to help them in embracing it.

At the heart of Embracing Flexible Scheduling Models for Staff is the recognition that traditional, rigid scheduling practices may no longer align with the needs and preferences of today’s workforce. By offering flexibility, providers can expand their pool of potential applicants, foster a culture of autonomy among their staff, and, ideally, compete with other professions that offer more flexibility or work-from-home options.

LeadingAge’s resource highlights three general approaches to flexible scheduling:

• Self-Scheduling: In this approach, team members collaborate to create and manage their schedules. In the process, they gain greater control and ownership over their work hours.
• Baylor Shifts: This scheduling arrangement lets staff work longer hours over weekends in exchange for full-time pay and more days off during the week.
• General Flexible Scheduling: This adaptable approach accommodates varying preferences and circumstances by letting team members split or share shifts, adjust shift lengths, leave early, or stay late as needed—all without penalty.

Provider organizations exploring and implementing any of these flexible scheduling models must first plan carefully, set goals, engage stakeholders, and identify scheduling champions within the organization. The LeadingAge resource supports this process by offering examples of staffing models, practical tips for getting started, and guidance on implementation strategies and staffing policies.

Flexible scheduling benefits team members and providers alike.

Team members working flexible schedules develop a better work-life balance and overall well-being because their schedules acknowledge such diverse life circumstances as childcare responsibilities, schooling, and family care obligations. By prioritizing the needs and preferences of their team members, provider organizations help staff feel that they matter.

Providers implementing these approaches also report significant benefits, including improved referrals and recruitment measures, reduced turnover and absenteeism, improved shift coverage, decreased reliance on agency staffing, streamlined scheduling processes, and enhanced staff satisfaction and morale.

Embracing flexible scheduling models is a proactive and forward-thinking approach to addressing workforce challenges in aging services. Implementing these models is more than just a strategy for survival; it is also a pathway to workforce sustainability.