Lecture 3.2 - Staffing

STAFFING

determining personnel and job needs, recruiting qualified staff, matching them with the appropriate job, and training them to perform the work assigned

STAFFING

realization of the human resource component of the planning management function conducted to develop the labor budget and the organizational tasks of job design

STAFFING

establishes how many and what types of personnel are needed

SCHEDULING

determines the names of the persons who will work at these times

STAFFING

ensuring that the laboratory has the appropriate personnel to deliver a timely, high-quality service that meets the needs of its patients

SCHEDULING

Posting of the actual names of the person-in-charge

SCHEDULING

Is matching the people now working in the laboratory with current workload requirements

SCHEDULING

major part of the directing and controlling management functions

TYPES OF PERSONNEL NEEDED:

• technological and analytical complexity

• amount of supervision and support

• Testing volume or workload

• Analytical throughput or turnaround time

  expectations

• Equipment, instrumentation, and computer

  technology

the level of service expected from each unit and the resulting workload

primary determinant in the staffing decision

Accuracy in workload projections

obvious factor in establishing a stable labor force and an effective staffing plan

HISTORICAL RECORDS

form the basis for current staffing requirements and the preparation of the schedule for the immediate period

ANALYSIS OF FUTURE RECORDS/TRENDS

detect tests that are gaining in popularity, becoming obsolete, or giving way to alternative methodology

ANALYSIS OF FORSEEABLE CHANGES

resulting from the introduction of new procedures, discontinuance of old tests, acquisition of new instruments, changes in medical staff, and availability of new services

ROUTINE

regular task that follows set patterns

CHALLENGE

find someone to fill in the gaps caused by the scheduled and unexpected absences

o availability of staff,

o type and volume of work, and the

o workplace itself

three broad categories that must be coordinated and reflected in the final schedule:

AVAILABILITY OF STAFF

major determinant and limitation

GENERALIST

the medical technologist rotates in all of the departments

SPECIALIST

such as a microbiologist & histopathologist

WORKLOAD

usually determined by the patient base

• tests and procedures offered and the technical expertise

• Timing elements

Alignment of staff and workload must take into consideration the following factors:

WORKPLACE

involves instrumentation, methodology, organization, and facility layout, as well as support resources

40 hour work week

5 days on, 2 days off

8/80 hour work cycle

10 days on and 4 days off during a 2-week calendar period

Compressed work cycle

may work multishifts or extended time period in a 40- hour calendar week

Flexible working hours

responsible for a set amount of work but is allowed to establish their own hours

Job sharing

2 individuals share the responsibility and benefit of a position usually filled by one worker

Exempt and professional status

employees are exempted by salary levels or professional classification

TRADITIONAL WORK SCHEDULES

most easily defined as a standard 8-hour shift

TRADITIONAL WORK SCHEDULES

consisting of 5 days on and 2 days off within a calendar week

8/80 rules

10 days in a 2-week period, which allows the employee to work week- ends with scheduled days off during the corresponding time period

ADVANTAGE OF THE TRADITIONAL WORK SCHEDULES

presents a three-shift “package,” which fits quite nicely into the 24-hour day

DISADVANTAGE OF THE TRADITIONAL WORK SCHEDULES

discourages and restricts flexibility and individualization

ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULES

4-day workweek, flexible working hours, and job sharing

ATTENDANCE

showing who is working and who is off

WORK ASSIGNMENTS

give the station or section in which the laboratorian is to work on a particular day

COMBINATION

lists both attendance and work assignment

TECHS

Weekdays: 5

TECHS

Weekends/holidays: 4

PHLEBOTOMISTS

Weekdays & Weekends/holidays: 2

CLERICAL

Weekdays: 1

CLERICAL

Weekends/holidays: 0

CHEMISTRY

C

HEMATOLOGY

H

BLOOD BANK

B

URINALYSIS

U

CLINICAL MICROSCOPY

CM

V

Requested paid time off (vacation, holiday, and so on)

M

A day that employees must have off, usually a request to have their regular scheduled day off at this time rather than using any paid time off

P

A preferred scheduled day off, but the employee will work if necessary

X

Scheduled work day

O

Routine scheduled day off

SET POSTING TIME FRAME

Schedules are frequently posted for either 1 month or 4 weeks

4-WEEK FORMAT

easy to read and fill out because the weekends and the days of the week always follow the same pattern

MONTHLY SCHEDULES

also popular because they follow the calendar

at least 2 weeks

the final schedule should be posted __________ prior to the end of the current cycle to allow the staff time to plan accordingly

SKELETON STAGE/SKELETON SCHEDULE

a working draft that includes weekends and requested time off.

SKELETON STAGE/SKELETON SCHEDULE

serve as a working document in which the supervisor notes any changes and requests that will influence the final schedule

V

vacations

M

must days

P

preferred time off

ROUTINE STAGE

normally follows a set pattern of marking X’s and O’s

O

days off

X

workday schedule

FORCE A SCHEDULE CHANGE

last ditch method for filling in gaps because in the major disruptions in the lives of the staff

FLOATERS

A person who is able to work in many sections of the lab and is assigned according to the fluctuating daily and hourly workload needs

PROFESSIONAL EXTENDERS

are the phlebotomists and clerical staff perform tasks that used to be performed mostly by medical technologists.

WHAT TESTS SHOULD BE DONE?

requires constant review of the menu of services offered by the laboratory

WHERE SHOULD THESE TESTS BE PERFORMED?

proper use of satellite stations and central testing facilities

WHEN SHOULD TESTS BE PERFORMED?

ability to adapt in a timely manner to both short term and long term staffing changes

MICROMANAGEMENT OF WORKFLOW

concerns the actual, live, ongoing processing of the work in the laboratory

BOTTLENECK MANAGEMENT

most (if not all) of the work must pass through these narrow points before reaching the internal production machinery of the organization

BOTTLENECK MANAGEMENT

most often individual specimens that require unusually large amounts of time

ABSENTEEISM

A clearly defined policy on when absenteeism becomes a corporate problem

ABSENTEEISM

It occurs any time a person is not at work when scheduled

ABSENTEEISM

Failure to meet the standard for attendance

ABSENTEEISM MANAGEMENT PLAN

must be handled in the same framework as all behavior and performance problems, following closely the corrective action policies of the institution