Please complete the schedule using your first and last name and DePaul email address.
Please ensure that the number of hours you request matches the number of hours on your application.
Example: John Smith requested 24 hours on his application, but he is only available Monday and Tuesday from 8 AM - 5 PM (18 hours).
If you limit your availability, you may receive fewer hours.
If you are available to work on Saturdays, please indicate so on your application, but note that I typically minimize Saturday shifts for those who worked them the previous quarter.
If you have a preference for morning or afternoon shifts, please let me know.
Please note that excluding Saturday from your availability will not necessarily prevent you from being scheduled on Saturdays.
Please do not limit your schedule to only the hours you prefer to work.
Tip: If you indicate that you want to work every Saturday on your application, you may be scheduled for more than 18 hours per week.
This segment outlines the factors involved in making a work schedule.
Scheduling is a complex process that involves multiple factors that need to be taken into consideration. These factors include:
Consideration #1: The Law
Per the DePaul work-hour policy, students cannot be scheduled for more than 25 hours per week (20 for international students). Students cannot be scheduled during class time, and an appropriate work schedule needs to be negotiated for the quarter.
Here's a link to the work-hour policy: https://offices.depaul.edu/student-employment/employee-resources/Pages/performance-expectations.aspx
Consideration #2: Operation Hours
The number of work opportunities available is determined by the operation hours, the number of shifts, and the number of days Cinespace is open. Cinespace operates from 8 AM - 9:30 PM, which is 13.5 hours. There are three shifts available, and each shift is approximately 4.5 hours.
Monday through Friday, there are five shifts available. On Saturday, two shifts are available, which are 6 hours each.
The Weekly Total: 397.5 hours and 85 work shifts.
Consideration #3: Number of Employees
To ensure that all workers receive a fair distribution of shifts and hours, the 397.5 hours must be divided evenly by the number of employees. However, as the shifts are not equal (4.5, 6), and workers have different requirements, it can be challenging to give everyone the same amount of hours and shifts.
Consideration #4: Attendance
Attendance history is taken into account when selecting the number of employees to be hired and when scheduling consecutive shifts. If there is a lack of shift coverage, more workers will need to be hired. If a worker misses many shifts, they will not be scheduled for consecutive shifts. It is essential to do your best to find shift coverage unless you are sick, as the more workers there are, the fewer hours there will be for everyone.
Consideration #5: Availability
Scheduling is a challenging task that requires filling 397.5 hours with 22 workers with specific scheduling needs. It is important to ensure that international students do not exceed their hours limit, and it is also necessary to know which workers work well together.
The shifts are arranged in descending order, starting with the morning shifts.
The left side indicates the number of workers available for each shift (with the number in pink representing the senior techs).
The number at the bottom of the square shows the total number of workers available for a shift.
The number inside the square represents the number of workers scheduled for that shift, and the number on the right indicates the number of senior and studio techs scheduled for that shift (with senior techs on top).
For instance, on Monday morning, there are 8 workers available for the shift, with 1 senior tech and 4 studio techs scheduled for the shift. Therefore, the total number of workers scheduled for the shift is 5.
It is important to select as many shifts as you can work rather than only the shifts you want to work because the scheduling process takes into account various factors, including the number of workers available for each shift, the total number of hours available, and the number of senior and studio techs required for each shift. By selecting only the shifts you want to work, you limit your availability and decrease your chances of being scheduled for a shift. This can lead to a situation where you may not receive the desired number of hours or shifts, as in the case of Tom.
Tom's availability:
Mon, 12:30 PM - 9:30 PM.
Thurs 12:30 PM - 9:30 PM.
He was unavailable on Tues, Wed, Fri, and Sat.
When scheduling workers, I prioritize the hardest shifts to fill first based on the availability matrix. Therefore, workers who are available for these shifts will be scheduled first. According to the matrix, the hardest shift to cover is Tuesday morning, then Monday and Thursday mornings.
In Tom's case, although he had indicated his preferred shifts, three of the four shifts he wanted to work had many available workers. As a result, these shifts were scheduled last, and he was left with fewer hours than he desired.
In the scenario provided, Lucy, Jessie, William, and Mark were all available to work the difficult shifts of Monday and Thursday, and they wanted consecutive shifts. Thus, Monday and Thursday, 12:30 PM - 5 PM, were no longer available when Tom's turn came to be scheduled. This resulted in Tom receiving only 9 total hours per week, which is less than what he wanted. For Tom to get additional hours, he had to work every Saturday for the rest of the quarter.
It is not possible to add extra shifts to the schedule as it would exceed the budget. Therefore, it is crucial to select as many shifts as possible to increase the chances of being scheduled for a shift that aligns with your desired hours and preferences.
Being available for additional shifts provides greater flexibility and more options for workers. This allows them to work with different schedules and increases their chances of receiving more hours or shifts. Thus, it is advisable to be available for as many shifts as possible, rather than limiting one's availability, to increase the chances of receiving a favorable schedule that meets their desired hours and preferences. By having more options and flexibility, workers can better manage unexpected events, such as illness or other unforeseen circumstances, and ensure operational continuity.