Fatigue management in staff & volunteers
Looking out for your staff & volunteers
Whilst we love it when our staff and volunteers offer to go the extra mile again and again, it’s also important to give them some downtime in-between back-to-back shifts, or long days away from home. It not only lets them rest up & recuperate, but also be mentally recharged for the next event they goto.
It might not seem like much, but sending staff who aren’t at their best, or starting to get sick from lack of sleep or taking care of themselves can cost a lot more than a few extra phone calls to see whom else can cover a shift or event.
Spread the load across your staff
Spreading the workload amongst your staff might seem like a bit of extra work, but it also has a number of other benefits;
- Your staff aren’t feeling left out
- Everyone gets equal on the job & real world experience
- Build a good relationship with all your staff — which are especially important coming up to your busy periods
- Familiarity with your equipment & fellow staff/volunteers
Remember to include everyone
By remembering to check in & roster everyone in your team, you’ll ease the workload from those who have been going above & beyond for a little longer than they should, particularly if some of those are also working long hours in other jobs too.
Falling ill from fatigue & overwork
If you haven’t already been sick due to over tiredness, stress, or too much work, consider yourself lucky! Now and then whilst we’re trying to help, our bodies all need a break — without it, fatigue builds up until your body can no longer take it anymore, and crashes. Sometimes you just need a good night sleep, or worse, you might fall ill for days or the week, unable to help anyone!
Keep tabs across on multiple fronts
Fatigue management isn’t just about making sure someone isn’t working too many hours in one shift – it’s important to also consider;
- How far & long they have to drive from home to the event and back
- How much rest has been scheduled since their last shift
- How much they’ve worked in the last week, and when their last day-off was — are they getting enough down-time?
- Are regular breaks in their shift being scheduled and taken?
- How many hours are being worked across the last week — are they working more than a healthy amount?
