HOLIDAY PLANNING / 16
Make the public holiday a scheduling decision, not a surprise.
Holiday rotas bring different opening hours, demand and expectations into the same calendar. Make those exceptions visible early and the final schedule is easier to trust.
A five-step public-holiday method
Confirm the holiday calendar
Check the date, local holiday name, opening hours and any reduced or extended service. A correct calendar is the first scheduling constraint.
Set the minimum coverage
Decide which roles and skills must be present for each period. Holiday demand can change the requirement, so do not copy a normal weekday blindly.
Collect availability early
Ask for available, unavailable and preferred times with one clear deadline. Keep recurring commitments separate from a one-off holiday request.
Apply a visible fairness rule
Rotate public holidays where possible, explain unavoidable exceptions and keep the rule consistent across the team.
Publish the exception clearly
Show the holiday hours, assignments, handover notes and change route in the current schedule so no one has to reconstruct the plan from chat.
Check the actual coverage
Run each holiday period through the free shift coverage calculator, then review the fairness guidance in the fair scheduling guide.
Useful for local calendars
Holiday context matters especially when a team works across regions or uses Japanese calendars. Shift Helper’s product direction keeps local dates, overnight work and notes close to the scheduling decision.