Trapeze Blog Future-Focused: Building Resilient Teams Through Fairness and Flexibility

By Kristi Urich In the first blog of our two-part 'Future Focused' series, we explored key strategies for improving outcomes for new employees, planning work assignments, and rotating days off. Now, we’ll look at more innovative solutions that create a fairer work environment for all employees, such as fair vacation policies for transit employees, ensuring that both newer and senior team members feel valued and respected.  Fair Play: Balancing Prime Time Requests for All Employees   To provide less tenured employees with access to desirable vacation weeks, agencies can limit the number of prime weeks or days that senior employees can request. For example, agencies might designate certain weeks during peak seasons (e.g., summer or holiday periods) as "prime" and limit number of prime weeks employees may be awarded. This allows more employees to have a fair chance at selecting prime days or weeks off.   Equitable Access: Rotating Selection Groups   Implementing a rotating group for establishing bid rank for vacation and work picks can provide a more balanced result over time for all employees.   Here’s one example:   Employees are divided into groups (e.g., A, B, and C), and the selection order rotates each year. An employee is assigned to Group C when hired. This year the bid is ordered A, B, C. This means the employee will bid near the end, as traditional seniority would dictate. However, next year, the bid order is B, C, A, moving the employee in Group C to a higher position in the selection process.   This annual rotation ensures that all employees, including newer ones, have a fair chance to select desirable duties and vacation days over time.   If convincing your most senior employees is challenging, consider implementing the rotation for employees with five years or less of seniority and gradually expand the rotation groups as new hires join. This approach balances fairness and respects the seniority system, making it a win-win for everyone.   By focusing on these strategies, transit agencies can enhance work-life balance and provide meaningful opportunities for younger workers, balancing seniority and fairness in the transit workforce. These measures not only improve employee well-being but also contribute to the overall efficiency and success of transit operations.   Connect with us below to learn more about how Trapeze Workforce Management can help your agency implement these strategies. CONNECT WITH US