I am wondering how other organizations manage staffing around holidays. For example, the Friday before Memorial Day, how are you determining how many agents you can allow to take time off on that day? How do you handle gathering the time off requests and deciding who to allow off and who you don't. We have a very old school, manual process we have been using, so we'd like to see what others are doing for this process to see how we can optimize Genesys and simplify the process for our agents and for the WFM analysts.

#Unsure/Other

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Laura Callaway
Application Analyst - Workforce Management
St. Luke's Health System
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Hi Laura,

Our previous System had a thing called "Special Days", which would allow us to reference the last 3 years, for both the Thursday before, and the actual Friday (We are a 24x7 Call Centre & Mobile Workforce).

This allowed us to have a customised Volume and Customised Call distribution specific to the Thursday, and the same on Friday.

With Genesys, you have to Manually adjust the distribution and volumes.

Cheers

Wayde.

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Wayde Masters
Demand Forecasting & Resource Officer
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-14-2025 17:48
From: Laura Callaway
Subject: Staffing Around Holidays

I am wondering how other organizations manage staffing around holidays. For example, the Friday before Memorial Day, how are you determining how many agents you can allow to take time off on that day? How do you handle gathering the time off requests and deciding who to allow off and who you don't. We have a very old school, manual process we have been using, so we'd like to see what others are doing for this process to see how we can optimize Genesys and simplify the process for our agents and for the WFM analysts.

#Unsure/Other

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Laura Callaway
Application Analyst - Workforce Management
St. Luke's Health System
------------------------------

Hi Laura,
I am going to move this thread to the WEM Community as the experts there will be better placed to help with this

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Sam Jillard
Online Community Manager/Moderator
Genesys - Employees
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-14-2025 17:48
From: Laura Callaway
Subject: Staffing Around Holidays

I am wondering how other organizations manage staffing around holidays. For example, the Friday before Memorial Day, how are you determining how many agents you can allow to take time off on that day? How do you handle gathering the time off requests and deciding who to allow off and who you don't. We have a very old school, manual process we have been using, so we'd like to see what others are doing for this process to see how we can optimize Genesys and simplify the process for our agents and for the WFM analysts.

#Unsure/Other

------------------------------
Laura Callaway
Application Analyst - Workforce Management
St. Luke's Health System
------------------------------

This has been discussed many times on this community.  Try this link and click through some of them: Search - Genesys

Also, vote on one or more of these

Use Operating Hours and Holidays when | Genesys Cloud Ideas Portal

Allow add holidays in Campaign | Genesys Cloud Ideas Portal

Cancelling time off request should | Genesys Cloud Ideas Portal

Preprogammed Public Holiday Calendar in | Genesys Cloud Ideas Portal

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Robert Wakefield-Carl
ttec Digital
Sr. Director - Innovation Architects
Robert.WC@ttecdigital.com
https://www.ttecDigital.com
https://RobertWC.Blogspot.com
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-14-2025 17:48
From: Laura Callaway
Subject: Staffing Around Holidays

I am wondering how other organizations manage staffing around holidays. For example, the Friday before Memorial Day, how are you determining how many agents you can allow to take time off on that day? How do you handle gathering the time off requests and deciding who to allow off and who you don't. We have a very old school, manual process we have been using, so we'd like to see what others are doing for this process to see how we can optimize Genesys and simplify the process for our agents and for the WFM analysts.

#Unsure/Other

------------------------------
Laura Callaway
Application Analyst - Workforce Management
St. Luke's Health System
------------------------------

We strive to utilize this method to the best of our ability.

• ·         Define holiday types: Specify which holidays are paid, unpaid, or optional.
• ·         Time-off limits: Outline the maximum amount of time employees can request off.
• ·         Daily staffing limits: Set a maximum number of employees who can be off on a given day.
• ·         Submission deadlines: Specify how far in advance requests should be submitted.
• ·         Approval process: Create a structured approval process for time off.
• ·         Blackout dates: Identify any dates where no time off is allowed.
• ·         Compliance: Ensure compliance with our customers to meet all agreed-upon goals.

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Robert Gacula, Manager, Workforce Management Team
American Specialty Health
RobertG@ASHN.com CA, San Diego.
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-14-2025 17:48
From: Laura Callaway
Subject: Staffing Around Holidays

I am wondering how other organizations manage staffing around holidays. For example, the Friday before Memorial Day, how are you determining how many agents you can allow to take time off on that day? How do you handle gathering the time off requests and deciding who to allow off and who you don't. We have a very old school, manual process we have been using, so we'd like to see what others are doing for this process to see how we can optimize Genesys and simplify the process for our agents and for the WFM analysts.

#Unsure/Other

------------------------------
Laura Callaway
Application Analyst - Workforce Management
St. Luke's Health System
------------------------------

Here is what we do...

• We calculate the holiday factor using historical volume
• We adjust the forecast accordingly
• We have a "Holiday" Workplan Configuration with wide-open parameters for start and end times as well as "optional"
• We assign that Workplan to all the applicable agents
• Run schedules for that Holiday week, using the adjusted forecast.  NOTE: We do not publish these.  These are only to get the recommended shifts. 
• Export those schedules and use those schedule to create a Holiday Bid, which includes those shifts only. 
• You either get one of those shifts. You do not work your own hours, you bid on the shifts being offered for that day.  They are usually not 8 hrs.  They may be 4, 5, or 6, or you are off that Holiday.  
• We do have to do the Bid Part manually, however.  We do a Summer and Winter Holiday bid, where we group the holidays.
• When we run the real-schedule for the Holiday week, we manually adjust the working agents schedules to the shift they received in the Holiday bid
• For those who get it off, we add those as a mass Time Off request using HOL as the code,  

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Gina Palmer
Manager, Workforce Management
Papa, Inc.
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-14-2025 17:48
From: Laura Callaway
Subject: Staffing Around Holidays

I am wondering how other organizations manage staffing around holidays. For example, the Friday before Memorial Day, how are you determining how many agents you can allow to take time off on that day? How do you handle gathering the time off requests and deciding who to allow off and who you don't. We have a very old school, manual process we have been using, so we'd like to see what others are doing for this process to see how we can optimize Genesys and simplify the process for our agents and for the WFM analysts.

#Unsure/Other

------------------------------
Laura Callaway
Application Analyst - Workforce Management
St. Luke's Health System
------------------------------