Housekeeping Staffing Crisis

First, determine the number of rooms to clean: 200 departures need full cleaning, and 180 arrivals need at least a touch-up if the previous guest departed? Actually, all 285 occupied rooms from last night will become check-outs today, but some may be stayovers. The problem states 200 departures, so 200 rooms need full cleaning. The remaining 85 rooms are stayovers (285 - 200 = 85) and need light cleaning. Standard productivity: a room attendant can clean approximately 14-16 rooms per 8-hour shift, depending on the hotel. Assume 15 rooms per shift. For 200 full cleans, that's 200/15 = 13.33, so 14 attendants. For 85 stayovers, if they take half the time, that's equivalent to 42.5 full cleans, so 42.5/15 = 2.83, so 3 attendants. Total attendants needed = 17. But we have 20 available, so we are actually overstaffed? Wait, we have 20 room attendants available, which is more than 17 needed. However, we also have 5 housepersons who can help with stripping linens, delivering supplies, etc. So with 20 attendants, we can clean 20*15 = 300 full rooms, which is more than enough. But the issue is that 8 called in sick, so we have 20 available out of 28? Actually, original was 30, 8 sick, so 22 available? The setup says 8 called in sick, and you have 20 room attendants available, plus 5 housepersons. So 20 room attendants. That should be sufficient. But the problem may be that the 20 available are not all scheduled for today? The setup says you have 20 room attendants available, so they are available to work. So the number needed is 17, and we have 20, so no additional staff needed. However, the labor budget: current at $3,800, budget $4,500, so $700 remaining. If we use the 20 attendants, their regular wages are already budgeted? The $3,800 may be the cost for the scheduled staff. If we use all 20, we might need to pay overtime for some? The problem doesn't specify. But the question asks for the most cost-effective solution. Since we have enough staff, we don't need agency or overtime. But we must ensure all rooms are cleaned by 3:00 PM. With 20 attendants, each cleaning 15 rooms, total capacity 300 rooms, but we only need 200 full + 85 stayover = 285 rooms, which is within capacity. So we can assign 14 attendants to full cleans and 3 to stayovers, and use the remaining 3 to help with deep cleaning or assist housepersons. That would be within budget. However, if the 20 available include some who are part-time or not scheduled, we might need to call them in, which could incur extra cost. But the problem states they are available, so likely they are scheduled. So the solution is to use the available 20 attendants, reassign tasks, and possibly use housepersons to help with linens to speed up. No need for agency. But if the 20 are not enough due to time constraints (e.g., they start at 8 AM and need to finish by 3 PM, 7 hours), then productivity might be lower. 7 hours * 20 attendants = 140 labor hours. At 0.5 hours per full clean, that's 280 full cleans, enough. So it's feasible. Therefore, the most cost-effective is to use existing staff, possibly offer overtime to those willing to work extra hours if needed, but likely not needed. The labor budget is not exceeded.

If the front office manager insists on 2:00 PM, we have one hour less. With 20 attendants, we need to clean 285 rooms in 6 hours (8 AM to 2 PM). That's 285/20 = 14.25 rooms per attendant, which is still within the 15-room standard, but tight. To ensure completion, I would prioritize: 1) Assign the most efficient attendants to full cleans. 2) Use housepersons to strip linens and run supplies, reducing attendant downtime. 3) Ask the front desk to prioritize early check-in requests and communicate which rooms will be ready first. 4) If necessary, authorize a small amount of overtime (e.g., 1 hour for a few attendants) to finish by 2 PM, but that would add cost. The budget has $700 remaining, and overtime for 5 attendants at 1.5x rate for 1 hour might be around $150, which is within the 10% overage allowance ($450). So it's feasible. Alternatively, call in 2 agency staff for 4 hours at $25/hour = $200, which is also within budget. I would choose the option that minimizes cost and disruption: use existing staff with slight overtime if needed, and communicate with the front desk to manage expectations. I would also document the situation for future staffing planning.