Staffing a Weekend Cafe Shift
You manage a small cafe. Saturday hours are 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Sunday hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. One server must be on duty at all times. A second server is required Saturday 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Shifts may not be shorter than three hours. Four staff are available: A can work up to 16 hours and cannot work Sunday; B can work up to 20 hours but cannot start before 9:00 a.m.; C can work up to 12 hours, Saturdays only; D can work up to 10 hours, Sundays only. The wage is $15.25 per hour, and the labor budget for the weekend is $400. No overtime is approved. You must publish the schedule tonight.
1. Calculate the total server-hours required and the wage cost. Does the plan fit the budget?
Read the worked answer
Required server-hours = base coverage + second-server coverage.
- Saturday base: 7 a.m.–7 p.m. = 12 hours.
- Sunday base: 8 a.m.–4 p.m. = 8 hours.
- Saturday second server: 11 a.m.–2 p.m. = 3 hours.
- Sunday second server: 10 a.m.–1 p.m. = 3 hours.
Total = 12 + 8 + 3 + 3 = 26 server-hours. At $15.25/hour, cost = 26 × $15.25 = $396.50. That is $3.50 under the $400 budget, so the plan fits only if no extra hours are added. Because overtime is not approved and any additional hour costs $15.25, the margin is too thin to cover a call-out without a budget exception or a service reduction.
2. Build a schedule that satisfies all constraints, or explain why none exists. Show your reasoning.
Read the worked answer
One feasible schedule:
- A: Saturday 7:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. (7 hours; no Sunday).
- B: Saturday 11:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. (8 hours) and Sunday 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (3 hours) = 11 hours; starts no earlier than 9 a.m.
- C: not scheduled (Saturday only; up to 12 hours).
- D: Sunday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (8 hours; Sunday only).
Check coverage: Saturday 7–11 A alone; 11–2 A+B (second server covered); 2–7 B alone. Sunday 8–10 D alone; 10–1 D+B (second server covered); 1–4 D alone. Check limits: A 7 ≤ 16; B 11 ≤ 20; D 8 ≤ 10; all shifts at least 3 hours. Total hours = 7 + 11 + 8 = 26, matching the requirement. C is the natural standby for a Saturday emergency, but not for Sunday.
3. B calls out sick Sunday morning. What are your options, and which do you choose?
Read the worked answer
Sunday needs 11 server-hours, including a second server 10 a.m.–1 p.m. D is already at 8 hours and cannot be in two places; D could add at most 2 hours, which does not solve the second-server gap. A is unavailable Sunday, and C is Saturday-only. Options: (1) I cover the 10 a.m.–1 p.m. second-server shift myself; (2) call a trained standby, if one exists; (3) reduce service during those three hours, such as closing the second register or limiting the menu; (4) ask B to work despite illness-unacceptable.
I would choose (1) if I am trained and can be there, then document a budget exception: 3 × $15.25 = $45.75, putting the weekend at $442.25, over the $400 budget. If no manager coverage is possible, I would use (3) and tell affected staff at once. The reasoning is to preserve required coverage and food safety first, then accept the smallest documented cost or service impact rather than quietly running short-staffed.