Background

Changing employee expectations is causing public transit agencies to modify transit scheduling practices to improve the quality of life for operators. In recent years, agencies have started providing a package of incentives to attract and retain personnel that not only enhance the quality of life for operators but mitigates the impacts of the workforce shortage conundrum. Examples include offering hiring bonuses, paid Commercial Driver License (CDL) training, work-life balance choices (i.e. flexible schedules), and role stress-induced mitigators (i.e. on-site fitness center). At the same, the emergence of competitive industries and roles, for example, driving for Transportation Network Companies (TNC) allow employees to set work schedules contributing to an improved quality of life, also contributing to the workforce shortage problem.

Recognizing the employee demands and role competitiveness, agencies are reimaging traditional scheduling practices. Addressing these challenges requires a review of the structure of operator assignments, including the selection and assignment for operators, in addition to the daily markup and dispatch of operators. An emerging solution is agencies are shifting from cafeteria-style scheduling towards rostering-style scheduling.[1] While the techniques and strategies to maximize the efficiency of operator schedules are well-documented, there is minimal research on the effectiveness of different scheduling and dispatch approaches that contribute to improving operator’s quality of life.

Objective

The purpose of this synthesis is to identify the current strategies, practices, and outcomes of transit agency efforts to attract and retain operators through changes to schedule design and assignment. This synthesis shall identify the factors that can potentially improve transit operator job satisfaction resulting in enhanced quality of life and potentially increased hiring and retention rates. This synthesis should consider the following questions:

• What sequence of activities and what revisions to labor contract provisions are necessary to develop vehicle and operator work assignments that will attract and retain personnel?
• What scheduling practices are available, which of those are easy to implement?
• What scheduling incentives are necessary to encourage operators to take undesirable assignments?

Information to be Gathered

At a minimum, the contractor shall gather the following information:

• Factors that influence operator satisfaction through employee surveys and exit interviews.
• Analyses and/or reports conducted by public transit agencies regarding operator preferences for shift, hours, days off, and types of service.
• Information on scheduling and dispatching initiatives and practices used or being explored by transit agencies with the to increase operator quality of life.
• Data about:
  • Transit agency bus and rail operator workforce size, hiring rates, and retention rates.
  • Local workforce size and unemployment rates.
  • Local comparable job labor characteristics (job competitiveness) such as working conditions and pay levels of comparable ‘driving jobs.’

How the Information will be Gathered (Task)

• Literature Review
• Survey of transit systems
• Case examples