Scheduling one person on two banquet events in the same day

Why events that look separate overlap

Every shift runs from call to out, not from the event's start to its end. Hotelwright's starting offsets are:

So a server's lunch from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm runs 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, and a server's reception that starts at 2:30 pm runs from 12:30 pm. Those two shifts overlap for an hour and a half even though the events do not.

Three cases

What counts as hours when shifts overlap

Overlapping shifts merge into one working period. In the breakfast and meeting example the person is on the clock from 5:00 am to 2:00 pm, which is 9 hours less the longest break, and the hour of overlap is counted once. The flag warns you that the plan asks for two things at the same time. The clock total is not doubled.

Ways to fix an overlap

1. Use a different person for one of the events. The Suggested order for the slot puts people who would trip a check last.
2. Shorten one call or out for that event only. In Hotelwright you can type a different offset for one role on one event: a 60-minute call on the meeting lunch makes it 10:00 am, which is exactly when the breakfast shift ends (9:00 am plus the 60-minute out). The offset is kept if the event's times move.
3. Move the event time with the client or the sales office, if the event allows.
4. Leave it, if you know why it works, for example a captain who walks from one room to the next. Decide with the flag in front of you.

Roles that cover several rooms

By default only the houseman role is allowed to work across events: one houseman can cover the breakfast room and the lunch room, and the overlap on different events is not flagged. Hotelwright does flag a person who ends up in more rooms at once than your limit, three by default.

Between the shifts

Two events on one day raise other questions than the overlap:

• The gap. A 90-minute gap between the lunch out time and the dinner call is long enough for a meal break, short enough that a person may not leave. Whether it counts as a split shift, and whether it changes pay, depends on your state and employer. Where a state preset or your settings turn the split-shift check on, Hotelwright flags a gap longer than the number you set.
• The day's total. 12 hours on the clock may be over your daily overtime number, where you have one.
• Rest before tomorrow. If you set a minimum rest, a late night followed by an early call is flagged.

These are practical flags, not legal advice. For the rules themselves go to your state labor office through the US Department of Labor's state labor laws page, and check with your own counsel or HR.

In Hotelwright

Double-booking is always checked, and the other checks run from your settings. Each flag names the person and the date, and the shift it rides on opens the event. Schedule checks and the Suggested order are Team plan features. See banquet staffing software and staff banquets from the BEO.