Is a 12-Hour Work Day Acceptable?
By Ted Ings, Executive Director
Many companies and employees welcome the work-from-home guidelines that have been adopted since the start of the pandemic. However, the retail automotive business has been mostly exempt from teleworking from home.
Both on the showroom floor and in the service drive, dealership employees have worked 9-hour, 10-hour, and even 12-hour days with regularity. With a standard American workday at 8 hours, it can mean an extra 10 to 20 hours per week for some staff, and that may not include weekend hours. It’s a pace that is almost impossible to keep up, taking a toll on their physical and mental well-being.
The Effect Long Shifts Have on Auto Dealership Personnel
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Salespeople in the showroom are by law exempt from overtime pay because of their commission structure, but that doesn’t mean the extra hours they work are beneficial.
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And in the high-paced service environment, it’s clear that not only does the staff member suffer after working overtime, but the customers and the employees’ families bear the brunt of it.
Keep Work Days Close to the 8-Hour Standard
Everyone benefits when employees are well-rested, which is why the standard 8-hour workday should be the goal. You can increase employee satisfaction and improve your customer experience with these tips:
Add Staff to Take Up the Slack
You can’t leave the service desk or sales floor unattended, so add an extra person to work into the rotation.
Change the Work Schedule
Stagger employee start-times to reduce the shift length. You may even be able to extend your open hours, churning more work through your shop if you can support a two shorter shifts.
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This will require other support staff, managers, or technicians, but the rewards are ready to be reaped.
Encourage Staff to Stick to their Hours
Prevent employee burnout by encouraging them to leave at the end of their shift. While dedication to the job is admirable, an employee with plenty of family time and recreation benefits from improved mental health, and consequently performs better in their career.