Charm Care Corporation Adopts Shiftmation to Combat Labor Shortages

Tackling Labor Shortages: Charm Care Corporation's Innovative Approach

Charm Care Corporation has recently taken significant steps to address the pressing labor shortages in the care industry by implementing a cutting-edge scheduling solution called Shiftmation. This innovative platform has played a crucial role in introducing a flexible work environment, including a mix of two-day and optional three-day work week schedules. The initiative aims not only to enhance the overall work-life balance of employees but also to improve recruitment and retention rates in a challenging labor market.

The Background of Introducing Shiftmation

In recent years, Japan has faced a dramatic demographic shift marked by declining birth rates and an aging population. These changes necessitate a more flexible working arrangement across all industries, including caregiving. The challenge is particularly acute in the care sector, where the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has projected that by 2040, the industry will require approximately 2.72 million workers. Alarmingly, for the first time since the introduction of the Long-Term Care Insurance System, the sector observed a reduction of 280,000 staff members as of 2023, indicating a severe shortage.

In response, Charm Care Corporation has trialed an optional three-day work week to better align with the needs of their staff, aiming to foster a rich work-life balance. However, the incorporation of different workweek structures complicates scheduling, making it imperative to adopt a more streamlined system. Thus, the Shiftmation scheduling service was brought in to facilitate the creation of equitable and efficient shifts.

Challenges and Solutions in Creating a Mixed Workweek Schedule

Challenge: Increased Burden in Shift Creation

The blending of two and three-day workweek employees has led to discrepancies in days off and working hours, putting immense pressure on managers who must manually create schedules. The complexities of ensuring fairness, considering staff preferences, and accommodating their physical capabilities add to this burden.

Solution: Implementation of Shiftmation

Shiftmation provides a robust solution by accounting for each worker's preferences, work styles, and staffing needs, enabling the automatic generation of optimal shifts. This innovation significantly reduces the workload on managers, allowing them to focus on essential tasks such as staff training and facility operations, rather than being bogged down by scheduling issues.

Initial Success of the Trial Implementation

The optional three-day workweek started a pilot program in July 2024, yielding notable successes early in its implementation:

Reduction in Shift Generation Time

By automating shift creation, the process has been streamlined, cutting down creation time by approximately 90% compared to traditional methods.

Increase in Job Applications

The new flexible work model has attracted greater interest from potential employees, resulting in higher application rates.

Realization of Diverse Working Styles

More staff are now able to pursue part-time jobs, personal development, and family time, highlighting the appeal of a flexible work environment.

Enhanced Fairness Among Staff

The AI-driven Shiftmation considers request-offs and individual capabilities, reducing the burden on a select few staff members and fostering a sense of equity in scheduling.

Improvement in Service Quality

With less time spent on scheduling, managers can dedicate more attention to staff communication and resident care, enhancing the overall quality of service.

Following the success of the trial, Charm Care Corporation is now officially integrating Shiftmation into all its facilities, thereby establishing a fully operational mixed work schedule.

Comment from Charm Care Corporation

Mr. Masazawa from the Education and Training Division within Charm Care Corporation remarked on the initial challenges faced when modernizing their scheduling system and acknowledged the significant burden that the shift-creation process placed upon managers. With the varied shifts introduced by the three-day workweek, the scheduling task became quite complex. However, Shiftmation’s adaptability and ability to address unique caregiving conditions made it the ideal choice. The organization has witnessed invaluable time savings, a reduction in logistical headaches, and high staff satisfaction with the new system. Employees have stated, “We can’t return to the previous state without this system.”

About Charm Care Corporation

- Name: Charm Care Corporation
- Headquarters: 21F, Daibiru Honkan, 3-6-32 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka City
- Chairman and CEO: Takahiko Shimomura
- Established Capital: ¥2,759 million
- Business Description: Operates nursing homes and provides other caregiving services.

About Shiftmation

Shiftmation is designed to facilitate the automatic creation of complex work schedules, particularly within the healthcare and caregiving sectors, ensuring that business operations align with the preferences of staff members. With its intent to enhance the efficiency of scheduling, Shiftmation enables teams to focus on service quality, ultimately benefiting both employees and their clients.