Attendance, shift and leave process for Structural Steel Fabricators: yard shifts and site rotations
Yard and site teams live different lives. An attendance, shift and leave process covers travel, site rotations and leave so project dates are met without burning out crews.
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Share your requirementsWhy attendance, shift and leave process matters in structural steel fabricators
Yard staff work set hours at one place. Erection crews leave for days or weeks, work irregular hours and come back tired. When a site waits for steel, the yard runs late into the night, and then the next day's attendance suffers. Leave is booked after the project ends, so everyone asks together. Absence on site is hard to cover because replacements must travel and understand the job.
A good process builds a roster for each team: yard shifts with an overtime rule, and site rotations with a fixed stay, travel days and rest days on return. It lists who can replace whom on a crew, so cover is planned. Leave is planned around project dates, and long jobs are staffed with the next rotation in mind. Attendance is recorded daily at both yard and site.
How to set it up
1. Map teams and patterns
Write the yard shifts and the site rotations and who belongs to each. Note travel time and where people stay on site.
2. Set rotation and rest rules
Decide how long a crew stays on site, how many rest days follow and how travel time is counted. Write these rules for everyone.
3. Make a cover list per crew
List who can replace a rigger, welder or fitter on each crew. Add gaps to the training list. See attendance, shift and leave for common patterns.
4. Plan leave around projects
Ask for leave early and check it against project milestones. Spread leave so that no crew is short at a critical lift.
5. Record daily and review
Record attendance each day at the yard and at site, and review patterns monthly with the foremen and the planner.
Check these first
Before changing anything, find out what is true today. These take an afternoon and use your own records.
- List the crews last month that were short of a skilled person and the cause.
- Count late-night yard shifts and the absence on the next day.
- Ask erection crew members about the longest period without a rest day.
- Check whether site attendance is recorded daily and by whom.
GullyHR can do this with you. Read how we approach attendance, shift and leave process in general, or share your requirements and we will tell you where to start.
Questions owners ask
It depends on the job and the distance. Set a rotation that includes rest, and ask crews what they find workable before fixing it.
Decide a clear rule and apply it to all. Some shops count travel as work time, others pay an allowance. We would look at what suits your jobs.
Contact the person, find the reason and follow your written rule on absence. Have a cover plan ready so the project does not stop.