Owners of shift-based businesses have experienced a lot of change in 2025, including operating in a tighter labour market with higher turnover and evolving employee demands. And, in 2026, you likely face similar challenges, with 30% of employees seeking a new role.
When even one worker leaving costs businesses thousands in recruiting, hiring, and training replacement staff, retaining your shift workers is crucial this year (and into 2026).
With the right strategies, you can improve employee engagement, reduce turnover, and create a happier, more motivated team.
Below, we’ll dive into five ways you can improve employee satisfaction and retention in your shift-based business, and share how Deputy’s workforce management software will help make it happen.
Make flexible rotas your top priority
Flexible scheduling is quickly becoming one of the top drivers of employee retention, especially for businesses that rely on shift workers. 77% of workers would actively look for a new job if their companies reversed their flexible work policies, but even more concerning is that 40% of employees would avoid applying to a role that lacks flexible options.
Predictable rotas save your team time and give employees more control over their shifts, which is something businesses will have to consider as we move into 2026. If you’re hoping to retain your shift workers and engage them in every shift, predictability and flexibility will be key.
To get started with flexible scheduling so you can meet both your business and employee needs:
Try Deputy's Auto-Scheduling, which uses AI to help you create rotas based on demand and employee preferences (plus, it helps make complex compliance work manageable).
Let employees self-manage by swapping shifts, which you can do with Deputy Shift Swapping.
Experiment with micro-shifts, a trend Deputy found in our research is becoming more popular among younger, multi-job workers.
Engage your employees before they disengage
Beyond the demand for more flexible scheduling, shift workers and other hourly employees are looking for more engaging workplaces and empathetic employers, a growing trend we’re seeing as we head toward 2026.
Many businesses are already embracing this trend, with 71% of employers noting that a better work-life balance for their staff is one of the top benefits.
Investing in their wellbeing, testing rewards programmes, and implementing recognition go a long way in creating a work culture that retains your shift workers.
Communication is also a major factor in engaging your shift workers. To practice more clear, open communication with your teams:
Try Deputy’s News Feed, where you can share updates and recognition with your staff.
Use Deputy’s Shift Pulse™ to gather real-time feedback from employees at the end of every shift.
Look for patterns in feedback so you can adapt quickly and take action when teams start to show signs of disengagement.
Offer learning and development (even for hourly roles)
No one wants to feel stuck in their role, especially with younger generations of shift workers prioritising skill development and career advancement. When 52% of frontline workers feel that advancement is out of reach for them, and just 49% feel they receive proper training to upskill, 2026 is a big opportunity to improve shift worker satisfaction through learning and development.
For example, you can:
Use the workforce analytics in Deputy to look for high-potential employees.
Let employees opt into cross-training, development programmes, or mentorship/shadowing senior employees.
Test online learning programmes that fit into shift workers’ lives, so your employees can upskill and apply what they learn at work.
Ask your teams for feedback on the development opportunities they want.
When it comes to shift worker retention, you can start planning career development activities now so you’re ready to meet the demand for it in 2026.
Use AI to align your business goals to shift worker satisfaction
Come 2026, business owners can no longer afford to guess what their shift workers need — demand is shifting too quickly, and employees want more say in how they work. That’s where AI and analytics come in.
With AI, you’re able to better predict rotas, demand, labour costs, and employee engagement, because you have automated insights at your fingertips. It frees your team to focus on your people, and gives shift workers more control over their work-life balance. Not to mention, data-backed decisions around rostering, shift swapping, and more means you can keep things fair in the workplace.
Deputy is helping business owners do just that:
Deputy’s Auto-Scheduling feature looks at sales, demand, employee availability, and compliance rules so you can create fair rotas automatically.
With demand forecasting, you can use Deputy to plan ahead and avoid things like overstaffing or understaffing, both of which can burn employees out and harm morale.
You can also leverage Deputy’s workforce analytics, which helps you spot trends in overtime costs and employee engagement.
By combining data and insights with feedback from your teams, you can spot potential issues with shift worker morale before they become a problem.
Create a better workplace culture with work-life balance
Unpredictable workplaces don’t just pose a problem for business owners, but also affect the satisfaction, retention, and well-being of their shift workers. 68% of shift workers feel their jobs have had a negative impact on their lives, while 31% feel their work-life balance is poor. Inconsistent rostering, overstaffing, and other admin errors can cause stress and burnout for everyone.
To foster more work-life balance for your hourly employees, focusing on wellbeing, mental health, and offering more control over what balance looks like for your staff are crucial this year and beyond.
Many businesses turn to Deputy to ensure that:
Their employees are getting (and taking) the breaks they need, thanks to Deputy’s Break Planning feature, which also keeps managers informed if breaks are missed.
Workers aren’t burning out with back-to-back shift rostering, which Deputy’s Advanced rostering features help prevent.
Staff can easily request time off or swap shifts with Deputy’s mobile features, which help employees balance their personal lives with work.
Make 2026 your best year yet for shift worker retention
2025 has been a busy year for business owners, but now is the time to think ahead so you can meet the needs of your shift workers in 2026.
To improve shift worker satisfaction and keep your employees engaged:
Start planning how you can implement flexible rotas next year to give your teams more control over how they work.
Put engagement and recognition activities in place now, so you can gather feedback and improve employee engagement ahead of 2026.
Test learning and development now, gathering insights from your hourly workforce.
Consider integrating AI into your everyday operations, especially for more flexible rostering!
And don’t forget to prioritize work-life balance for your teams, keeping a close watch on break planning and shift swapping.
Build a happier, resilient workforce with Deputy
Over 385,000 workplaces use Deputy's workforce management platform to run their shift-based businesses and build happier teams.
With Deputy, your teams gain access to smarter rostering, in-depth analytics, and an all-in-one management solution that provides you with more control over your business.
Try Deputy for free to discover how businesses are building happier, more resilient workforces.
