Transforming Staff Management at Wookey Hole

The Challenge of a Complex Operation

With different staffing needs across each outlet – from front-of-house at the restaurant to cave guides, housekeeping teams at the hotel, and park maintenance crews – Wookey Hole’s rota complexity was immense. Seasonal peaks, special events, and varying shift lengths made manual scheduling tedious and error-prone. And when you have 170 employees clocking in and out across five distinct venues, consistency in time tracking, holiday accrual, and payroll exports becomes critical.

“As General Manager of Wookey Hole, I can confidently say that Shiftie has transformed the way we manage our complex rota and staffing requirements. With a diverse and dynamic team spanning attractions, hospitality, and retail, we needed a solution that was intuitive, reliable, and flexible — Shiftie has delivered on all counts.

Seamless Scheduling and Shift Swaps

One of the standout features of Shiftie is its clear, user-friendly interface. Managers can build weekly rotas in minutes, assigning staff to specific locations – whether that’s the hotel reception, the ice-cream parlour, or guiding tours through the caves. Staff members receive notifications via the mobile app and can request shift swaps directly, subject to manager approval.

“The interface is clear and easy to use, making scheduling, shift swaps, and communication straightforward for both management and staff. It’s obvious that Shiftie has been designed with real operational challenges in mind.”

This transparency has led to a significant reduction in last-minute staffing gaps. If a cave guide calls in sick, the system instantly highlights available cover, ensuring the attraction runs smoothly and guests experience no disruption.

Automated Holiday Accrual and Compliance

Tracking annual leave for a 170-strong team operating under different contractual terms can be a compliance nightmare. Shiftie’s automated holiday-accrual engine calculates entitlement and usage in real time. Staff can view their remaining leave balance, submit requests, and see approvals or rejections – all within the same platform.

This level of automation not only ensures legal compliance but also frees HR from manual spreadsheet updates. It gives employees confidence that their entitlements are accurate, fostering a more positive workplace culture.

Accurate Time-Clocks and Payroll Exports

Gone are the days of paper timesheets. Shiftie’s cloud-enabled clock-in/out feature means that each team member at the cave entrance, ice-cream counter, or hotel reception uses a secure mobile or tablet-based clock-in portal. Managers can set tolerances, flag late arrivals, and instantly correct anomalies.

At the end of each pay cycle, Shiftie generates payroll-ready exports.

The result? Payroll processing time has been halved, and payroll discrepancies are virtually non-existent.

The Ongoing Partnership

“What truly sets Shiftie apart is the quality of their customer support. The team is not only incredibly responsive, but also proactive in helping us get the best out of the system.”

Since onboarding, Wookey Hole has held regular reviews with Shiftie’s team. These sessions discuss feature requests, workflow improvements, and updates that keep the platform aligned with shifting operational needs. Whether it’s adding new custom reports or refining the holiday-accrual logic, Shiftie’s responsiveness has cemented a collaborative partnership.

Whether you’re running a heritage attraction, a busy hotel, or a combination of venues, Shiftie can help you take the headache out of workforce management – just as it has for Wookey Hole.

“Their commitment to continuous improvement and genuine interest in our feedback make them a true partner, not just a service provider. I wholeheartedly recommend Shiftie to any organisation looking to streamline their staff management. It’s been a real game-changer for us at Wookey Hole.”