Case Study: How an Aged Care Provider Reduced Overtime by 32%
Provider name withheld for privacy • Regional NSW • 120 residents • 85 staff
The Challenge: Rising Overtime, Compliance Pressure, and Burnout
When we first met with this regional aged care provider in early 2025, they were facing a familiar set of challenges:
- Overtime costs had increased 47% over two years, eating into already thin margins
- Care minutes compliance was inconsistent, with frequent last-minute scrambling to meet ratios
- Staff burnout was visible, particularly among permanent nurses covering casual gaps
- Agency spend had doubled, as they relied on external staff to fill unfilled shifts
Their existing system—a combination of spreadsheets and a basic rostering tool—was creating more problems than it solved. As one commentator noted, they were trapped with a "70% solution" that required extensive manual workarounds.
The Root Cause Analysis
Working together, we identified several systemic issues:
- No visibility of overtime risk: Managers couldn't see accumulating hours until after payroll
- Manual shift filling: When casuals declined shifts, coordinators spent hours on the phone
- Skill mismatches: Staff were scheduled without regard to qualifications, creating compliance gaps
- No integration with care minutes: Rostering happened separately from care planning
The Solution: Intelligent Rostering With GetMyRoster
The provider implemented GetMyRoster's aged care-specific features, including:
- Real-time overtime alerts: Managers receive notifications when scheduled hours approach thresholds
- Open shift broadcasting: Vacancies are automatically published to qualified casual staff via mobile app
- Skill-based scheduling: The system ensures only appropriately qualified staff are assigned to shifts
- Care minute tracking: Rosters are built against care minute requirements, ensuring compliance by design
- Geolocation time tracking: Staff clock in via mobile app, eliminating buddy punching and verifying attendance
The Results: 12-Month Impact
| Metric | Before | After 12 Months | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly overtime costs | $18,500 | $12,600 | -32% |
| Agency spend | $22,000/month | $14,300/month | -35% |
| Time to fill casual shifts | 4–6 hours | 25 minutes (average) | -90% |
| Care minutes compliance | 82% | 98% | +16% |
| Staff turnover (annual) | 34% | 22% | -12% |
What Made the Difference
Several factors contributed to these outcomes:
- Proactive, not reactive: Overtime alerts let managers adjust before costs were incurred, not after
- Empowered casual pool: Staff could claim shifts that suited their availability, improving fill rates
- Single source of truth: Integration between rostering, time tracking, and payroll eliminated manual reconciliation
- Data-driven decisions: Monthly workforce reports revealed patterns—like which shifts were hardest to fill—allowing strategic adjustments
Lessons for Other Aged Care Providers
The Clinical Care Coordinator reflects on their journey:
"I wish we'd made the switch sooner. We thought our manual processes were saving money—we were wrong. The system paid for itself in the first three months just through overtime reduction. But the biggest win? Our permanent staff aren't exhausted from covering gaps anymore. You can feel the difference in the building."
Ready to Write Your Own Success Story?
Every aged care provider faces unique challenges, but the principles remain the same. Intelligent rostering delivers measurable ROI while improving care quality and staff wellbeing.
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