Budgets are tightening, expectations are growing, and today’s facilities teams often find themselves caught in the middle. For many leaders, overtime has long been a necessary tool to keep things running smoothly. But, with fewer resources available, a critical question is rising: is overtime still a viable way forward?

This blog explores how custodial directors can reduce and prevent the need for overtime by adopting smarter staffing, scheduling, and workflow strategies. By leveraging data, teams can work smarter, not longer.    

Why Overtime is No Longer Sustainable in Facilities Operations

Across the country, districts are navigating tighter budgets and shifting priorities. There are several key reasons why this has led to pressure on cutting extra hours: 

• Public schools have lost almost $600 billion over the last decade due to reduced state investment. 
• Recent federal proposals also threaten further cuts, including consolidating special education grants and slashing Department of Education budgets by upwards of 15%.
• Diminishing funds are being focused more towards direct student and teacher support.
• Overtime costs can reach nearly $500 a month per custodian, making it an expensive and illogical option.

Considering these financial pressures, custodial leaders and their teams everywhere are being forced to figure out how to complete necessary work without the usage of overtime. 

Rethinking Priorities and Schedules to Cut Overtime

The first step towards reducing dependence on after-hours work is transforming traditional approaches to operations. For facilities leaders, this means: 

• Clarifying priorities: Identifying what truly needs attention each day versus what can be deferred to the next day, week, or month. 
• Aligning cleaning schedules with building use: Determining whether cleaning during the school day or after students leave better serves occupant needs. Some school leaders are using day custodians for ad hoc cleaning and night teams for full school cleaning needs.
• Using real-time data: Tracking and analyzing work patterns to focus cleaning efforts where they matter most, enabling smarter trade-offs without sacrificing quality or occupant satisfaction.

There is certainly no one-size-fits-all solution, but these strategies provide a solid foundation for working more efficiently within the existing ~40 hour week.

Optimizing Staffing to Match Actual Workload

As cleaning plans evolve, it’s equally important to assess how well custodial staffing matches real demands. This can be done by: 

• Monitoring workload vs. capacity: Tracking metrics like square footage per janitor and the number of daily work orders or complaints to assess coverage needs. 
• Addressing gaps smartly: Substitutes often fall short due to no-shows or unfamiliarity with expectation, adding pressure and costs. Utilizing existing team staff can help address quality issues and existing work.
• Implementing roving custodial teams: Employing trained full-time staff who can seamlessly move between buildings helps decrease disruptions, limit extended work hours, and maintain consistent cleaning quality.

Utilizing an adaptable staffing approach can help districts balance workload effectively, while further reducing the need for overtime. 

Then Why Does Overtime Still Happen?

To address solutions efficiently, it is critical to understand why overtime happens in the first place. Overtime in facilities and custodial operations often arises from several common challenges: 

• Unexpected workload spikes: Sudden maintenance issues may arise, leaving teams scrambling to address problems last-minute.
• Staffing shortages: Not only substitutes, but full-time staff can also skip shifts or lack the proper training to complete tasks effectively.
• Inefficient scheduling: Planning cleanings at times that do not align with building use can create unnecessary obstacles, leading to delays and extended hours.
• Limited real-time visibility: Without current data on work orders and staff availability, it is difficult to allocate resources efficiently.

Recognizing these challenges is vital to successfully executing any organizational or structural changes aimed at reducing overtime.  

How Data Drives Staffing Alignment and Leadership Expectations

Well-aligned staffing models begin with a clear agreement on scope. Thus means identifying what tasks are included, how frequently they are performed, and to what standard. This clarity makes it easier for teams to adapt when needs change, such as shifting staff between zones, adjusting work schedules, or updating SOPs to better reflect current conditions. Agility in both staffing and processes enables facilities teams to maintain high performance even during sudden absences, seasonal demand spikes, or varying priorities from leadership. The goal is simple: focus on the most essential work, so every resource is used to its full potential.  

Navigating the Path Forward

Given the power of data and smarter staffing strategies, overtime is no longer the necessary tool. Instead, it’s becoming the exception. As budgets tighten, facilities teams must lean on strategic scheduling, real-time insights, and flexible work models not just to get the job done, but to do it well. Success will come to those who manage their time, people, and limited resources thoughtfully—making every hour count without sacrificing quality or occupant satisfaction.