In a compelling session titled "Shift Happens: How Flexible Staffing Reduces Burnout and Boosts Coverage," Jeremy Hyde, Senior Director of Customer Service at Sun Country Airlines, challenged one of the contact center industry's most fundamental assumptions: that traditional full-time staffing models are the only way forward.
The Problem with Traditional Models
Hyde opened by highlighting a critical disconnect: while the world has transformed dramatically—through the pandemic, AI emergence, and shifting employee expectations—contact center staffing strategies have largely remained static. Most centers still rely almost exclusively on full-time agents working 8-10 hour shifts, a model designed for stability but ill-equipped for today's volatility.
"The biggest constraint for modern contact center staffing is not technology or geography. It's imagination," Hyde emphasized. "Don't get stuck with the constraints of yesterday."
A Multi-Layered Approach to Staffing
Rather than accepting the traditional model's limitations, Hyde's team at Sun Country Airlines developed a four-layered staffing strategy:
1. Full-Time Foundation (20-30%)
A smaller but stable base of experienced full-time agents provides consistency and deep skill expertise. This tenured group handles complex situations and serves as the foundation for other layers.
2. Scheduled Part-Time Core (60-70%)
The largest component features part-time employees working 3-5 hour "micro-shifts" scheduled one week at a time, three weeks in advance. These shorter shifts:
- Reduce cognitive load and burnout
- Allow precise alignment with demand patterns
- Provide seasonal elasticity (easily adjusting from 12 to 17 hours per week)
- Enable last-minute coverage requests via text message, with capacity increases of 40-50% when needed
3. BPO Pressure Release Layer
A strategic partnership with a BPO provider offers geographic diversification, surge capacity, and the ability to ramp up for peak seasons and then scale back down—without threatening core team stability.
4. Unscheduled Part-Time Flexibility
The most innovative layer: gig-style employees who typically work 7-8 hours per week by picking up shifts from colleagues or filling coverage gaps. During peak seasons, they're scheduled for up to 20 hours per week—a 300% increase that provides massive elasticity.
Measurable Results
The impact of this redesigned approach has been substantial:
- Attrition reduced by 50% among part-time employees compared to full-time staff
- Service level stability achieved while simultaneously managing costs more effectively
- Reduced absenteeism as employees gained greater schedule control
- Precise demand matching eliminated the chronic overstaffing problem
Hyde shared that Sun Country faced a 57% swing in staffing requirements between peak and valley months. The flexible model allowed them to absorb this volatility without layoffs or forcing unwanted hour reductions.
Design Principles for Success
Hyde offered five key principles for organizations looking to reimagine their staffing:
- Design for demand, not averages - Match actual arrival patterns rather than carrying constant staffing levels
- Make flexibility intentional - Employees increasingly expect and need schedule control
- Optimize for human energy - Help people work shifts that allow them to show up as their best selves
- Build optionality before you need it - Don't wait until you're in crisis mode to develop flexible options
- Lower friction to help - Make it easy for employees to pick up additional hours when needed
The Human Impact
Beyond operational metrics, Hyde emphasized the human benefits. Part-time employees consistently praised the workforce team for meeting their scheduling needs—a level of appreciation rarely seen in traditional contact center environments. The reduced cognitive load of shorter shifts meant agents facing a difficult call didn't have 7-8 hours ahead of them, but rather 2-3 hours, significantly reducing stress.
"Good for the business, good for the people," Hyde summarized. "It's not often that you can improve your service levels while also really effectively managing your cost, but those things for us went hand in hand."
A Call to Reimagine
Hyde's message was clear: the constraints that shaped traditional staffing models may no longer apply. Remote work has expanded the talent pool. Technology enables dynamic scheduling. Employee expectations have evolved. The question isn't whether change is possible—it's whether leaders are willing to challenge assumptions and design something better.
"Don't assume that you have to keep doing things the way that you've always done them," Hyde urged. "Allow yourself to get creative and imagine a future that you can design that works better for everybody."
Session Title: Shift Happens: How Flexible Staffing Reduces Burnout and Boosts Coverage
Speaker: Jeremy Hyde, Sr. Director, Customer Service, Sun Country Airlines
Event: ICMI Digital Event 2026
Want to dive deeper into Jeremy Hyde's innovative staffing strategies? Watch the full session recording here.
Interested in more insights from industry leaders? Explore other recorded sessions from the 2026 ICMI Digital Event here.
