In today’s fast-paced retail and hospitality environments, flexibility isn’t just a perk, it’s a competitive advantage. As organizations navigate labor shortages, one challenge is rising to the top: how to enable hourly workers to seamlessly move between nearby locations.

Imagine this: a barista working 20 hours a week at one café has availability to pick up shifts at another location just 10 minutes away. But due to disconnected systems, inconsistent policies, or lack of visibility, that opportunity is lost, for the worker and the business. The challenge becomes more complex with franchised organizations where multiple owners and entities operate individual sites in the same area.

This is the mobility gap in hourly hiring. And it’s costing companies in productivity, engagement, and revenue.

Why It Matters Now

Over 8.9 million people in the US have multiple jobs¹. According to Deputy’s 2025 Big Shift Report, 5.4% of hourly workers now hold multiple jobs simultaneously, with younger women in hospitality leading this trend². This rise in poly-employment, where workers stitch together income across employers, signals a broader shift: hourly workers want control, flexibility, and access.

Yet most employers are still operating with rigid, location-bound scheduling models. This creates friction for workers and inefficiencies for businesses.

The Business Case for Cross-Site Mobility

Organizations that enable cross-site labor sharing are able to achieve outcomes such as:

• Reduce understaffing and overtime costs
• Increase shift fill rates and labor utilization
• Boost employee engagement and retention
• Improve customer experience through consistent staffing

A Framework for Building a Cross-Site Mobility Program

Start with a five-part framework to help unlock the full potential of your hourly workforce:

1. Policy & Governance

• Define eligibility rules for cross-site work
• Establish compliance guardrails (e.g., max hours, breaks)
• Align labor sharing with union and local labor laws

2. Technology Infrastructure

• Implement centralized scheduling tools with visibility across locations
• Enable mobile-first self-service for workers to set preferences and pick up shifts
• Use geofencing and AI to match workers to open shifts

3. Shared Talent Pools

• Create geographic labor clusters (e.g., within 10-mile radius)
• Build internal gig marketplaces to allow shift swapping and cross-site scheduling
• Track worker skills, certifications, and preferences to ensure fit

4. Manager Enablement

• Train managers on cross-site scheduling protocols
• Provide real-time data and communication tools
• Offer support for conflict resolution and shift arbitration

5. Continuous Optimization

• Monitor utilization, fill rates, overtime costs, employee satisfaction, and retention
• Use data to refine scheduling algorithms and labor distribution
• Benchmark performance across sites and regions

The Future of Hourly Work Is Modular

As Gen Z becomes the dominant hourly workforce, expectations are changing. Flexibility is no longer about remote work, it’s about modular participation: choosing when, where, and how to work².

Organizations that embrace this shift will not only attract and retain top talent, they’ll build more resilient, efficient, and human-centered operations.

At AMS, we’re helping clients reimagine hourly hiring for the future of work. If you’re ready to explore how cross-site mobility can transform your workforce strategy, let’s connect.

1. Don’t Call It a Side Hustle. These Americans Are ‘Polyworking.’ – The New York Times
2. The New Shift Economy: Flexibility Comes to Hourly Work