Step 10 — Contingency
Multiple calendars with different work hours can introduce complexity as they are often not handled well by scheduling software and can produce unexpected scheduling results (such as negative float).
The number of calendars should be kept to a minimum, and when multiple calendars are required the working hours within each calendar must be the same (i.e., 8 hours per day).
Calendars define the available working time for activities in the schedule.
Calendars must include all non-working time (e.g., public holidays, RDO’s, weekends etc.)
Typical calendars for different types of activities are as follows:
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Office based work / Design and procurement:
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5-day week / 8-hour day with public holidays and 2-week Christmas break
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Construction and installation:
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5-day or 6-day week / 8-hour day with public holidays, rostered days off and a 2-week Christmas break
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Occupations & closures / Curing:
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7-day week / 8-hour day with no non-working time
Detailed Railway occupation schedules (hour by hour) should always be in separate schedules outside of the master schedule
Consider relevant local Industrial Relations for different trades with respect to working calendars.