Advise management on personnel and policies

I have to advise the plant manager on a new personnel policy: a trial of staggered shifts to reduce overtime. Draft a one‑page memo that outlines expected changes in headcount scheduling, estimated monthly cost savings or increases, likely HR pain points (attendance tracking, shift swaps), and a recommended pilot with success criteria and a four‑week timeline starting next Monday.

Before I present the shift‑trial memo to management, make it practical for them: surface the two biggest risks to morale and to on‑time shipments up front, suggest mitigation wording for the union rep, and add the exact data managers should collect during the pilot so they can evaluate whether to scale it.

I proposed staggered shifts and supervisors pushed back, saying it will wreck training and create absenteeism, but they offered no evidence. I can’t tell if their concern is legitimate or protective. What’s the most plausible managerial and human reason behind the pushback, and what single engagement step will help me test whether the concern is factual or cultural?

We routinely design personnel pilots that die waiting for sign‑off from HR, legal and the union, costing months and frustrated managers. Which habit change would most speed getting a pilot launched without ignoring legitimate stakeholder concerns?