I've written several articles about 12-hour shift schedules. Here are links to the most popular ones:

1. https://www.shift-schedule-design.com/12-Hour_Shifts
    
2. https://www.shift-schedule-design.com/Blog?m8:post=12-hour-shifts-in-smaller-companies
    
3. https://www.shift-schedule-design.com/Blog?m8:post=matching-12-hour-shifts-to-your-workload-distribution
    
4. https://www.shift-schedule-design.com/Blog?m8:post=covering-absences-on-a-12-hour-shift-schedule
   
   
5. https://www.shift-schedule-design.com/Blog?m8:post=12-hour-shift-schedules-with-no-overtime

These 12-hr articles tend to focus on schedule effectiveness and efficiency, i.e. schedules that align the coverage with the workload and utilize the smallest number of employees. Other websites that offer free examples of different 12-hour patterns imply that these are good choices for anyone changing to longer shifts. Smaller groups with uneven workloads and staffing limitations should beware.

In this article, I'd like to address things that should be considered before making the change to 12-hour shifts.

1. Environment. Some jobs are simply too taxing to endure for more than 8 hours. Things like excessive heat, noise, toxins, or physical labor might preclude the use of longer shifts.
    
2. Productivity, quality and safety. Some tasks are too tedious or focused to continue for more than 8 hours. To accommodate 12-hr. shifts, these jobs would require extra breaks, job redesign, and/or periodic rotation to other positions to keep employees fresh.
    
3. Different patterns. With fixed 12-hr. shifts, there is no rule that says both shifts must work the same on-off pattern. In fact, some patterns that are great for the day shift (e.g., Pitman) are terrible for the night shift. We encourage clients to have each shift select its preferred shift independently.
    
4. Worker preferences. Although many employees are willing to work 12-hr. shifts in order to get more days off and more weekends off, not everyone is. Older workers, people with childcare or eldercare concerns, students, and those with 2^nd jobs often prefer 8-hour shifts.
    
5. Business issues. If the business runs 24/7 and has a steady workload at all times, 12-hour shifts can be a good choice. If the company uses fixed shifts, 12-hour fixed shifts are a little more efficient than 8-hour fixed shifts, which may mean a smaller headcount. If the workload is not steady, it may be necessary to use a combination of 8 and 12-hour shifts.
    
6. Absence coverage. If the organization has a high absence rate, 12-hour shifts might not be a good choice. That's because absences must be covered by someone who is scheduled to be off. This can defeat the extra days-off advantage of the longer shifts.
    
7. Pay policies. Most pay polices (e.g., holiday pay, vacations, sick leave, etc.) were written for 8-hour shifts. These polices need to be revised to reflect the 12-hr shifts. For example, with 8-hour shifts new employees get 10 days of vacation per calendar year (80 hours). If this policy was not modified before changing to 12-hour shifts, the new employees might get 120 hours of vacation per year.

One of the key issues with 12-hour shift schedules is how to cover absences. With 8-hour shifts, one way to cover absences is to hold an employee on the previous shift over so that he or she works two consecutive shifts or 16 hours total. Another way is to split the vacant shift into two 4-hour segments, and have someone from the previous shift stay over for 4 additional hours and have someone from the following shift come in 4 hours early. It's fairly easy to cover the open shift this way, since the replacements are already at work or planning to work later that same day.
 

Unfortunately, 12-hour shifts are too long for either of these approaches. Holding someone over for a second shift means they would be working 24 hours (36 hours if they are scheduled to work the next day too). With a split shift, it means the replacements would be working 18 hours straight. Clearly this is excessive.
 

With 12-hour shifts, the only option is to find a qualified employee who is not scheduled to work the same day as the absence. Sounds simple, right? Well it's not. Supervisors can spend an inordinate amount of time trying to find volunteers. It can be tough to reach people. Candidates may have left town or they may be too busy to answer the phone. And they simply may not want to work that day. They might have made other plans or don't want to spoil a nice multi-day break.
 

This is one case in which scheduling software can be beneficial for the supervisors. You'll want a program that makes it easy to both identify eligible candidates and then to contact them. Eligibility may include things like: (1) job title, (2) skill sets, (3) work schedule, and (4) recent overtime hours (to prevent over-using someone). Contact can be by email or text message. If no one volunteers within a fixed amount of time, the supervisor can select someone to cover the open position using criteria such as reverse seniority. All of this saves the supervisor a huge amount of time, freeing them up to focus on other responsibilities.

In the last few weeks, a number of people have contacted me for help with their schedules. What's unusual is that many of them didn't have a scheduling preference. They said they were open to 8-hour, 10-hour or 12-hour shifts. Most of them wanted fixed shifts.
 

I started by telling them that fixed shifts often require a few more employees than rotating shifts. This is true with both 8-hour and 10-hour shifts. This can be critical when the group is already staffed at a minimum or understaffed. They could still use fixed shifts, but they would either have to hire more staff or adopt a schedule with a lot of overtime in it.
 

Next, I went into the problems with 10-hour shifts. I know, everybody loves 10s. But 10s are really inefficient when you're trying to cover a 24-hour day. You need three shifts, which means you're really working 30 hours a day instead of 24 hours. This 25% increase in hours per day requires a 25% increase in staff or a 25% reduction in the amount of coverage. Few organizations can handle this.

That leaves 8-hour shifts and 12-hour shifts. And if the coverage is not the same at all times, a 12-hour shift schedule may not be a good fit. What is needed is a combination of 8s and 12s, for example 8 people on the 12s and 4 people on the 8s. Although the 12-hour shifts might improve the efficiency (i.e. require fewer people), the 8-hour fixed shifts are highly inefficient for low levels of coverage like one person. For example, 1-person coverage requires 2 people and there would be 3 days a week in which both of them are scheduled to work.

I believe that the people who contacted me with no schedule preferences did so to find a scheduling solution to their current situation. What they didn't realize was that they had a staffing problem, not a scheduling problem.

Yes, they might find some schedule changes that are a little more efficient, but not to the extent they hoped to find. And some of those changes might result in schedules that are not very employee-friendly (e.g., 8-hour rotating shifts).

Many larger companies have switched from 8-hour shifts to 12-hour shifts. Smaller organizations have been slower to make the change. A major reason is that the workload in smaller companies isn't constant all day long. For example, they may need 3-person coverage from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and only 1 or 2-person coverage from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Alternatively, they need 3-person coverage around-the-clock from Monday to Friday, but only 1-person coverage on the weekends.
 

All of the popular 12-hour patterns (Pitman, DuPont, 3-on-3-off, 4-on-4-off, etc.) have the same coverage levels all day and all week. If a company with an uneven workload adopts one of these templates, they would either have too much or too little coverage for part of the day (or part of the week). This, in turn, would incur unnecessary costs or adversely impact the service levels.
 

This doesn't mean 12-hour shifts won't work; it just means that the schedule has to be modified. Here are the two possible situations and the best approaches for each:

• If the workload varies by time of day, then you have to combine the 12-hour shifts with an overlay or "power" shift. You use the 12s to match the coverage for the lightest shift (usually the night shift). Let's say that's 2 people. You could use any common 12-hour pattern for 2-person coverage. Then you would overlay that with one or two shifts that boost the coverage during the busier hours of the day. This could consist of an 8-hour shift, 10-hour shift, another 12-hour shift, or two 8-hour shifts. If some of your employees are reluctant to work 12-hour shifts, this will allow a few of them to avoid changing.
   
• If the workload varies by day of the week, then you have to modify the 12-hour pattern. This will require a custom-designed pattern, perhaps one that doesn't use crews. The solution depends on the coverage levels throughout the week and whether you want fixed or rotating shifts. I would modify popular patterns (Pitman, DuPont, etc) to reduce or increase the coverage so that it matches your workload distribution. 

I believe this is a great solution for companies that want to make their work schedules more employee friendly, especially when the workers are grumbling about a lack of work-life balance. Contact us today to see how this might work for your group. You'll be glad you did. Contact us. 

Google searches for “Shift Schedule Templates,” will reveal page, after page, after page of software programs. Unfortunately, and to most people's surprise, these programs won't create schedules for you. You have to enter each employee's on-off work pattern into the program to make it work. Some scheduling programs offer free schedule templates, but these are generic 8-hour or 12-hour shift schedules, best suited for large companies with steady workloads.

Smaller organizations with limited staff and/or uneven workloads can't always use the generic templates offered by the software vendors. If they do, they may have to employ extra, unnecessary staff or live with coverage that doesn't match the work volumes during different times of the day (or days of the week). A lot of companies do this without realizing there are better options. How would they ever know?

So, if you're looking for a new schedule, don't be fooled by these scheduling software programs. They're great for managing an existing schedule, but they won't create a new work pattern for you. And for the few programs that actually offer templates, please beware of the following:

1.     There aren't any templates for companies that operate less than 24/7.

2.     If your staff size is not an exact multiple of 4 (e.g., 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, etc.), the template will not produce consistent coverage. That's because most of them use 4 crews.

3.     If your workload and coverage requirements vary by time of day or by day of the week, the template will not address this. These schedules have the same coverage at all times.

4.     If your pay week (for overtime calculation purposes) is different than the template's, the schedule might produce highly uneven work hours (e.g., 60 hours one week and 24 hours the next), or it might compromise weekends off for employees.

California is one of the few states with overtime laws that differ from the federal guidelines. Companies in California are required to pay overtime when employees work more than 8 hours a day. This is why 12-hour shifts are rarely used in that state.

I have never attempted to understand this state's complex requirements and exceptions. I always advise prospective clients to have their legal representative research this before having me design schedules with anything other than 8-hour shifts.

Recently, I was contacted by Cindy Opeka of O'Peka HR Consulting who stated that she might be able to help. I don't have first-hand experience with her expertise, but thought I would share her comments with you. Here's what she said:

"I'm currently working with a client who is dealing with the Department of Labor. They are up against thousands of dollars in fines. If you work with CA customers, I'd be happy to share info at no charge. I just want to help small employers avoid penalties."

If you would like to reach her, the website is https://hrsolutions-oc.com/. Her email address is: copeka@comcast.net and her phone number is:  (916) 337-4719.

Shift schedules specify when employees are supposed to work. For managers, this defines how the staff will be utilized. For employees, this determines their time off, making it just as important as their pay.

Shift schedules tend to be associated with companies that operate around-the-clock, such as public safety (fire and police), hospitals, utilities, mines, and large manufacturing facilities. But shift schedules are needed by any group that has more than one shift.

The first big change in shift schedules began in the 1980s, when larger 24/7 operations started changing from 8-hour shifts to 12-hour shifts. These companies found that the longer shifts were good for both management and employees. Productivity improved because there were fewer shift hand-offs and tasks were more likely to be finished on one shift rather than passed along to the following shift. Although most workers hated the idea of working longer shifts, the 12-hour patterns were clearly better than the 8-hour patterns, since they offered twice as many days off and up to half the weekends off.

The second major change in shift schedules arose from widespread business growth. Companies that were working 5-days-a-week were expanding to 7-day operations. The three 8-hour crews covering Mon-Fri were burned out from all the weekend overtime and the companies didn't like the spiraling costs. Some companies chose to adopt 5½-day or 6-day schedules. Some chose to hire weekend crews. Most decided to add a fourth crew and adopt a 24/7 schedule, typically with 12-hour shifts.

The third and most recent change encompassed companies not normally associated with shiftwork, such as beauty salons, pharmacies, government offices, mechanics, dentists, insurance companies, restaurants, and customer support centers. They may not run 24/7, but they do operate longer than the traditional 8 to 5, Monday to Friday, and therefore require more than just one shift.

Some of these companies found it more economical to add a shift rather than move to larger facilities or purchase additional equipment. Others found it necessary to stay open longer because of competition and customer expectations. Because the workload in these companies is rarely constant all day or throughout the week, the challenge for scheduling is finding a schedule that matches the coverage with the workload throughout the hours of operation. This can involve staggered shift start times, multiple shift lengths, and overlapping shifts.

Whereas the two previous changes in shift schedules involved finding the single best shift length for around-the-clock coverage, the third change involves choosing the best combination of shift lengths and start times to accommodate a variable workload, often with less-than-24/7 coverage.

At the same time shift schedules were evolving, the process for finding a new schedule also was changing. Early scheduling transitions took place in companies with large staffs and budgets. They often hired consultants to help facilitate the change. The consultants would start by developing a business case that justified changing schedules. Then they would involve the employees in the selection process, educate them about different approaches, revise paid-time-off policies to match the new schedule, and help to implement the new schedule.

When smaller organizations (that couldn't afford a consultant) started changing schedules, they initially turned to industry forums for help, and more recently to free schedule templates found on the Internet. Although the number of options is somewhat limited, this approach is okay if the workload is constant and the staff size is a multiple of 4 (since most of the schedules rely on 4 crews). Since most smaller groups don't have a steady workload or the right number of employees, the templates often will result in unnecessary costs and/or ineffective utilization of the staff.

In addition to thinking you can simply copy schedule examples from the Internet, here are the most common mistakes made today when searching for a new shift schedule:

1.      Wrong priorities. Increased concern for employee work-life balance has led many managers to search for a schedule with shift lengths or work patterns that are popular with employees. They forget that employee satisfaction is NOT the primary purpose of the schedule. The reason you have a schedule is to ensure the right number of the right people are working at the right time. This means matching the coverage (the number of people actually working) with the workload distribution. You don't want a schedule with steady coverage if the organization's workload is lighter from Midnight to 6 a.m. or on the weekends. And you don't want a schedule with a lot of double coverage (from overlapping shifts) if the organization's workload is constant. The top priority should be to find an approach that satisfies the business requirements. Then, and only then, should you seek options (using that approach) that a majority of your employees prefer.

2.      Narrow focus. Focusing on a single issue and ignoring the big picture often results in costly choices. For example, many establishments think they're saving money by having a schedule with no overtime in it. They don't understand that this requires a larger staff and/or more overtime to cover absences. Although they think they are being frugal, a schedule with a small amount of built-in overtime actually might have been cheaper when the total labor costs are considered. Another example is the manager who wants to give his employees more days off by adopting a 10-hour schedule. He doesn't realize that this will reduce the coverage on each shift by 25%, which depletes the reserve capacity used to compensate for absences. Although employees now have 3 scheduled days off each week, they may have to work some of those days whenever somebody takes vacation or calls in sick.

3.      Solution-oriented. When most managers decide it's time for a new schedule, they immediately start searching for a solution on the Internet, e.g., schedule examples or articles about the pros and cons of different shift lengths or work patterns. They should start by developing a process for educating and involving employees. If employees don't believe there is a need to change or that their opinions are being considered, it will be difficult to secure their buy-in and support for the new schedule. Managers should never assume they know what's best for the group. They should try to find multiple options that satisfy the business requirements and let the employees make the final choice. Each site will choose differently due to its unique combination of demographics, experiences, and lifestyles.

Shift schedules will continue to evolve as more and more groups adopt them. Although many of the same issues will continue to exist, new problems are likely to arise as more diverse facilities begin implementing new schedules. Let's hope they learn from the mistakes of other organizations and contact us.

When people search for a new shift schedule, they often cite one of these two goals: (1) better work-life balance, or (2) better staff utilization.

Work-life balance is an employee-oriented goal associated with more or better time-off. And that usually means 10 or 12-hour shifts and/or work patterns that feature fewer consecutive days of work or longer stretches of consecutive days off, e.g., the Pittman or DuPont schedules.

Staff utilization is a management-oriented goal associated with making the most cost-effective use of the employees. If the workload varies by time of day or by day of the week, that can mean matching the coverage with the workload. If the workload or available resources have changed, that can mean squeezing out more coverage. If the absence rate is high, it means trying to maintain coverage that's more than the minimum necessary, while keeping costs minimized.

When work-life balance is the top priority of the search, the resulting schedule will likely be great for employees but less-than-ideal for the organization. There are three reasons:

1.       Effectiveness. Work patterns that are most popular with employees produce constant coverage on a 24/7 basis. If the organization's workload isn't constant, the schedule will not be the best match. 

2.       Efficiency. Most of these popular work patterns use four crews. If the staff size is not an exact multiple of 4, the organization will be wasting some of its resources. 

3.       Cost. 10-hour shifts tend to require at least 25% more staff than 12-hour shifts because they add six hours to the work day (three 10-hour shifts = 30 hours/day). Popular work patterns do not consider absences. The organization either uses overtime to cover those absences or it schedules extra coverage to exceed the minimum necessary. A less-costly approach would be to build relief coverage into the schedule.

So does that mean work-life balance should not be considered when searching for a new schedule? Of course not. But it should never be the starting point for the search. The needs of the organization must always come first. Once those are satisfied, then (and only then) can alternatives that offer more or better time-off be considered.

When managers explain why they're searching for a new shift schedule, it usually boils down to one of these three reasons:

Resource Changes

Either the staff size or the group's budget is changing. If the group is getting bigger, there may be opportunities to use the extra capacity to reduce the average weekly hours, boost coverage on one or more shifts, or build relief coverage into the schedule to cover some of the absences. If the group is getting smaller, the average weekly hours of work may have to be increased to maintain the minimum coverage requirements.

Sometimes upper management wants to cut costs but not change the headcount. The group will have to do a cost analysis of overtime in the schedule vs. overtime outside the schedule to determine the best approach. You can read about this here:  http://www.shift-schedule-design.com/Overtime_Issues. The group may also be forced to consider other schedule changes that will lower costs as discussed here:  http://www.shift-schedule-design.com/Cost_Reduction.

New Business Requirements

When the demand for an organization's products or services changes (usually by increasing), this may require them to hire more employees or make more effective use of their current employees. In either case, it's a good time to align the coverage with the workload. We start the schedule design process by evaluating work volumes and the associated coverage requirements by time of day and day of the week. We also consider absence coverage if the resources are adequate.

Employee Satisfaction

When employees search for a new schedule, they are primarily looking for ways to increase the days off and weekends off. When managers cite employee satisfaction as a reason for changing schedules, they hope that the change will reduce absenteeism and employee turnover, or improve productivity and morale issues. Once business requirements are satisfied, we will evaluate solutions that maximize days off and weekends off and, if possible, reduce the need for mandatory overtime.