A lot of managers are reluctant to adopt 12-hour shifts because they think they're too long. Here's what a recent client told me, "I like the idea of a 12-hour shift, but the techs in this department are required to be on their feet all day, so I have concerns about performance and burnout."

This is a legitimate concern. If there were ways to mitigate this, maybe more companies would change to 12s since they really are better for employee work-life balance. I will discuss a few possible approaches to address fatigue with 12-hour shifts.

One approach would be to split the workforce by adopting two work schedules: one with 8-hour shifts and another with 12-hour shifts. This may be difficult to achieve in very small groups, but it's worth a look. And, if the coverage varies from shift-to-shift, it still might work. You may need a scheduling expert (like me) to help you with the schedule design.

Another approach would be to add more breaks, probably more than legally required. For example, if your state requires at least one 15-minute break every 4 hours, you might offer a 10-minute break every 2 hours. 

The most difficult change would be to redesign the job so that employees are not standing or performing the same process all day long. The benefits would not only be less fatigue, but also exposure to other tasks/responsibilities that may improve the employees' overall satisfaction with their jobs.