What shift can you work

The symbols in our schedule stand for:. Basically, everyone rotates through the same pattern of days, nights, and time off. As you can see, though, they all start at different times so that all hours are covered. If you need to schedule your team on different shifts, you can scale up this method to work for groups of any size. For example, you might schedule Leah, Rebekah, and Dave to work with Jim in that first set of shifts.

Then you might schedule Ryan, Elyse, and Kim to work with Jack in the second set of shifts, and so on. This type of shift work is a great way to ensure that none of your employees have to stay late or arrive early all the time. Scheduling software like Sling simplifies even the most complicated shifts so that you can sit down, make your schedule, and move on to more pressing matters.

All of this makes Sling the best choice for simplifying your shift work schedule. For more free resources to help you manage your business better, organize and schedule your team, and track and calculate labor costs, visit GetSling.

What Is Shift Work? The Different Types Of Shifts At its most complicated, shift work is hour coverage three eight-hour blocks that keeps your business up and running all the time. Part-Time Vs. Full-Time Most businesses build their traditional shifts i. Part-Time As we explained above, full-time work is arbitrary, with most businesses setting the bar somewhere between 30 and 40 hours per week. Novel Approaches To Shift Work When you realize that you can set your own definition of a typical workweek — be it 40 hours per week, 30 hours per week, part-time, full-time, or a combination of the two — you open the door to a whole host of novel approaches to shift work.

Here are some of the unique ways businesses choose to structure their work schedules. Flextime Flextime is a special arrangement in which employees can vary the start and finish of their shift as long as they work a set number of hours each day and are present during specific core hours.

For example, you may set your flextime shift guidelines at: Employees may start work no earlier than 5 a. Employees may finish work no later than 9 p.

Employees must be present during the core hours of 10 a. One example of a split shift is: 10 a. Four-hour break 6 p. Other Variations One of the many useful things about shift work is that you can tailor it to fit the needs of your business and your employees.

What Industries Use Shift Work? Key Aspects Of Shift Work The advantages and disadvantages of shift work vary from industry to industry. Advantages Of Shift Work For our hypothetical coffee shop, shift work gives all your employees the opportunity to work a busy shift e. Disadvantages Of Shift Work The main disadvantage of shift work at our hypothetical coffee shop is that employees may want a more consistent schedule.

These issues can have a dramatic effect on their lives and, as a result, your business. How To Set Up Shifts If your business runs on two or three shifts and the same employees work those shifts consistently, scheduling is fairly straightforward.

Sling is the easiest way to schedule and communicate with your employees. Try now for free. Disadvantages of working in shifts Similar to any other kind of job shift work comes with its benefits, but it also comes with a few disadvantages.

Sleep disorders and insomnia: A few of the commonly mentioned disadvantages of working shifts is insomnia and sleep disorders. Brains are programmed rest at night, and throwing off your normal sleeping schedule could cause disruption in sleep patterns, fatigue and sleepiness. Due to these issues it is possible to use the aid of a sleep medication or melatonin in order to mitigate the effects of work shifts until you are accustomed to your routine.

Other health problems: Apart from sleep-related issues shift work may be a cause for other health issues. If employees are forced to do shift work due to necessity, it could cause unnecessary stress on their lives. This could lead to abnormal heartbeats and heart attacks, and mental health problems. If you perform at a physical job that requires or hour shifts, you are also at the risk of sustaining injuries. The carpal tunnel condition, sore back, or a bad back are a few of the most frequent health concerns that can arise in these situations.

A life of isolation and loneliness: The majority of workers have a 9-to-5 work schedule, and shift workers might begin to feel the loneliness that comes with a different lifestyle.

If this is problems your way, then finding alternative ways to connect with others is essential for your mental and social health. Sometimes it is a matter of making friends with fellow shift workers is an effective option. Security issues: Depending upon the workplace you work at shift work could result in security concerns. For instance that you work on the graveyard shift in the factory located in an area that is a crime-ridden or industrial area could make you feel uncomfortable.

This is not only making you at risk of being a victim of violent crime as well, but more and more people drink and drive in the evening, making your journey home more difficult. Insufficient coworkers: You may be tired of the discussions at the water cooler however, working shifts and shift work, the chance to chat with your coworkers is usually very limited.

Stagnation in your career : shift work could provide you with the chance to take on greater responsibility and learning but it can make you fall out of the view of your employer.

With an environment that is less competitive and less managers looking at the work you do, it is possible that you may not be considered for promotions or advancement. It is common for you to have fewer employees who can help you, and most people do not want to take on an additional shift over their regular schedule.

Some companies do have a contact list in these situations. Contact your manager as soon as you can to determine how they can assist to identify a temporary replacement one day. Moonlighting with more urgency: when you work irregular hours due to shift work or have 3 or 4 days of vacation on consecutive days, you may not be productive during your time off.

To fill in the gap there is a chance to find an additional job, which is called moonlighting. Although these work opportunities provide an additional source of income, they could affect your productivity in your shift-work position. Your employers could be able to notice. If you are back at work, there will be some time before returning to your regular shift work schedule. These times might change depending on the nature of the work and the product or service offered.

As an employee, you make work your particular shift for months or years at a time. However, your employer may also put you on a rotating shift. A rotating shift changes your shift work over a set period of time. For example, you may work first shift for one month followed by the third shift over the next month. Common types of shift work outside the three-shift, hour style include four hour shifts with three days off or several hour shifts with numerous days off determined by the employer.

There is no limit to the number of industries or jobs that use shift work, but here are 15 career paths that use shift work almost exclusively:. This is by no means an exhaustive list of the professions that use shift work, but as a job seeker, it should give you some ideas of a career you want to pursue. While the benefits to a company employing shift work are heightened productivity and revenue, employees also enjoy numerous advantages associated with shift work. Additional learning opportunities: When you work a traditional shift, your office is usually at full capacity and managers have their hands full with day-to-day operations.

This usually leads to you doing only the work assigned to you and little else, especially if no other opportunities exist. Working the off-hours of shift affords you more learning opportunities, as your workplace may have less staff on hand. Enhanced focus: Once your body gets used to shift work, you can experience enhanced focus. With no meetings, fewer coworkers around, and limited distractions, you can turn your attention to your work, resulting in better focus.

This could translate into more responsibilities or the opportunity to impress your employers. Convenience: One of the foremost reasons why many employees choose shift work is a matter of convenience. For parents, this could mean that you could watch the kids during the day or when they come home from school.

Increased flexibility also affords the opportunity to run errands, go grocery shopping, hit the gym or complete another task without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.

Less congestion and a shorter commute: Long commute times and traffic congestion are two of the worst aspects of a normal 9-to-5 shift. With shift work, this struggle is a thing of the past. Better wages: To entice workers, companies will often offer better wages to shift workers. Set hours: Shift work has a set number of hours you work each day. Each day, you start and finish at the same time.

This enables you to set a schedule of your own without the fear of work causing you to cancel your plans. Training options: During shift work, employers often give you an opportunity to improve your work skills through training.

Weighing these advantages against your current position can often help you decide whether shift work is forward progress, a lateral move or a step backward. Like any other type of employment, shift work has its advantages, but it also has several disadvantages. Sleep ailments and insomnia: One of the most often cited disadvantages of shift work are sleep ailments and insomnia. The brain is programmed to sleep at night, so throwing off a normal sleep schedule can cause a disturbance in sleeping patterns, constant fatigue and insomnia.

Because of these problems, you may have to take a sleep aid or melatonin to counteract the effects of shift work until you become normalized to the schedule.