Everyone knows probably the most acquainted work schedule of 9-5. Working an eight-hour shift, 5 days every week, for 40 hours is one thing of a company and cultural monolith. And naturally, our hero Dolly Parton made it well-known greater than 40 years in the past.
However it’s not the one work schedule for workers. In truth, many small companies are choosing a special strategy to the work week by attempting out a 9/80 work schedule.
A 9/80 work schedule might have longer hours, however those that are working inside it could actually get pleasure from extra total steadiness. Forward, we’ll unpack what the 9/80 work schedule is, find out how to schedule it, a few of the advantages and challenges concerned, together with authorized labor concerns, and the way Homebase may help make scheduling for it simpler in your small enterprise.
What’s a 9/80 work schedule?
A 9/80 work schedule is when shifts are divided into 80 hours over 9 working days. Which means workers get an additional two days off a month that permits for longer weekends.
How does a 9/80 work schedule work?
For probably the most half, a 9/80 work schedule is meant as nine hour shifts over a two week interval for a total of 80 hours labored.
A typical 9/80 schedule can appear to be 8 a.m. to six p.m. for 5 days the primary week, after which 8 a.m. to six p.m. the next 4 days with a further time without work. Some schedules might break up a shift in order that workers work a half day as a substitute.
Right here’s a full pattern schedule under.
Week one:
- Monday: 8 a.m to midday; one hour lunch break; 1 p.m. to six p.m.
- Tuesday: 8 a.m to midday; one hour lunch break; 1 p.m. to six p.m.
- Wednesday: 8 a.m to midday; one hour lunch break; 1 p.m. to six p.m.
- Thursday: 8 a.m to midday; one hour lunch break; 1 p.m. to six p.m.
- Friday: 8 a.m to midday; one hour lunch break; 1 p.m. to six p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday: no work
Week two:
- Monday: 8 a.m to midday; one hour lunch break; 1 p.m. to six p.m.
- Tuesday: 8 a.m to midday; one hour lunch break; 1 p.m. to six p.m.
- Wednesday: 8 a.m to midday; one hour lunch break; 1 p.m. to six p.m.
- Thursday: 8 a.m to midday; one hour lunch break; 1 p.m. to six p.m.
- Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: no work
These schedules, after all, will be amended and created relying in your small enterprise’s wants. For instance, should you’re a café that wants protection early within the morning, a 9/80 schedule might have your workers beginning at 5.a.m or 6 a.m.. Then, they work till 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. In some circumstances, workers may match a half day on each Fridays, relatively than have a whole Friday off through the second week.
This schedule additionally doesn’t must run Monday to Friday like conventional schedules. So long as it’s over a two week interval—paying explicit consideration to how this impacts payroll—you possibly can schedule 9/80 shifts nevertheless you want for protection.
What are the advantages of a 9/80 schedule?
It could appear to be rather a lot at first look, however the 9/80 work schedule can really be a really worthwhile funding. There are a number of advantages for each workers and workers.
Elevated productiveness
Should you’ve ever bought actually within the groove of a job at work, solely to comprehend it’s quitting time while you’re thisclose to ending it, it’s a little bit of a bummer. All you want is one further hour! A 9/80 schedule is a good answer for that.
In different, conventional work schedules, workers taking an additional hour to complete out a job might find yourself in extra time hours. And since these hours are costlier for you, it’s usually not superb for the enterprise. As a substitute, with a versatile 9/80 work schedule, workers are inspired to maintain up or enhance their productiveness, figuring out they’ve bought the time. Duties will be divided up extra appropriately for completion through the work day, and there’s the additional advantage of an extended weekend on the horizon twice a month. That lengthy weekend is a large incentive for workers to take advantage of out of their work time.
Longer weekends extra ceaselessly
There’s truthfully nothing higher than a protracted weekend. Once you’re an worker and you recognize there’s an additional day that week only for you, it makes working hours that a lot sweeter and simpler to get pleasure from.
With a 9/80 schedule, workers are assured an additional time without work each two weeks.
Much less commuting
Irrespective of how your workers get to work—automobile, bike or public transit—there’s one thing good about not having to take a seat in site visitors and endure the commute.
Commuting is critical in our very busy work lives, however any likelihood to take a day away from the site visitors, noise, and air pollution is an efficient one in our books.
Stronger emphasis on work/life steadiness
With a 9/80 work week schedule, workers are given the chance to finish any obligatory life-related duties, appointments, and even are inclined to their hobbies. Whether or not it’s a dentist appointment on their Friday off, or becoming a member of their child on a discipline journey, they’ve now bought an additional day to do it as a substitute of taking paid day off.
Flexibility
For employers needing protection, there’s a profit to the 9/80 work schedule. Since not everybody must be on the identical 9/80 schedule, you possibly can have rotating days off. All of the sudden not each worker is begging for that very same Saturday off work.
A 9/80 schedule permits employers and workers to construct out a schedule that works for the enterprise and its staff.
Larger job completion
It’s a provided that with extra hours in a day to do your job, there’s a likelier likelihood your workers will have the ability to end the duties you assign them. That is good to remember should you’re leaning towards the 9/80 schedule. Consider carefully about the way you’re going to delegate duties and assignments per shift.
What are the challenges of a 9/80 schedule?
Like the whole lot else in life, with advantages come some challenges. There are numerous nice facets and advantages to a 9/80 work schedule, however there are challenges that, as an employer, you undoubtedly should be made conscious of with the intention to assuage them accordingly.
Longer work day
Working for 9 hours can take a toll on people who aren’t used to it. So can shift work. Should you’re enthusiastic about implementing a 9/80 work day, it’s helpful for employers to try this problem first. See the place changes will be made for optimized breaks, attempting out completely different duties so it doesn’t exhaust or tire out workers.
Longer work days can put on down morale if workers really feel they solely have time to be at work and never sufficient time at dwelling.
Staffing hole
Small companies of various sizes and industries want shift protection. It will depend on what your enterprise does and its particular wants, however, on the finish of the day, you want folks there to ensure it runs easily.
A 9/80 schedule could cause a staffing hole for companies which can be too small or have too few workers. Staggered schedules will not be out there for the enterprise, or put on down on workers who wish to take a Monday off as a substitute of a Friday, however are unable to.
Time without work and sick day challenges
Together with staffing gaps, there’s the added problem of worker day off and sick days. How is a sick day in the midst of a 9/80 work schedule going to affect your enterprise and different workers?
Early begin occasions and late finish occasions
A 9/80 schedule does take up many of the work day, leaving not numerous time for workers after hours. Relying on the commute, workers might spend as much as 10 to 12 hours in a piece mindset—from journey time to and from to the precise work day. This could take a toll on worker morale, and trigger points at work.
Additional time challenges
If job administration and delegation isn’t dealt with properly, your workers might find yourself beginning a brand new job late within the day and full it properly after their scheduled shift finish time. This may occasionally end in your determining of extra time hours. It could additionally result in uncomfortable conversations concerning the realities of what your workers are doing, in the event that they’re attempting to earn extra by working previous their scheduled shifts.
It’s not all nefarious however extra time could be a problem for workers on a 9/80 schedule.
Incapability to focus
A scarcity of deal with work goes hand-in-hand with adjusting to an extended work schedule. Not all hours of a shift move by with ease. In case your worker is bored three hours in they usually’ve nonetheless bought six to go, that could possibly be an issue.
What sorts of corporations can profit from a 9/80 schedule?
Not each business goes to thrive in a 9/80 scheduling surroundings. However: there are undoubtedly many that would make the swap from the identical ol’ 9-5.
Retail
Retail is the simplest to accommodate 9/80 shifts. For any full-time employees your enterprise depends on for daytime or extended protection, that is superb.
Customer support representatives
Many customer support consultant roles and name facilities must have staggered shifts to cowl not solely quantity of calls, however timezones. In lots of circumstances, these roles have develop into distant. Which means a 9/80 may very well be superb. All of the sudden a enterprise can maximize the variety of requires an agent with out delays that come from workers beginning and ending their shifts.
Hospitality
Like retail, hospitality corporations can profit vastly from the 9/80 shift. This would possibly really take advantage of sense to your managing employees, serving to to make sure somebody is there for protection from the afternoon to shut. Once you do the 9/80 schedule proper, it means any 24/7 protection has shift overlap, that means higher communication and higher high quality of care.
Tech
Builders are inclined to work lengthy hours. Anybody engaged on software program or coding might respect the additional time spent on a mission or dash to get their duties accomplished, plus the additional day off.
Artistic
Not each artistic individual or job can operate throughout a strict 9-5 shift. Inspiration is available in sprints, type of like builders, or any tech-involved position.
Writers, editors, graphic designers, you title the artistic position, and a 9/80 shift schedule can work for them. It will not be as inflexible as 9 days of the identical shifts in a row—enable some room for flexibility of shifts.
What are the authorized concerns concerned within the 9/80 schedule
As of 2023, there aren’t any federal labor legal guidelines proscribing or prohibiting the 9/80 work schedule. Nonetheless, there are a few current labor legal guidelines you’ll must seek the advice of and observe.
- In response to the Honest Labor Requirements Act (FLSA), you will need to pay any non-exempt worker who works over their scheduled 40 hours per week extra time.
- Examine state legal guidelines to see if there are any restrictions. California, for instance, has guidelines round extra time and alternate work schedules that require approval from the state’s division of labor requirements enforcement.
Make scheduling simpler with the correct instruments
Should you’re trying to make a swap to another schedule to your workers, you’ll want the correct device to make scheduling a breeze. Homebase helps optimize the scheduling course of, liberating up time so that you can deal with different duties for the enterprise. Lower what number of hours you spend every week on forecasting and scheduling with Homebase’s automated scheduling.
Change in schedule? Homebase can sends out notifications to workers about shift modifications, a brand new schedule, or the rest. E-mail, textual content, or your personal crew app: discover what works for you. Homebase empowers employers and workers alike: workers can handle their time-off and shift change requests all from the app. Strive Homebase free of charge right now.
