What is the healthiest shift pattern to work?
It is recommended that shifts rotate forward from day to afternoon to night because circadian rhythms adjust better when moving ahead than back. Start and Finish Times. Early morning shifts are associated with shorter sleep and greater fatigue.
In general, 8-hour shifts are preferable to 12-hour shifts. Circadian physiology suggests that morning shifts should begin no earlier than 8:00 am for the physiological best fit to circadian rhythmicity.
As well, there are also studies saying that companies that impose their employees daily working hours are also less productive. In the end, scientists generally agree that the ideal daily working time is around 6 hours, and more concentrated in the morning.
Working a 9-5 job can provide more stability, which may help reduce stress and anxiety levels due to the predictability of the schedule. On the other hand, shift work can be more taxing on mental health since it requires more flexibility and adaptation.
Workforce Institute's research demonstrates that a 4/10 work schedule reduces employee stress and boosts their happiness and well-being. Having an extra day off each week allows employees to find a better work-life balance. In this context, offering 4/10 hour shifts have also shown to increase employee attendance.
For ageing employees, night work reduces sleep quality and recovering from demanding shifts takes more time. Based on new research results, the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health recommends providing employees over 50 years of age with better opportunities to reduce night shifts and long hours.
5/5/4 rotating schedule
The 5/5/4 rotating schedule uses five teams of employees and three overlapping ten-hour shifts to operate 24/7. This system uses a 25-day cycle. For example, Team A works five consecutive 10-hour first shifts, followed by three days off.
The most common compressed work arrangement type is a 4/10 schedule, which means an employee works four 10-hour days (Monday through Thursday), with Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off.
On a two-week cycle, one squad works 5 days on then has 5 days off, then 2 days on 2 days off. The second squad works 5 days on and has 2 days off, then 2 days on and 5 days off. This sequence is repeated with two more squads for night shifts. This method is great for getting consistent long breaks.
7-3 or 9-5? If you don't need to work with people at the start of your workday, 7–3 is more efficient. You have to fight less traffic on commute, you have uninterrupted time to concentrate on things, and you have less traffic on commute returning home. You *may* have to stay late some days for meetings, though.
Why 10 hour shifts are better?
Higher productivity
Working ten hours for four days may increase productivity. Employees know that after the long hours, they get three days to themselves every week to relax and attend to personal tasks.
Many people also leave their nine-to-fives because they want more control over their work. If you want to manage your own work, leaving your nine-to-five for a self-employed job may be a good fit for you. You might enjoy having total control over your work day, projects, budget and other factors.

While working from home on Monday or Friday makes it almost an extension of the weekend, a mid-week break from a long work commute can help people get more done. Wednesday might be the best day to take off work, but find out when to get bargains with the cheapest days of the week to do everything.
- Prepare for your shift. ...
- Get enough sleep. ...
- Bring a packed lunch. ...
- Use your breaks wisely. ...
- Schedule a holiday. ...
- Plan your rest days. ...
- Develop a strong support network. ...
- Prioritise your health.
On the other hand, working 10-hour shifts on a regular basis has some pitfalls. As the Occupational Safety and Health Administration explains, those longer working days and hours can lead to: Worker Fatigue. Increased Levels Of Stress.
Night shift work increases the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. It disrupts the body's circadian rhythms—the 24-hour internal “clock” that controls when you sleep and wake. Studies have shown that eating at night alters the body's metabolism.
But there's another one to add. Recent research showed the brains of workers who'd done 10 years of night shifts had aged by an extra six-and-a-half years. They couldn't remember as much or think so quickly. A massive study in the US has been following 75,000 female nurses who work shifts over the past 22 years.
As far as your health is concerned, you may experience sleeping disorders or gastrointestinal difficulties. Plus, research has shown a possible connection to heart disease and prostate cancer. In terms of personal life, people who work rotating shifts often have difficulty with family life and social interactions.
The 2-2-3 work schedule is a 28-day rotational cycle in which each employee works in 12-hour shifts (rotating between day and night). The 2-2-3 work schedule usually involves 4 teams that work 2 days, then get 2 rest days, followed by 3 days of work.
[5 on 2 off] [5 on 3 off]
The officer will work 5 days on, 2 days off, 5 days on, and 3 days off. We noticed this pattern was used in law enforcement departments ranging from 25-50 people.
What is a 4 3 3 work schedule?
Four days ON (first shift) Three days OFF. Four days ON (second shift) Three days OFF.
For three days you work 12 hours during the day, have two days off; work 12 hours on nights for 4 days, have 3 days off; work 12 hours on days for 3 days etc. Of course there are many variations on this theme.
There are several ways in which a compressed schedule can work. The two most common are: 5-4/9 in which you work 8 9-hour days and 1 8-hour day in the pay period and get an extra day off. 4-10 in which you work 4 10-hour days each week of the pay period and have an extra day of each week.
This rotating shift schedule needs 3 teams to work in a 12 hour shift in order to provide 24/7 service. Consequently, the employees will have to work for 2 days, 2 nights, and then have 2 days off in a repeat cycle.
The “2-3-2”
The 2-3-2 was first introduced in the 1960's and became popular in the 1980's. The schedule is based on a 14-day period in which employees work 2 days on, 2 days off, 3 days on, 2 days off, 2 days on, and 3 days off.
In a 3-4-4-3 parenting schedule, the first parent has the kids for three overnight visits, and then the second has them for four. Next week, the days swap: The first parent has the kids for four days, and the second has them for three.
There are people who are perfectly happy with 8-hour shifts as an employee of a company. On the contrary, there are others who see no benefit to a 9–5 job and despise working for another person. Whichever one you are, a 9–5 job will always have a positive impact if you are in the right mindset.
Henry Ford started the concept of 9-5 working hours in 1926 for his assembly line workers. Before that schedule, employees were working much longer hours. The 9-5 arrangement ensured employees were all there and engaged during business hours, and it made people more productive because they worked together efficiently.
How many hours from 7 am to 3 pm? 8 hours.
The 4 team 11-schedule has an average of 42 working hours per week with 12 hour shifts. This schedule is sometimes referred to as '4-day shift plan', 12/24/12/48 or 12/24 plan. All graphs are excluding (public) holidays. All numbers mentioned, such as the number of shifts, are for the current year and team "T".
What are the cons of 12 hour shifts?
One of the most significant cons of 12-hour shifts is worker fatigue. Workers may have a difficult time remaining alert throughout their shift and working several long shifts in a row can disrupt sleep. By the third or fourth day of 12-hour shifts, a worker may be overly tired and far less productive.
With 12-hour shifts, your physical and mental health may be at risk. Those who work long shifts are more prone to obesity, sleep problems and low energy levels. Certain professions require long shifts due to the on-the-job duties. Examples are truck drivers, nurses and police officers.
The traditional 9-5 encourages inactivity and sitting all day, of course, and you've probably heard all about how 'sitting is the new smoking'—about how prolonged sitting can increase your risk for heart disease, diabetes, stiff joints, and even some types of cancer, among a slew of other problems.
- Make friends with your co-workers : ...
- Ask questions - there are no stupid questions : ...
- Take regular breaks: ...
- Eat snacks and stay hydrated: ...
- Don't bring work home: ...
- Plan time for oneself: ...
- Keep hobbies alive: ...
- Remember the reason for the job:
The disadvantage of a job is that you may not always be able to do the work or use the skills you want to use. You might be assigned tasks that bore or frustrate you or that you don't feel confident doing. You may be told what to do instead of being given the freedom to choose how to handle things.
Working second shift hours can also result in poor diet and exercise choices if you don't plan accordingly. On average, shift workers have a higher risk of being overweight, which can increase their chances of developing health complications.
Four days ON (first shift) Three days OFF. Four days ON (second shift) Three days OFF.
Night shift work increases the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. It disrupts the body's circadian rhythms—the 24-hour internal “clock” that controls when you sleep and wake. Studies have shown that eating at night alters the body's metabolism.
After 22 years, researchers found that the women who worked on rotating night shifts for more than five years were up to 11% more likely to have died early compared to those who never worked these shifts.
Night shift work disrupts the body's circadian rhythms, or 24-hour internal “clock” that controls sleep-wake cycles. It increases the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
Is Rotating shift work unhealthy?
As far as your health is concerned, you may experience sleeping disorders or gastrointestinal difficulties. Plus, research has shown a possible connection to heart disease and prostate cancer. In terms of personal life, people who work rotating shifts often have difficulty with family life and social interactions.
5/5/4 rotating schedule
The 5/5/4 rotating schedule uses five teams of employees and three overlapping ten-hour shifts to operate 24/7. This system uses a 25-day cycle. For example, Team A works five consecutive 10-hour first shifts, followed by three days off.
The system involves four (4) shifts on, five (5) off followed by five (5) shifts on, four (4) shifts off followed by five (5) shifts on, five (5) shifts off, on a continuing basis.
[5 on 2 off] [5 on 3 off]
The officer will work 5 days on, 2 days off, 5 days on, and 3 days off. We noticed this pattern was used in law enforcement departments ranging from 25-50 people.
Ten years or more of rotating night shift work was associated with 20% decreased odds of healthy aging. This association was consistently observed for the individual component of healthy aging. Overall, the observed association did not differ substantially by age, BMI, and other lifestyle factors.
Schedule Advantages
Some workers choose the night shift because the schedule fits better with their needs. Nine-to-fivers typically have some free time during the afternoon and evening, but night-shift workers get this time in the morning or during the day.
Fewer distractions and disruptions.
Due to fewer visitors, phone calls, etc., working overnight can result in a quieter workplace. While this does not mean working the night shift is slow, productivity can benefit from the increased focus a quieter setting affords.
5 team 24 7 shift pattern
6-4, 6-4, 6-4 Ten Hour Schedule In this pattern, teams work 6 consecutive 10-hour first shifts, followed by 4 days off, then work 6 consecutive 10-hour third shifts, followed by 4 days off, then work 6 consecutive 10-hour second shifts, followed by another 4 days off.
A 3-2-2 workweek is the same thing as a 2-2-3 schedule, which means four teams of employees work 2 days in a row, get 2 days off, then work 3 more days.
What is a 5 over 7 shift pattern? The 5 over 7 shift pattern usually refers to where someone works 5 days a week, then has 2 days off. The days off could be weekends, although rest days can vary.