Many companies operate around the clock, and the traditional 9 AM to 5 PM schedule is not sustainable for such businesses. Running a business 24 hours a day is quite an undertaking that demands excellent workforce management and, at the same time, flexibility for the staff members.
Such organizations often have rotating shifts to meet their staffing demands. Managers can meet the production or service goals while allowing employees to learn about different aspects of the business by creating an efficient 8-hour shift schedule for seven days a week.
A business that operates 24 hours requires managers to have excellent leadership, foresight, and planning. If you struggle with creating an 8-hour, 7-day work schedule, this article is for you. We are about to discuss the 8-hour rotating shift schedule and how it can create a sustainable and productive work environment.
Table of Contents
What is a rotating 8-hour shift schedule?
A rotating 8-hour shift schedule provides 24/7 coverage for any business by ensuring enough workers are available for the job without increasing their work hours to more than 40 hours per week. Such a schedule maximizes the number of consecutive days employees have off to allow them enough rest and time to spend with their family and friends.
There are several ways to implement the 8-hour shift schedule for 7-days a week, such as a simple 8-hour day schedule, 8-hour swing schedule, and 8-hour night shifts. The rotating 8-hour schedule depends on your business and your industry. It’s about maximizing the schedule for efficiency to benefit employees and employers.
Construction, manufacturing, restaurant and hospitality businesses often have rotating 8-hour shifts. If you are an industry veteran, you might be aware of the pros of rotating shift schedules, but if you are new to the concept, pay attention to the next section.
8-hour 7-day work schedule: Pros
Maintaining 8-hour shift schedules can benefit both the employee and the employer. Understanding the intricacies of maintaining an 8-hour shift schedule for 7-days a week can help shift managers fully exploit these advantages.
Let’s look at how such a rotating 8-hour shift schedule benefits employees.
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Pros for Employees
The 8-hour, 7-day work schedule is fairer for employees as the workload is evenly distributed with enough time off. The rotating shifts allow employees to have two days off in a row, that is, one weekend every week. This gives them ample opportunity to take care of their personal lives and spend time with their families. And it also contributes to their overall well-being and stability.
Employees working 8-hour night shifts can have three days off after working seven consecutive nights. This added advantage of one more off provides them an incentive to work at night.
An 8-hour, 7-day work schedule rotates consistently, so employees know when they are working, as the schedule changes only once a week. It avoids any confusion or last moment changes in the program.
Such a schedule offers excellent work/life balance. It contributes to the employees’ productivity and encourages them to give their best at work.
Pros for Employers
Evidently, with an 8-hour shift schedule for 7-days a week, you can run business operations for 24 hours. The rotating shift schedule allows round-the-clock coverage with as few as four employees.
If you have cost savings scheduling fewer employees helps reduce labor costs. It is also much easier for shift managers to schedule rotating shifts as they don’t change frequently.
Your workers are never overworked, and there is no burnout. It reduces the possibility of accidents or errors as workers have a better attention span, reaction time, motor skills, and fewer memory lapses. This makes them better decision-makers compared to 12-hour shifts, where employees are often overworked and exhausted.
The 8-hour shift schedule for 7-days a week simplifies scheduling, resulting in fewer missed alerts or communication breakdowns with the workers due to excessive shift changes. The fewer shift changes also prevent operational slowdowns.
How to keep track of an 8-hour, 7-day work schedule?
To truly incentivize your 8-hour, 7-day work schedule, you must be able to track employee time and attendance and shift schedule efficiently.
Truein can provide a one-stop solution for tracking 8-hour rotating shift schedules. It is a cloud-based, hardware-less time and attendance system that offers advanced shift scheduling features. Truein utilizes AI-based facial recognition technology to identify and record employees’ attendance.
As a software product, it can be deployed anywhere with ease. Your workers can download the Truein app on their phones to see shift schedule, record attendance, request leaves, regularize attendance, and more. It also features automatic alerts and reporting functionality to facilitate shift scheduling.
Schedule a free demo today and see how Truein can automate shift schedules in your organization.
Conclusion
With an 8-hour shift schedule for 7-days a week, companies can sustain 24-hours operation without stressing the workers. As a manager, you are responsible for choosing the appropriate 8-hour rotating shift model according to your organization’s business model. It would help if you used a tool like Truein to track shifts and make data-driven decisions.
