Shift operation is a
system that allows employers to schedule work around the clock by
using the right work organization, supervisory coverage, and pay policies.
Shift schedules work best where employees understand and buy in to
the operation. While shift operations always involve having employees
working outside the normal workday, devising the best shift schedule
requires looking beyond the obvious issues of shift duration and time-off
scheduling. An economic analysis of the business to determine the
best way to deploy resources is the first step when starting or reorganizing
shift operations. Management should define its business needs for
instituting or reorganizing shift operations. These may include decreasing
costs, increasing production, increasing safety, and improving the
deployment of skilled personnel across shifts. Various schedule models
can then be devised. Employees can give valuable input on features
such as start times, shift lengths, and day-off patterns. In addition
to better compensation, shiftworkers desire better days off, better
alertness and health, and more predictability in the work schedule.
The ideal goal is a schedule that best blends business needs and employee
desires.
Shift differentials. Extra pay for working weekends or nights is a matter of agreement
between the employer and the employee (or the employee's representative).
The FLSA does not require extra pay for weekend or night work. However,
the FLSA does require that covered, nonexempt workers be paid not
less than time and one-half the employee's regular rate for time worked
over 40 hours in a workweek. To make up for the significant interference
with their personal lives, shiftworkers are usually rewarded with
premium pay (known as shift differentials), reduced hours, or both.
Any established premium is considered part of the regular wage and
must be included in computing overtime under the FLSA. A 10 percent
premium to employees who work second or third shift is not unusual.
Figuring shift pay in percentages can be a nuisance, so many companies
pay a flat cents-per-hour wage premium.
Scheduling. The simplest shift schedule divides the day into three relatively
equal parts. First shift might run from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; second shift
might run from 3 or 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. or midnight; third shift usually
begins at 11 p.m. or midnight and ends at 7 a.m. or later. It is important
in any system that there be a clear definition of when the workday
and workweek begin and end to prevent confusion as to when premium
rates apply. Employers should analyze their workload to determine
the number and types of workers needed on a particular shift. An unbalanced
schedule may work because more technical, maintenance, and product
changes take place during the day shift. Other scheduling issues to
consider include assigning work in teams that would require consistent
scheduling among many employees, using temporary or part-time workers
to fill in gaps when work levels increase and, in contrast, ensuring
that shifts aren't too sparse.
Variations. There are numerous variations on the three-shift system. One common
system has shiftworkers working 12 hours per day for 3 or 4 days in
a row, then having 3 or 4 days off. Businesses that operate on a continuous
basis may divide the total 168 hours in a week between four shifts
that work an average of 42 hours per week plus an additional multipurpose
crew to cover gaps and special tasks.
Customer service
issues. Analysis of workload is crucial in customer service
industries, as shiftworkers with telephone responsibilities interact
directly with customers in different time zones and possibly 24 hours
a day/7 days a week for those with Internet responsibilities. Therefore,
the number of employees needed during each hour of the day and each
week of the year should be determined. The average workload, plus
possible high and low variations, also should be calculated by taking
into account holidays, weekends, and vacations. The goal should be
to minimize both idle time and overtime.
Time off. A schedule that includes time off, such as extended vacations or
long “weekends,” can make shift work an attractive alternative to
regular day work. Shift differentials are typically included in holiday
and vacation (or other leave) pay.
Health and
safety. Shiftworkers not only work at unusual hours but also
work out of sync with the human body's natural waking and sleeping
rhythms. Because of this disruption, shiftworkers have been found
to be less productive, be more likely to suffer from a variety of
health problems--including ulcers and gastrointestinal disorders,
have higher turnover and absenteeism rates, and have more accidents
while working and commuting. There are few tools for finding employees
who are best suited for shiftwork. While information is now available
about how shiftwork affects individuals’ health, care must be taken
in applying this information to avoid violating the American
with Disabilities Act (ADA). Employers may not ask disability-related
questions or conduct medical exams before making a job offer. However,
after an offer is made, employees may be tested as long as all employees
in a particular category are tested. According to the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, an employee may be rejected from a particular
job, including shiftwork, for disability- or health-related safety
reasons, if he or she “poses a significant risk of substantial harm
to him/herself or others and the risk cannot be reduced below the
direct threat level through reasonable accommodation.” In other words,
if an employer cannot reduce the risk through an accommodation, the
applicant may be rejected. Individuals supervising shiftworkers should
be aware of medical conditions that are likely to be aggravated by
shiftwork. While it might be illegal to make hiring and other employment-related
decisions based on these conditions, relevant health information can
be used for working out the best schedules for particular workers
to improve the overall health and safety of the workforce. Medical
conditions that have been identified to be worsened by working night
shifts include seizure disorders, chronic depression, insulin-related
diabetes, severe gastrointestinal disease, and chronic heart disease.
Other problem conditions include non-insulin-dependent diabetes, severe
thyroid problems, asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic sleep disorders,
cardiac risk factors, depression, midlevel digestive disorders, and
alcoholism or drug addiction.
Improving communication. Fixed schedules limit contact between employees who only work nights
and managers/supervisors and technical/support staff who only work
daytime hours. If communication between shifts is a problem, your
organization should establish a policy that all managers must work
1 or 2 nights per week. On those nights, their hours need not mirror
the night shift. Rather, they can come in 4 hours earlier or work
4 hours later--just long enough for them to see how things are going
and to deliver news of changes in policies and practices. Don't rely
solely on the nightshift supervisor to disseminate information to
night workers. Instead, put up a bulletin board in a centralized location
that serves as the plant's daily "State of the Union" address. To
avoid information overload, post only important items--key production
and performance numbers, major policy changes, important company news,
etc. Save less significant news--such as minor policy changes and
social event announcements--for a separate site. Meetings with workers
should be held before work, even though it means managers have to
come in at night. After the night shift, workers are likely to be
so exhausted they will miss half of what the manager is telling them.
Studies have shown that employers with shift operations can operate
more profitably by providing assistance to their shift employees.
Shiftworkers are apt to have problems sleeping, difficulty finding
child care at nontraditional times, less training and supervisory
support, and limited access to support departments, including the
Human Resources department. Employers that address these issues can
experience lower absenteeism rates, better safety records, and reduced
errors at work.
Skill imbalance. Seniority-based schedules can leave young, inexperienced workers
on the night shift, which may lead to safety and productivity problems.
The following approaches may balance the team. With fixed shifts,
the importance of front-end training increases. Employers need to
make sure new hires receive the training they need to do their jobs,
as well as information about coping with the physical and social challenges
of working evening and night shifts. Some companies have "pay-for-knowledge"
programs in which salaries are based in part on how many jobs an individual
can perform. This is a highly effective way to encourage employees
to broaden their skills. If skill imbalance is still a problem, an
employer will not be able to use a straight seniority-based system
in which experienced employees work their way onto the day shift.
One alternative approach is to designate certain key positions as
"non-seniority-based." With these jobs, make it part of the institutional
policy that working at night is part of the job and that transferring
to days is not an option. With such a policy, people won't apply for
this job if their goal is to eventually switch to days. Another possibility
is to require day shiftworkers to spend time on the night shift. Depending
on the situation, talented, experienced workers might spend a couple
of days a month or several weeks a year training less experienced
nightshift employees. Just make sure to map out the dates for these
sessions well in advance so veteran employees can plan accordingly.
A related option is to actually rotate a job slot through the different
shifts. Such a system might put an experienced worker on the night
shift for a month or 2 each year.