Employees are expected to work normal shift hours, in which they expect to be on duty six days per week and eight hours per day. Work schedules can differ from one organization and position to another, based on the work involved. Your schedule may also be affected by the season. Depending on the season, some jobs may have different work schedules. This article is all about Normal Shift Hours.
Be sure you are familiar with the working schedule of any job you are considering. Your startup work will be as smooth as possible if you do this ahead of time.
Check shift hours before accepting a Job
It is common for job postings to include information about the schedule required for the position, or for job interviews to explain it. In any case, if you have any questions about the hours, make sure to ask the employer before accepting an offer.
It’s a good idea to follow up with questions regarding what the weekly schedule will be like, regardless of whether the job is advertised as full-time or part-time. Jobseekers have been surprised at the time requirements of salaried jobs, for example, who were expecting to work 40 hours per week for the job, only to find out that they were expecting 50. Meanwhile, another candidate was offered a part-time position that was expected to last from 25-40 hours a week. In some weeks, his employers scheduled him for fewer hours per week.
Make sure you check the days of the week when you are supposed to work as well. It might be necessary to go in on the weekends for some jobs, while others might be Monday through Friday.
What does shift work entail?
In most offices, normal business hours are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Organizations and companies need to maintain their operations 24 hours a day, or at least longer than the typical eight-hour workday.
There are several ways organizations can schedule employees for shift work if they need 24-hour coverage:
1. An eight-hour shift on a fixed or alternating schedule is a good option.
2. Work for four days per week and then have three days off is sometimes preferred as well.
3. Working several 12-hour shifts before taking a few days off is adopted by many organizations.
Below listed are some common categories adopted by various businesses and industries.
1st Shift
A first shift typically occurs between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM during traditional business hours. As a first shift worker, you get a fairly conventional workday, including morning and evening commutes, and evening off, so you can see your friends or family at nighttime.
2nd Shift
Second shifts are usually from 4:00 or 5:00 PM to midnight. A second shift follows the first. Second shift workers earn slightly more money than first shift workers, since finding workers willing to work that late is tricky. In addition to being called swing shift, the second shift extends long into the night and evening sometimes.
3rd Shift
Immediately following the second shift is the third shift. Employers may set their work hours, but the third shift is generally between 10:00 PM and midnight and ends between 6:00 AM and 9:00 AM. The third shift is also sometimes referred to as the graveyard shift, the night shift, and the midnight shift as well. 3rd shift employees are often offered a higher pay rate as most employees have to work all night when they could be sleeping.
Afternoon
The afternoon shift is also called the swing shift or the second shift. Most afternoon shift workers go to work around 3:00 PM or a little after that and stay until around midnight when the third shift arrives around 11:00 PM.
Day
The first shift occurs during daytime hours, and it is called the day shift. Typically, the day shift operates on a 9-5 schedule in the majority of cases.
Types of working shift hours
- Full-Time working hours
It is not unusual for full-time employees to commit to 37-40 hours per week. Full-time jobs with long hours are usually eligible for employee benefits because of their long hours. Many benefits are given to full-time employees such as vacation holidays, sick days, insurance plans, retirement plans and health benefits, and many more.
Most employees work the same shift every week, but full-time schedules vary from company to company. Some full-time work schedules can vary slightly from day to day, but the hours added up will still add up to 35-40 per week in most cases.
Overtime pay is generally paid to full-time non-exempt employees. When employees work more than the established 40-hour maximum, this occurs. People earning hourly wages typically get paid overtime at a minimum of half of their hourly wage, or “time and a half.” This is standard procedure for hourly employees only.
- Part-Time working hours
Any set of working hours that falls below that of full-time employment is considered part-time. In addition to allowing for greater flexibility, this schedule allows individuals to maintain other commitments outside of work.
The hours of part-time workers are often unpredictable and inconsistent, and benefits are often not included in part-time contracts. For instance, part-time working shift hours can include Monday through Wednesday working from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM, or Saturday to Sunday from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM could also be a part-time schedule.
- Fixed working hours
Work schedules with fixed hours and days are generally determined by the weekly work schedule. Once both employers and workers agree on the number of hours and days to be worked, fixed schedules tend to remain consistent throughout the job duration. They can be changed in case the workers have to adjust their schedule, but it is not always guaranteed. As an example of a fixed schedule, we might say we work from Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM or, from Wednesday to Sunday from 4:00 PM to 12:00 AM.
- Flexible work schedule
Flexible work schedules are less rigid than those that are fixed. An employee’s schedule and the days of the week that he or she works are decided together with their employer. The employer may require employees to stay at work at a certain time or work a minimum number of hours per week, but employees can often switch shifts with one another to meet the needs of both the employer and the employee.
- Rotating Work hours
Workers rotate between day, swing, and night shifts according to a rotating schedule. All employees are assigned a different shift every month to ensure that no employee is stuck working the same less desirable shift every week.
Work schedules like this are not as common, but can sometimes be found in careers such as construction, road work, power plants, and medicine. Based on the type of work being performed, these shifts can cycle weekly or quarterly.
Transitioning from one schedule to another is difficult for many employees. As a result of the employee’s rotating schedule, sleep and eating patterns change. It is also possible that they will see less family and friends, which can affect their personal and social life.
These types of schedules have some advantages. When your work hours are not during your normal work hours, you may be able to spend more time with your family, and friends. You will also be able to run errands that you would normally be unable to do.
Conclusion
Every shift has its pros and cons. Sometimes an organization requires that employees have to work multiple shifts to complete a task. The most common working shift is from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM during the day, which is followed worldwide. However, some organizations need to be operated 24 hours a day, and they can’t take a break which includes law enforcement, military, security, healthcare, retail, restaurants, hospitality, grocery stores, transportation, fire stations, convenience stores, and many more.
Some jobs which require working from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM include Data Scientist, Plumber, Blogger, Electrician, Delivery driver, Medical transcriptionist, and many more. Choose a job which you are comfortable with and its timings suit you the best. If you feel like you are not spending enough time with your family, and your job is creating problems in your marriage, then leave that job and find another job in which you can find comfort.
