For all those history buffs, here is an interesting fact: shift work actually began during the time of the shepherds who stayed vigilant over their flocks during normal sleeping hours to protect them from theft or attack of other animals. Soldiers employed shift work during battle times while guarding military camps and used torches to protect their forces at night. And the invention of the light bulb in 1849 by Thomas Edison was the greatest event in the history of shift work. It allowed for the continuous 24-hour operation of goods and services.

Since the emergence of the first manufacturing plant, shift work and flexible options have been a topic of discussion for employers and employees. Changes in workforce schedules are needed for our ever-changing, challenging environment. In order to maximize optimal productivity, a plant must leverage their workforce. That often means running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There are many different derivatives to achieve a facility that is maximizing its quantity of product and the quality of its people.

Eight-Hour Shifts
The most common shift consists of Monday through Friday, eight hours a day, three shifts during a 24-hour period (1st, 2nd and 3rd shift). This shift is traditionally the easiest to recruit for, the least disruptive for personal lives and the most desirable for employees to work. These shifts typically produce lower workers' compensation injuries and higher productivity among employees. Problems with this type of shift include difficulty to run 24/7, because the shift does not cover the weekend run without overtime. Additionally, there are problems in the being prepared for quick ramp-ups during production.

Ten-Hour Shifts
To run a company on a 24/7 schedule on a ten-hour shift schedule is not very common. Ten-hour shifts usually consist of employees working Monday through Thursday. In order to achieve continuous production, a mid-shift of 4 hours (worked during the transition of the two 10-hour shifts) would need to be added in addition to a weekend shift. There is some recruiting difficulty for the 4-hour mid-shift that does not necessarily appeal to second income job seekers or part-time employees due to the time when this shift is worked. The ten-hour shifts are very effective for a 40-hour week manufacturing company and a major benefit of this type of shift is the long weekends.

Twelve-Hour Shifts
Another option for a plant to operate continually 24 hours a day, 7 days a week is to implement twelve hours shifts for its workforce. These usually consist of employees working 4 12-hour days one week with three days off and then 3 12-hour days the next week with four days off. Another option to work this shift and help promote a fixed day schedule is to have one shift work 12-hour days from Sunday through Tuesday and a ½ day on Wednesday with the second shift starting the second part of Wednesday and then continue with their regular 12-hour shifts from Thursday through Saturday. There are many other options to run a 12-hour shift beyond these two examples.

The benefits of this type of shift include less interruption with shift changes (1 per day instead of multiple), keeping the same crew working consistently instead of separate crews, and maximizing the capacity of production in the company. The downside of running this type of shift includes an increase chance of injury on the job due to fatigue (higher workers' compensation costs), loss of productivity, cost of overtime pay, and higher employee turnover. Companies also retain higher costs because the workers on these shifts are typically paid more due to the large amount of consecutive hours worked.

Inter-shift Communication
Here is a simple fact to remember: regardless of which shift is currently running in your facility, they all work. They all have their respective benefits and drawbacks, and it is up to management and the employees to choose the best shift to meet their production demands. Once the shifts are in place and are performing to optimal efficiency, attention can be paid to proper inter-shift communication. 

Here are some tips to help plan for an easy transition between shifts: 

• Have shift supervisors overlap their schedules by 15 minutes to an hour and debrief one another from one shift to the other; 
• Install a large message board in the hallway, have important information posted on it for all employees to view at their break times;
• Use voicemail or e-mails to communicate from one supervisor to another on a daily basis;
• Start a communication log or book where each supervisor notes challenges, needs and successes for other supervisors to read;
• Send out a newsletter to all employees on monthly basis noting vacations, illness, births, etc.
• Rotate all managers between all shifts on a scheduled basis to cross-train and share techniques; 
• Videotape important company announcements so employees on other shifts have a chance to see the announcements and share in the news.

Summary
Shifts are like a deck of cards - they can be shuffled and dealt out to form a thousand different possibilities. Remember, if you are going to implement a new shift or change a current shift within your company, survey your employees to determine their needs and give them 60-days notice to allow them enough time to plan for personal needs including transportation, day care, etc. Additionally, it is a good idea to have key central operations people be accessible via phone or e-mail 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That would include HR Managers, Supervisors, Managers and Directors. With these simple tips and techniques in place, your shifts can run smoothly resulting in higher productivity yields.

References

• "Making Shiftwork Work!" Presented by Janie O'Bonnor M.Ed., October 1997.
• Al Brown, Vice President of Sales, Doherty Staffing Solutions.