How to plan a 24x7 shift schedule

Choose 8-hour or 12-hour shifts

Three 8-hour shifts, such as 6 am to 2 pm, 2 pm to 10 pm and 10 pm to 6 am, keep each day within the eight-hour ordinary cap and suit heavy or high-attention work. Two 12-hour shifts, such as 8 am to 8 pm and 8 pm to 8 am, mean fewer handovers and more days off, but each day runs past the eight-hour cap. Under the working hours rules, work beyond the prescribed hours is overtime, paid at twice the ordinary wage rate with the worker's consent, so check your state's notification and budget for that overtime before choosing 12-hour shifts.

Calculate headcount for one 24x7 post

One post that must be filled every hour of the week needs 24 x 7 = 168 hours of cover. If each person works 6 shifts of 8 hours, that is 48 hours a week, so the post needs 168 / 48 = 3.5 people before any leave. Now add leave. If each person is away about 30 days a year on leave and holidays, out of 313 working days after weekly offs, the relief factor is 313 / 283 = 1.106. The post needs 3.5 x 1.106 = 3.87 people, which rounds up to 4. A security desk with 3 such posts needs 3 x 3.87 = 11.61, so 12 guards, not the 9 that a quick count of three shifts a day suggests.

Build the rotation

A rotation moves people through morning, evening and night shifts in a fixed cycle so nobody is stuck on nights. Rotate forward, from morning to evening to night, which is easier on sleep than rotating backwards, and keep night runs short. Stagger the cycle so each team starts at a different point and every shift is covered every day. A simple cycle for 8-hour shifts is 2 mornings, 2 evenings, 2 nights and 2 days off, an 8-day cycle run by 4 teams starting two days apart. Each team works 6 shifts in 8 days, an average of 42 hours a week, and the 4 teams match the 4 people per post worked out above.

Checks before the schedule goes live

Walk through the schedule for a full cycle before publishing it, one day at a time. Most problems only show up when you follow one person through the cycle, or one shift through a week, rather than looking at the grid as a whole.

• Every hour of every day has the minimum staff, including handover time.
• Nobody finishes a night shift and starts a morning shift the same day.
• Weekly hours per person stay within your limits, with planned overtime approved in advance.
• Women rostered on nights have given consent, and the safety conditions set by the government are in place.
• Senior staff are spread across shifts, so nights are not left to juniors alone.
• Festival days off are shared fairly across teams.

Step by step

1. List posts that need 24x7 cover. Name each post that must be filled around the clock, such as a ward nurse, a security gate or a control room operator, and the minimum people per shift.
2. Choose the shift length. Decide between three 8-hour shifts and two 12-hour shifts, and check how your state's notification treats the hours of a 12-hour day before deciding.
3. Calculate people per post. Divide 168 hours by the weekly hours each person works, multiply by a relief factor for leave and holidays, and round up to whole people.
4. Design the rotation cycle. Rotate forward, keep night runs short and follow nights with rest. Stagger teams so every shift is always covered. ZeniaHR's rotation templates run cycles of up to 62 days, staggered per person.
5. Mark night shifts. Flag night shifts so allowances, rules and attendance treat them correctly. ZeniaHR's shift catalogue has a night shift flag, and shifts that cross midnight are filed to the shift's day.
6. Walk through a full cycle. Check coverage every day, rest after nights, weekly hours and the spread of senior staff before the schedule is published.
7. Publish and lock a month at a time. Publish at least two weeks ahead, keep the month fixed once it starts, and route changes through swaps approved by the manager.

Frequently asked questions