One flexible shift for most of the agency
Creative, strategy and account teams work well on a single flexible shift with core hours, when meetings and reviews happen, and a minimum hours rule. They need no roster. Keep Saturday and Sunday as weekly offs, or every second and fourth Saturday off if the agency still works some Saturdays, and let client meetings and late pitches be handled through on duty requests and comp-off rather than special shifts.
Split shifts for social and reputation desks
Audiences are online early in the morning and late in the evening, and brand complaints do not wait for office hours. A split shift covers both peaks without a 14-hour day: for example, 8 am to 12 noon and 6 pm to 10 pm, which adds up to 8 hours with the afternoon off. ZeniaHR supports split shifts in the shift catalogue alongside fixed and flexible ones. Pair it with a regular 11 am to 8 pm shift so the desk is never empty in between, and give each person a personal weekly off.
Worked example: a weekend social rota
A desk of four social media executives covers brand handles every day. Weekends need one person each on Saturday and Sunday, which is 2 weekend shifts a week, or 8 over a 4-week cycle. Spread across four people, each works 2 weekend days in 4 weeks and takes those weekly offs on weekdays instead. A 28-day rotation template in ZeniaHR, staggered per person, sets the pattern for months ahead, so nobody has to ask on Friday who is on this Sunday.
Shoot days and swaps
A shoot day has a call time, often 6 or 7 am, and a wrap that depends on light and talent. Create a Shoot shift code with the call time as its start, so attendance is judged against the right time, and assign it by day to the crew for that date. Hours beyond the full day are handled by the overtime policy. When a social executive needs a Sunday off for a family wedding, they raise a swap in Shift Swaps; once the colleague agrees, the manager and HR approve, and the rota updates after the final approval.
How to set it up in ZeniaHR
- Keep creative, strategy and account teams on the flexible core-hours shift, with the Saturday rule that fits your week.
- Create split shifts for social and reputation desks, such as 8 am to 12 noon and 6 pm to 10 pm.
- Build a 28-day rotation template for weekend cover, staggered per person, and assign it in bulk.
- Create a Shoot shift code with an early call time and assign it by day to the crew on shoot dates.
- Turn on Shift Swaps for desk teams, with manager then HR approval.
Read more about shifts and rosters in ZeniaHR.
Roles this applies to
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What shifts do social media teams work in agencies?
Often a mix of a regular day shift and split shifts that cover the morning and evening peaks, such as 8 am to 12 noon and 6 pm to 10 pm, plus a weekend rota. The aim is to keep brand handles monitored when audiences are most active, without asking anyone to work a 14-hour day.
What is a split shift?
A split shift is one working day divided into two blocks with a long break in between, for example 8 am to 12 noon and 6 pm to 10 pm. It suits teams whose work peaks twice a day, such as social media desks. ZeniaHR supports split shifts alongside fixed and flexible shifts in the shift catalogue.
How do agencies schedule shoot days?
Around the call time set by the production, often early in the morning, with the crew assigned to that date. Record it as a separate shift so attendance is judged against the call time, and treat hours beyond the normal day under the overtime policy. Weekend shoots should earn comp-off or overtime pay under the agency's written policy.