How a six day week with Sunday off works

The roster

One row per team, one column per day of the cycle. The cycle then repeats.

Shifts per 7-day cycle

How the roster works

Set a day shift from 9 am to 6 pm with a one hour break, so full day hours are eight. The main team, Team A, works Monday to Saturday and rests on Sunday, reading DDDDDDO. If the business closes on Sunday, that is the whole story and Sunday is blank for everyone. If it stays open, a relief crew, Team B, covers Sunday and takes its own weekly off midweek, reading DDDODDD. Their rest days fall on different days, so the shift is covered every day while the main team keeps its Sunday off.

• D is the day shift, 9 am to 6 pm.
• O is the weekly rest day.
• The main team rests on Sunday.
• A relief crew covers Sunday and rests on a weekday.

Hours per week worked out

Each employee works six 8 hour days, which is 48 hours a week. That is the common weekly ceiling, with each day at the eight hour ordinary day, so a clean roster carries little overtime; work on Sunday for the main team, or beyond eight hours, is overtime at twice the ordinary wage rate with consent. The fixed Sunday off makes payroll and planning simple, because paid days are steady and the rest day never moves for the main team.

Who it suits

This pattern suits offices, schools, trading firms and workshops that either close on Sunday or keep only a light Sunday presence. Staff value the fixed rest day, which makes family and social life easy to plan. The care point is Sunday work: if you need cover, pay it correctly or give a weekday off in return, rather than quietly adding a seventh working day. Keep a clear record so the weekly rest is never lost across a busy month.

Pros

• A fixed Sunday off is easy for families to plan.
• Simple and familiar for most Indian workplaces.
• Steady paid days keep payroll straightforward.
• A relief crew can keep Sunday covered if needed.

Cons

• A single weekly off leaves little midweek rest.
• Sunday work must be paid or given back fairly.
• Six day weeks reach the 48 hour ceiling.
• Weekend businesses cannot give everyone Sunday off.

Set it up in ZeniaHR

1. In the shift catalogue add the day shift with code, 9 to 6 timings, a one hour break so full day hours are eight, grace in and out, and a colour.
2. Set Sunday as the weekly off in the weekly off pattern for the main team, so attendance and payroll treat it as the rest day.
3. If you stay open on Sunday, give the relief crew a personal weekly off on a weekday and assign them to Sundays over up to 92 days.
4. Open the day grid to confirm the main team rests on Sunday and, where needed, the relief crew keeps Sunday covered.
5. Keep the overtime policy ready so any Sunday work or hours beyond eight are paid at or above twice the ordinary rate, or given back as comp off.
6. Let the holiday calendar feed attendance and payroll so festival days on working weekdays are handled with the Sunday rest.

Frequently asked questions