How alternate Saturday off works

The roster

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

Shifts per 28-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. Over a 28 day view Team A rests on every Sunday and on the first and third Saturdays, working the second and fourth, and reads DDDDDOODDDDDDODDDDDOODDDDDDO. Where the business stays open, Team B covers those rest days and takes its own offs on other days, so at least one team works each day. Where the office closes, the alternate Saturday and every Sunday are simply blank for all. Staff get a full weekend on the first and third weeks.

• D is the day shift, 9 am to 6 pm.
• O is a rest day.
• First and third Saturdays and every Sunday are off.
• Second and fourth Saturdays are working days.

Hours per week worked out

Over the four week cycle Team A works 22 of the 28 days on 8 hour shifts, which is 176 hours, or 44 hours a week on average. Two weeks give a full weekend and two include a working Saturday, so the average sits between a 40 and a 48 hour week. Each day is at the eight hour ordinary day, so a clean roster carries little overtime; extra hours or work on a rest day are paid at twice the ordinary wage rate with consent. Set the alternate rule once and payroll stays simple.

Who it suits

Alternate Saturday off suits offices, trading firms, schools and factories that want more than a strict six day week but cannot close every Saturday. Two full weekends a month lift morale while keeping enough working days. Be clear whether alternate means the first and third or the second and fourth Saturdays, and set that rule so it applies the same way each month. For open businesses, rotate relief duty so the same people do not work every free Saturday.

Pros

• Two full weekends off each month.
• A fair middle ground between five and six day weeks.
• Keeps enough working Saturdays for the business.
• Simple on payroll once the rule is set.

Cons

• Alternate can be read two ways, so define it clearly.
• Two Saturdays a month are still worked.
• Open businesses need a relief crew for cover.
• Uneven week lengths can confuse new staff.

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. In the weekly off pattern set every Sunday off and choose the alternate Saturday rule, fixing whether the first and third or the second and fourth Saturdays are free.
3. If you stay open, give the relief crew personal weekly offs on other days and assign them to the free Saturdays and Sundays over up to 92 days.
4. Assign in bulk and open the day grid to confirm the alternate rule lands on the right dates and cover holds every day.
5. Keep the overtime policy ready so work on a free Saturday, on Sunday or beyond eight hours is paid at or above twice the ordinary rate.
6. Use comp off when someone works a scheduled off day, so they can take the rest later, granted by HR with an expiry.

Frequently asked questions