How a two-shift rotation works

The roster

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

Shifts per 21-day cycle

How the rotation works

Set two 8 hour shifts: morning 6 am to 2 pm and evening 2 pm to 10 pm. Three teams rotate through morning, evening and rest, so Team A reads MEOMEOMEO across the cycle while Teams B and C follow one step behind. On every date one team is on mornings, one on evenings and one resting, which keeps both shifts covered seven days a week without anyone working every day. The 21 day length simply lets each team pass through the whole rotation three times so the pattern lines up cleanly.

• M is morning, 6 am to 2 pm.
• E is evening, 2 pm to 10 pm.
• O is a rest day.
• Three teams keep both shifts covered every day.

Hours per week worked out

Each team works 14 of the 21 days on 8 hour shifts. Fourteen shifts of 8 hours is 112 hours over three weeks, which is about 37 hours a week on average. That is comfortably inside the eight hour ordinary day and the weekly limit, so a normal cycle carries no overtime; only work called beyond the roster is paid at twice the ordinary wage rate with consent. If you would rather run longer weeks with fewer rest days, adjust the rotation, but keep the weekly total within the notified limit.

Who the pattern suits

This rotation fits shops, service centres, small workshops, clinics and kitchens that open early and close late but not overnight. Two shifts cover a 16 hour day, and rotating the crews shares the less popular evening slot fairly. The generous rest keeps staff fresh, though the shorter week means you need enough people to fill both shifts. If your business runs only six days, close on the weekly off day and drop the rest slot; keep the same shift timings for both crews.

Pros

• Covers a long 16 hour day without a night shift.
• Rotation shares the evening slot fairly across teams.
• Generous rest keeps staff fresh.
• No overnight work, so easier on sleep and safety.
• About 37 hours a week is well within limits.

Cons

• You need three teams to keep both shifts filled.
• The evening shift can still clash with family time.
• Fewer worked days may mean more heads to hire.
• Handover at 2 pm needs a clear routine.

Set it up in ZeniaHR

1. In the shift catalogue add the morning and evening 8 hour shifts with code, timings, break, full and half day hours, and grace in and out.
2. Create a rotation template with a 21 day cycle of morning, evening and rest, and stagger the three teams so both shifts are covered every day.
3. Assign in bulk over up to 92 days and open the day grid to check one morning and one evening crew appear on each date.
4. Set a personal weekly off for any employee who needs a fixed rest day, on top of the rotation rest slots.
5. Keep the overtime policy ready so any hours called beyond the roster are counted and paid at or above twice the ordinary rate.
6. Use the live board filtered by shift so a supervisor can see who is on the morning and evening shifts at any time.

Frequently asked questions