Moving to 24 7 shift patterns

24 7 shift coverage considerations

Explore 24 7 staffing models

Many industries use 24 7 shift patterns to meet the needs of their customers or service users and benefit from the efficiencies and consistencies created by continuous operations.

Constant operations are essential in certain environments like Emergency Services, Airports and other critical infrastructure.

In others like manufacturing, distribution and field service it’s worth considering the potential benefits of moving from 24 5, or other non-continuous staffing models, to 24 7 shift patterns.

We often see organisations operating shift patterns based on legacy factors, and in many cases this way of working is no longer aligned to changing demand, operational processes or shift worker preferences.

This article briefly explores some of the considerations around moving to 24 7 shift patterns in a way that improves performance and supports shift worker wellbeing, recruitment and retention.

Industries using 24 7 shift patterns

There are many areas of our economy and society where 24 7 shift patterns are required to deliver round the clock products and services.

In healthcare continuous patient care is crucial, while the non-stop running of transportation services like airlines and logistics providers are essential to global supply chains.

Emergency responders like police, fire, ambulance services and the maritime and coastguard agency must be ready to save lives 365 days a year, with demand levels changing within the day and across the week.

There’s also a significant proportion of engineering, processing, energy and utilities businesses that need 24 7 shift coverage to run effectively.

This can be to ensure round-the-clock plant safety and security (rather than meeting production or service needs) or because certain machinery like furnaces cannot be ‘switched off’ or left unattended.

We’re also seeing growth in the use of 24 7 staffing models in high-tech industries like financial services and data centres.

The global nature of these industries requires highly-trained shift workers to be executing transactions or protecting servers against security threats right through the day and night.

The common thread among all these examples is the need to provide uninterrupted service, whether it’s for safety, convenience or operational efficiency.

Shift Patterns

Finding shift patterns that balance the needs of your organisation and shift workers can be a slow and painful process.

optashift’s Shift Pattern Design service combines data science, expert insight and collaboration to create shift patterns that are fully optimised for your performance and people.

Would you benefit from moving to 24 7 shift patterns?

While 24 5 shift patterns and other staffing models suit some organisations, it’s important to ask whether moving to 24 7 shift patterns may be better aligned to operational needs and shift worker preferences.

Manufacturing is a good example where 24 7 shift coverage can create more flexible and efficient operating models.

For some manufacturers, particularly those involved in the supply of food and beverages, moving away from 24 5 shift patterns can deliver significant benefits in terms of costs, productivity and shift worker health and wellbeing.

There are typically two key aspects which will dictate whether moving to a 24 7 staffing model is feasible or desirable:

1. Labour demand – If you regularly rely on overtime or a contingent workforce to meet demand, then 24 7 shift patterns will potentially provide increased capacity and the most efficient and appropriate operating window.

2. Operations – If the complexity or cost of shutting down and restarting operations every week is high, then 24 7 shift coverage makes sense as regular stopping and starting can be counterproductive.

Organisations should analyse their specific demand patterns, workforce capacity and operating processes to determine if 24 7 staffing model would be beneficial.

For instance, a company might find that demand peaks during certain hours of the day, days of the week or months of the year.

This seasonality might indicate opportunities to create 24 7 shift patterns that align better to demand.

In such cases, a shift pattern design initiative could find ways of creating 24 7 shift coverage that is tailored to organisational requirements and supports workforce optimisation.

Creating 24 7 shift patterns

There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach when it comes to finding the best shift 24 7 pattern.

Every organisation’s processes, demand and workforce are different. It pays to gain a detailed understanding of which alternatives to 24 5 shift patterns and other staffing models would be most relevant to your operating environment and shift workers.

In addition to detailed demand and capacity analysis, assessing potential options also requires you to map and understand key variables such as product or service mix, production/delivery processes, support functions and their relative interdependencies.

When doing this, our shift work experts ask you to take a step back and consider another fundamental question:

“Are your current shift patterns actually dictating operational processes and labour demand?”

We regularly see businesses which are constrained by the shift patterns they work.

Workforce availability should not dictate operating windows and processes.

Instead operational factors need to inform the design of shift patterns that support optimised operations, meet performance requirements and balance these with the needs of your shift workers.

There are many alternatives to 24 5 shift patterns and other staffing models that can achieve this.

Creating seasonal 24 7 shift patterns

Let’s be clear, adopting 24 7 shift patterns doesn’t necessarily require you to run your operations continuously, 365 days a year.

Alternatives can be developed that fluctuate the capacity across and within the week by varying the hours worked (e.g. 4 days to 7 days) and the operations running (e.g. varying the number of lines running in a manufacturing environment).

24 7 staffing models can be designed to deliver seasonal shift patterns that adjust working hours according to variations in demand.

Options can also be created that align labour supply with peak and off-peak periods, ensuring that more shifts are worked when demand is highest.

For example you may introduce a ‘low’ or ‘mid’ season 24 5 shift pattern that runs Monday to Friday during times of the year when demand is lower.

This can then transition to ‘peak’ season 24 7 shift patterns that move the organisation to continuous running when production or service delivery needs to ramp up to meet the highest levels of demand.

This may deliver significant gains in productivity and efficiency by ensuring capacity and production is available when it is needed and not running above demand during quieter periods.

Unnecessary 24 7 shift coverage is resource-intensive and leads to increased utility expenses and higher and more complex maintenance requirements.

Businesses that use 24 7 shift patterns all year needlessly may also produce more output than required at certain times, leading to underutilisation and higher levels of working capital being used or tied up in stored product (in the case of manufacturers and warehouses).

Adopting a seasonal 24 7 staffing model also enable shift patterns to be created during ‘low’ or ‘mid’ season which require less weekend working and have longer breaks (therefore offer more usable leisure time).

Maintaining a consistent underlying shift pattern is key to ensuring the transition between ‘low’, ‘mid’ and ‘peak’ seasons is not disruptive to either the operations or your shift workers.

There are may other factors to consider when designing 24 7 shift patterns that reflect seasonality.

This includes how holiday/annual leave is planned or managed across the seasons to ensure organisations don’t end up in a position where overtime and agency is systematically being used to cover scheduled absences.

With 24 7 staffing models it’s also important to think about shift worker health and wellbeing support during the more intense peak periods when colleagues will be in work more often and working weekends more frequently.

Shift Work Assessment

Optimising shift patterns and shift work delivers huge benefits…but complexity and competing priorities sees many organisations leave things as they are.

Our Shift Work Assessment is a streamlined process which quickly analyses all relevant operational and HR factors to give you a tailored plan for immediate improvement.

Compressed 24 7 shift patterns

When considering moving to 24 7 shift patterns it’s worth thinking about other variable cover options.

These can enable you to create more flexible operating windows which reflect labour demand variations (in day and across a week).

For example, it might be optimal to adopt a 10- day fortnight that could unlock efficiencies that negate the need to move to 24 7.

Whilst this might sound like a maths error, it’s a staffing model that involves shift workers working for 10 days out of every 14, with a four-day shut down at the end of the period.

This alternative can provide several advantages:

Increased productivity

By concentrating work over one 10-day period rather than two 5-day periods, shift workers can maintain a higher level of productivity.

Having one extended shut down every two weeks helps reduce potential disruption and provides the opportunity to extend the period to 12-days, or even the full 14 days, should additional capacity be required.

This can be particularly beneficial in industries where continuous operation is not strictly necessary, but where extended coverage may still be required.

A common challenge with 24 5 shift patterns is that this extended coverage typically runs into a weekend, therefore creating additional costs through overtime and weekend shift premia and staff may receive inadequate rest.

Improved work-life balance

The 10-day fortnight allows shift workers to enjoy more extended periods of time off, which can lead to better work-life balance and reduced risk of shift work fatigue.

This can be especially important in demanding roles where long hours and physical exertion are required.

It also reduces the risk of shift workers having insufficient rest after working on a weekend.

Operational flexibility

10-day fortnights can be combined with seasonal shift patterns to adapt to varying demand levels.

For instance, during peak periods, an organisation can maintain continuous 24 7 shift coverage, while during slower periods, it can reduce the number of working days to match demand.

With operations progressing a 10-day period from Monday to the following Wednesday, overtime can be requested for additional hours on Thursday and Friday.

This is often easier to resource than the Saturday and Sunday required with a five-day operating window.

Maintenance and downtime

In industries like manufacturing and warehouses, the four days off in a 10-day fortnight period can be used for essential maintenance and downtime, ensuring that equipment and facilities are kept in optimal condition without disrupting operations.

Compared to a 24 5 shift pattern the 10-day fortnight halves the number of stop/starts so increasing continuous running and productivity.

Considerations when moving to 24 7 shift patterns

Changing shift patterns and designing the best solution for your organisation is a complex and sensitive area spanning planning, operations and HR disciplines.

Key operational factors such as changes to demand, inflexible production or service delivery processes and departmental interdependencies will ultimately shape what options are available to an organisation considering whether to move to 24 7 shift patterns.

It’s also vital to consider the needs and preferences of shift workers. Alongside pay, shift patterns are one of the most important factors employees consider when it comes to job satisfaction.

Unhappy and unhealthy shift workers are less productive, have higher sickness absence and will most likely seek employment elsewhere.

So if your organisation is thinking about moving to a 24 7 staffing model, it’s important to focus on various factors:

Closure or shut down process

What are the relative costs and benefits of pausing operations rather than running continuously?

This needs to be considered from an operational perspective but also a people perspective.

Production or service delivery processes

Could changing ways of working create opportunities for process improvement?

For example in manufacturing new shift patterns may help optimise the order in which product SKUs are produced or how cleaning and maintenance is conducted.

In service businesses it can open operating windows that are more popular with customers (and therefore provide an opportunity for growth).

Resource availability

Organisations must ensure that necessary resources are available during all shifts (such as equipment and support staff).

This might necessitate a change of shift patterns or arrangements with contractors and 3rd party suppliers.

Employee preferences

Some shift workers want more weekends off, others enjoy having time off mid-week.

Taking into account employee demographics and needs is vital when considering moving to 24 7 shift patterns.

Compliance

Any solution must adhere to external legislation and standards around working hours and rest periods such as Working Time Regulations, the Ethical Trading Initiative and Holiday Pay rules.

Communication and coordination

Running 24 7 shift patterns continuously often makes communication and coordination between shifts easier.

The impact of introducing 24 7 shift coverage on meetings, handover protocols and collaboration should be considered and engagement and communications tools used to support any change appropriately.

24 7 shift patterns aren’t always right!

Despite the benefits of 24 7 shift coverage and the flexibility offered by introducing tailored seasonal and compressed shift patterns, 24 5 shift patterns may be better suited to some organisations.

In certain cases this staffing model delivers an output that can be as high as a 24 7 shift pattern.

This can be attributed to a subtle but important attitudinal shift.

In some environments with 24 7 shift patterns a ‘rolling mentality’ can exist where unfinished work can ‘roll’ onto the next shift.

Having the hard deadline of the regular closing or shutdown created by a 24 5 shift pattern can increase productivity, as minds and efforts are focused on completing jobs before the closure or shutdown.

This is supported by recent trials of the four-day week in office-based environments which have shown that productivity and output can be enhanced within compressed working weeks as efficient task completion becomes imperative.

However, this is anecdotal and may only be relevant to very specific environments and workforces.

We’re focused on understanding this better in shift working environments and are using data analytics to measure and model the performance impacts of closures and shutdowns.

Likewise, understanding the needs and preferences of your shift workers is key.

Maintaining 24 5 shift patterns may be more appealing to certain target demographics as it aligns more closely with the traditional working week. This provides the regularity of working days and weekends off that much of the population enjoy.

However it’s worth noting that many shift workers prefer the benefits offered by 24 7 shift patterns which can include less working days a year, longer breaks and time off during the traditional working week.

There are also numerous innovative ways of adapting 24 7 staffing models to suit different demographics such as introducing term-time shift patterns and shorter shift lengths.

We always look to analyse the sentiment and preferences of shift workers so this can be taken into consideration when changing shift patterns.

Shift Work Health

The effects of shift work on physical and mental health are clear…so responsible employers need to provide shift workers with tailored support across sleep, nutrition, exercise and social issues.

optashift will help you deliver a programme that blends strategic, operational, practical and technical solutions that are designed in collaboration with your workforce.

Help moving to 24 7 shift patterns

If you are looking to assess your current approach to shift work and explore the opportunity to adopt a 24 7 staffing model, then our experts can help.

Over three decades we have helped a wide range of organisations change their operating windows and support with every aspect of improving shift patterns and shift work.

Our data-led insights will identify the optimal approach and we can work with stakeholders to co-design 24 7 shift patterns that effectively balance operational factors with the needs of your shift workers.