Discontinuous systems are those which do not cover 24 hours a day but could be up to 7 days a week. There are an enormous number of options for discontinuous shift patterns. Some of the factors to take account of are:
- Number of teams or individuals
- Days of the week covered
- Operating hours during the day
- Contracted hours per week
- Shifts and shift lengths
- Number of staff required per shift per day
- Absence cover
We can provide you with examples of shift patterns used in discontinuous operations
Standard systems
There are a number of standard systems with well established shift patterns:
Out-of-hours shift patterns
Out-of-hours operations usually cover the full week except for the standard Monday to Friday day shifts. So, a shift pattern would typically include Monday to Friday night shifts and weekend day and night shifts. Let us know if you need any help in constructing an out-of-hours shift pattern