Lists of 5 team shift patterns for continuous 24/7 operations

We can supply you with lists of example shift patterns (rosters, rotas) for continuous work based on 5 teams. Please contact us for prices. Spreadsheets, and PDF files available based on:

• 8 hour shifts   
• 12 hour shifts
• 8 hour (weekdays) and 12 hour shifts (weekends)

The traditional way of covering a 24/7 continuous operation is to use 4 teams  based on 42 hours per week (assuming paid mealbreaks and no handovers between shifts).  An increasingly common alternative is to use 5 teams and this is often in response to the need  to reduce weekly hours from 42.  The average number of hours needed to cover 24/7 with a full team  is 33.6 hours, again assuming paid mealbreaks and no handovers between shifts. This  is lower than the typical contracted working week. However, there are a number of ways of using the "spare" hours, the difference between contracted weekly hours and 33.6.

• annualised hours, in which a person is contracted to work a given number of hours per year and typically has fully or partially rostered holiday
• use of a float (reserve, relief) team to cover holiday, sickness and other absence or operational requirements
• additional rostered spare shifts
• longer shifts with overlaps (handovers)

Annualised hours for continuous 5-team 24/7 operations

In addition to standard shift patterns based on 8, 12 or a mix of 8 and 12 hour shifts, we also sell examples of annual rosters which would typically be used in an annualised hours system. These are often based on two different shift patterns - one with long breaks built in during the holiday periods and the other with rest days more evenly spread out . Please contact us for prices of our annual roster examples or if you want advice or  a quote for constructing a roster based  on your requirements.