Glossary
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Alternating Shift Pattern
A shift pattern with alternating shifts is a variation of a rotating shift pattern. It comprises of two shifts which alternate rather than having a rotation. The main difference for staff working an alternating shift pattern is they are less affected by rotational effects. (See SOR and DOR).
Anticlockwise Rotation
An anticlockwise rotation means the shift pattern has the shift start time organized so as staff progress through their shifts start times are getting progressively earlier. For example 11pm-7am; 3pm-11pm and 7am-3pm.
Average Daily Hours
The total number of staff working hours divided by the number of work days in a shift pattern cycle.
Average Weekly Hours
The total number of staff working hours generated by a shift pattern cycle, divided by the number of days in that cycle multiplied by 7 days.
Anticlockwise Rotation
An anticlockwise rotation means the shift pattern has shift start times organized so as staff progress through their shift rotation, start times are getting progressively earlier. For example 11pm-7am; 3pm-11pm and 7am-3pm.
Backward Rotation
This is the same as Anticlockwise rotation.
Calendar Months
The twelve months from 1st January through to 31st December. Each month can have more or fewer days. This has led to widespread use of the "28 day" month in shift pattern design.
Calendar Week
The seven days of the week from Sunday through to Saturday. This can be contrasted with the "Administrative" or office week starting Monday through to Sunday.
Calendar Year
A period of 12 months, 52 weeks or 365 days (not including the leap year).
Clockwise Rotation
A clockwise rotation means the shift pattern has the shift start time organized so as staff progress through their shift rotation start times are getting progressively later. For example 7am-3pm; 3pm-11pm; and 11pm-7am.
Compliance
A generic term about whether a shift pattern complies with a range of work hour laws or corporate work hour policy.
Compressed Shift Patterns
A shift pattern that completes the normal weekly hours in less than five days.
Concurrent Shifts
When shifts are worked during the same time.
Consecutive Shifts
When shifts are worked one after the other without overlapping times. (See Core Shifts).
Continental Shift Pattern
A shift pattern adopted in central Europe. It has three fast rotating shifts usually worked in seven consecutive days. A range of variations have developed this system to minimize the effects of seven days of nights.
Continuous Mixed Shift Pattern
A continuous shift pattern that has overlapping shifts.
Continuous Shift
A shift that is completed in one session or tour of duty. The most popular form of working. (See Split Shift).
Continuous Shift Pattern
A shift pattern that provides a staff supply 168 hours a week.
Continuous Straight Shift Pattern
A continuous shift pattern does not use overlapping shifts.
Continuous Working Week
A shift pattern that generates continuous working 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Core Shift
Consecutive shifts which provide a flat staff supply throughout the working day without overlapping. For example 3 x 8 hour and 2 x 12 hour shift patterns.
Cost-benefit Shift Pattern
A shift pattern that is designed to reduce the incidence of under and over staffing sometimes associated with one that delivers a flat staff supply. Also known as variable shift arrangements (VSA).
Cost-cutting Shift Pattern
A shift pattern that is designed to deliver a reduced headcount in the staff supply.
Daily Business Hours
This is the number of hours in the day a business operation requires a staff supply. Some businesses operate 24 hours a day, while others less than 24 hours a for example, 7am through to 11pm a total of 16 hours.
Daily Rest Period
The period of time between the end of a shift and the start of the next shift.
Day Off
Traditionally the hours from midnight to midnight define a “day”, however practices in flexible working take a wider meaning of any rolling period of 24 hours not at work. Most legislation define a day as 24 consecutive hours, not necessarily midnight to midnight. (See DODO Ratio).
Direction of Rotation (DOR)
Can only be applied to rotating schedules. The DOR describes the direction shift start times are organized in a shift pattern. When staff progress through the shift pattern and shift start times get progressively later it has a clockwise rotation. If shift start times get progressively earlier it has an anticlockwise rotation.
DODO Ratio
Stands for Day-On-Day-Off ratio. Weekly working hours are almost universally determined by the ratio of days -on (at work) and days -off (not at work). The length of shift duration also affects the frequency of days-off. Generally for a given number of weekly hours, shorter shifts mean fewer days off and longer shifts mean more days off. (See Days Off).
Double-day Shift Pattern
A non-continuous shift pattern that has two shifts which meet and do not overlap.
Early and Late Shift Pattern
A non-continuous shift pattern that has two shifts which overlap.
EECWTD
European Economic Community Working Time Directive. Wide ranging legislation governing the working hours of employees throughout the European member states. Opt-out clauses exist but do not exempt from health and safety provisions.
End of Week
The day a business considers to be the last working day of a seven consecutive period of days. This is usually determined by HR and Payroll policy but can often be operational policy. (See Start of Week).
End of Workday
The time of day a business exhausts its staff supply for that day. Traditionally the end time of the last shift determines the end of the business day. (See Start of Workday).
Fatigue Index
Each shift pattern expresses a value between 0 and 100. A value of 20.7 is considered average associated with 12 hour shifts and standard default values for job type and breaks factor. If breaks are not taken or there are extreme human factors the index will be higher. (See Risk Index).
Fixed Shift Pattern
A fixed shift pattern organizes shifts and days off on a well defined fixed week pattern. There is no rotation. The same shifts and days-off occur on the same day each week.
Fixed Week
A fixed period of 7 days from a specified week day. (See Rolling Week).
Flexible Shift
Any shift used in a shift pattern that is not a core or intermediate shift to increase or decrease staff supply throughout the working day.
Flexi-Time
A system that enables staff to choose when to start and finish work. A core period of working hours is unaffected, and is manly used in office-based service operations.
FLSA
USA Fair Labor Standards Act
Forward Rotation
This is the same as Clockwise rotation.
Full-time Shift Patterns
A shift pattern that normally generates a weekly work hour total of 35 hours or more. Full-time working is not defined in working law and a matter between employer and employee.
Graveyard Shift
Casual colloquial term to describe a shift that deploys staff through the early hours of the morning especially the period from 12 midnight until 8am. Origins include the use of the term to describe staff feelings during this time, and early 18th century nocturnal grave-robbing practice to supply cadavers for anatomical study.
IA Generated Sequence (IAGS)
A shift pattern that is generated using intelligent agents during computer processing. Intelligent agents are used to exhaustively search and find all solutions when the size of problem space is very large or unknown.
Ill-defined shift pattern
Also referred to as an ill-defined schedule of events or unstructured scheduling. Usually the product of a reactive response to workforce factors. May achieve short-term benefit but unable to be used coherently for longer term planning or knowledge about when a business goal is satisfied.
Intermediate Shift
Shifts overlap core shifts and provide a variable staff supply throughout the working day. They are also used to provide continuity during break times and shift changes.
Job Share Shift Patterns
A shift pattern that defines the part-time working arrangements of two people sharing the same working hours of a full-time job.
Juxtaposition
Defines the relationship of shifts and days-off next to each other in the shift pattern cycle. It has special significance for how days-off are grouped together.
Maximum Daily Hours
The maximum number of hours worked in a rolling 24 hour period.
Maximum days-off
This means the maximum number of consecutive days off generated during a shift pattern cycle.
Maximum days-on
This means the maximum number of consecutive work days generated during a shift pattern cycle.
Maximum Rolling Week Hours
The maximum number of hours staff work in any rolling 7 day week during the shift pattern cycle. (See Fixed Week).
Maximum Weekly Hours
The maximum number of hours staff work in any fixed week during the shift pattern cycle, for example Monday to Sunday or Sunday to Saturday. (See Rolling Week).
Minimum Daily Hours
The minimum number of hours worked in a rolling 24 hour period.
Minimum days-off
This means the minimum number of consecutive days off generated during a shift pattern cycle.
Minimum days-on
This means the minimum number of consecutive work days generated during a shift pattern cycle.
Minimum Rolling Week Hours
The minimum number of hours staff work in any rolling 7 day week during the shift pattern cycle. (See Fixed Week).
Minimum Weekly Hours
The minimum number of hours staff work in any fixed week during the shift pattern cycle, for example Monday to Sunday or Sunday to Saturday. (See Rolling Week).
Night Work Shift Patterns
A shift pattern that generates a substantial period of working hours between 12 midnight and 8am.
Nine Day Fortnight Shift Patterns
Staff weekly work hours are completed within 9 days rather than 10.
Non-continuous Mixed Shift Patterns
A non-continuous shift pattern that has overlapping shifts.
Non-continuous Shift Pattern
A shift pattern that provides a staff supply less than168 hours a week.
Non-continuous Straight Pattern
A non-continuous shift pattern that does not use overlapping shifts.
Number of Groups
The type of shift pattern will determine the number of groups needed for rotating staff through the sequence of days-on and days-off. There is no limit on the numbers of staff that can be allocated provided they are distributed equally between the groups.
Optimized Shift Pattern
The best possible shift pattern solution for a defined problem. Defining the problem and constraint variables is a hard problem and all solutions need to found before the optimized shift pattern can be proven. Optimized shift patterns are expensive and should only be used when the return on investment can be defined.
Overtime
Are working hours in addition to those contracted to work. Overtime is generally calculated on a daily or weekly basis. It is more usual for hourly paid staff to have a recognized system of paid overtime than salaried staff. Legal considerations can also apply.
Part time Working
Is not readily defined in legislation. It generally means staff who work significantly less than the normal full-time working hours.
Part Weekend Day
Either a Saturday or a Sunday.
Part-time Shift Patterns
A shift pattern that normally generates a weekly work hour total less than the total full-time working hours. For many less than 25 hours a week would be considered part-time working, the term is not readily defined in working law and a matter between employer and employee. (See Full Time).
Pattern Generated Sequence (PGS)
Is a shift pattern that is generated using a sequence of days on and days off which is independent of the days of the week.
Pay Period
A period of time determined for pay reference purposes. Weekly, calendar monthly, and 28 day pay periods are most common.
Permanent Night Shift Pattern
Staff only work night shifts. This can be popular with staff who have arranged their lifestyle accordingly. This usually attracts medical and occupational procedures to ensure staff well-being for this kind of work, in addition to strict legislation provisions.
Risk Index
Each shift pattern provides an output value in terms of the relative risk of an accident or undesirable event. A value of 1.0 equates to the average risk associated with 12 hour shifts and standard default values for job type and breaks factor. If breaks are not taken or there are extreme human factors the index will be higher. (See Fatigue Index).
Rolling Day
Is any rolling period of 24 hours
Rolling Week
A rolling period of 7 days calculated from any day of the week.
Rota
A roster, a course round, routine, cycle, of work or duty. (See schedule).
Rotating Shift Pattern
A rotating shift pattern organizes shifts and days off on a well defined rotation. Different shifts and days-off occur on different days of the week. This helps distribute the advantages and disadvantages fairly throughout the workforce.
Schedule
A schedule (see rota) is a list of staff who are working on any given day, week or month in the workplace. A schedule is normally created using a shift pattern or combinations of shift patterns. Computers are increasingly being used to embed shift patterns to automate the production and maintenance of staff schedules.
Seven Day Fortnight Shift Pattern
Staff weekly work hours are completed within 7 days rather than 10. (See Nine Day Fortnight).
Shift
Is the standard number of hours people are required to work in a working day. It can be a Continuous shift or a Split shift.
Shift Breaks
A period of time staff take breaks from their work in the workplace for the purpose of refreshment and rest. Breaks may or may not be included in the calculation of total daily work hours.
Shift Changeover
When staff move from one shift time period to another shift time period at some point in the shift pattern. For example, from 7am-3pm to 3pm-11pm (clockwise rotation). A quick shift changeover is when staff changes from 3pm-11pm to 7am-3pm (anticlockwise rotation).
Shift Crossover
A shift that is introduced to overlap two other shifts to facilitate interaction between teams of staff or supervisors that would not normally have the opportunity to integrate.
Shift Description
Shifts can be given descriptive names and these can be used as a more convenient reference that time formats.
Shift Frequency
The frequencies shifts are introduced throughout the working day.
Shift Handover
A period of time factored into the shift pattern to facilitate staff time to brief each other about operational matters. Often this is achieved by extending one of the shifts to create a 15 or 30 minute overlap.
Shift Hours
This means the total hours worked during a shift. This includes continuous shifts where the total shift hours are completed in one period, for example, 10am-6pm a total of eight hours; and split shifts where the total shift hours are completed in more than one period, for example, 10am-2pm and 6pm-10pm a total of eight hours.
Shift Interval
The interval of time between the end of a shift, and the start of the next. They cannot be too close together and often a minimum period is stipulated before a person can return to work. (See Daily Rest Period).
Shift Overlap
Shift overlaps are primarily used to increase or decrease the staff supply at any point during daily business hours, depending when and how long the shifts times overlap. (See schedule).
Shift Pattern cycle
A sequence of days or weeks needed to complete a pattern of working and non-working days before the sequence is repeated. Patterns based on a seven day week are most common e.g. 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35. Shift pattern cycles based on sequences of more or less than 7 days are more difficult, especially when they need to be matched to calendar date ranges.
Shift Pattern Group
A shift pattern will define the number of groups needed to deploy staff and ensure the goals of the shift pattern are completed in the workplace.
Shift Pattern Sequence (SPS)
Is a well defined sequence of days-on and days-off that create a shift pattern.
Shift Pattern Type
There are two types of shift pattern: Rotating and Fixed. Staff working a rotating shift pattern will work different shifts or take days-off on different days of the week. Staff working a fixed shift pattern works the same shifts and take days-off on the same day each week. A scheduling solution may combine these different types of shift pattern.
Shift Tour
The number of time periods taken to complete daily work hours in the working day. A Continuous shift has only one tour, and a Split shift will have two or more tours. See Continuous shift and Split shift.
Shift work
Shift work is a pattern of work to enable staff to replace another in the workplace or job, within a 24 hour period. Shift work is also used when the period extends continuous working beyond normal and reasonable requirements for rest.
Source Files
The original file format of the shift pattern downloaded from the www.shiftpatterncentral.com website. These should be saved and modifications only made with a copy of the source files.
Speed of Rotation (SOR)
Can only be applied to rotating schedules. The SOR describes the speed staff change from one shift to another. A shift pattern that generates shift changes over a few days mean a faster SOR than a shift pattern with a slower SOR that generates shift changes over a week or longer.
Split Shift Pattern
A shift pattern that splits a shift into two or more periods. Occasionally referred to as “before and after” shifts. The popularity for this kind of shift is increasing with the demand for full time flexible working.
Staff Demand Profile
The number of staff needed to deliver a given business requirement for production or service delivery. Defined units of measurement are normally used to express a demand curve, or profile, against a timeline. A staff supply, or distribution profile is then matched to achieve the best fit.
Staff Supply
A shift pattern will generate either a flat or variable supply of staff. A flat staff supply delivers an equal and constant number of staff at any given point in the shift pattern cycle. A variable staff supply delivers more or less staff at any given point in the shift pattern cycle.
Staff Supply Profile
The number of staff supplied at any given time during the shift pattern cycle. A frequency count of staff against a continuous timeline will generate this profile.
Start of Week
The day a business considers to be the first working day of a seven consecutive period of days. This is usually determined by HR and Payroll policy but can often be operational policy. (See End of Week).
Start of Workday
The time of day a business engages a staff supply for that day. Generally the start time of the first shift determines the start of the business day. (See End of Workday).
Structured Scheduling
A method of approach that enables well defined staff schedules to be published over longer date ranges and enable long term planning.
Swing Shift
Casual colloquial term to describe a shift that deploys staff during the evening especially the period from 4pm until 12 midnight.
Total Non-working Days
The total number of non-working days generated in a shift pattern cycle.
Total Working Days
The total number of working days generated in a shift pattern cycle.
Unallocated
A 24 hour period of time that has not been designated a working or a non-working day in a shift pattern cycle. This is commonly used for structuring part time working.
Unsocial Hours
A general term to describe shifts that fall outside administration or traditional office hours. Typically these involve shifts occurring late evening and into the night hours.
Unstructured Scheduling
A method that is highly flexible for short date ranges but is unable to support long range planning.
V-Time Shift Patterns
"V" time is the voluntary reduction in working hours on a temporary basis, usually ranging from 5% to 50% of normal hours. An employee's salary is reduced by the same percentage. The reduction is for a specified period of time, usually six to twelve months. Employee benefits are maintained, prorated where necessary. The employee is contracted to return to full-time work on a given date, unless otherwise negotiated.
Weekday
Any of the days of the week exclusive of Sunday and often Saturday.
Weekday Generated Sequence (WGS)
Is a shift pattern that references the days of the week for its structure and design. It can be contrasted against a pattern generated sequence which does not reference days of the week for structure and design.
Weekend
The end of the week, especially the period from Friday evening through Sunday evening.
Weekly Business Days
This is the number of days in the week a business operation requires a staff supply. Some businesses operate every day of the week, while others only on certain days of the week, for example, Monday through to Friday.
Weekly Rest Period
A minimum total of 24 consecutive hours within a period of 7 days.
Well-defined shift pattern
A shift pattern that can be proved to deliver a defined goal.
Work Week Duration
This is the number of days in the week a business operation requires a staff supply. Some businesses operate every day of the week, while others only on certain days of the week, for example, Monday through to Friday.
Workday Duration
This is the total number of hours in a day a business operation requires a staff supply.
