Shift Work Models from Around the World

Wilsonf22

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Hello! I was hoping we could share where you are from and what your shift work model looks like.

In Alberta, Canada typical shifts are 4 days on and 4 days off. This includes 2 12-hour day shifts followed by 2 12-hour night shifts.

Thanks in advance!!
 

Tigger

Dodges Pucks
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How interesting that an entire province has a similar schedule. We're all over the place in this part of Colorado. The common 12 hour shift schedule seems to be 3 shifts one week and four shifts the next. It is very uncommon to rotate between days and nights, most people keep their same hours and days of the week for a set period of time. Some folks will work three 14s, four 10s, or five 8s as well at some of the larger services.

In the more rural areas and at fire departments it is more common to have only three "groups" of personnel on 24 hour shifts. Compared to the above model of 12 hour shifts this reduces staffing needs 25% but allows for the same coverage. There's many different schedules on the three group schedule, common around here are 48 on 96 off and another that I can never really remember the name of which goes XOXOXOOOO where X is a 24 hour shift. 24 on 48 off also exists.
 

E tank

Caution: Paralyzing Agent
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In Alberta, Canada typical shifts are 4 days on and 4 days off. This includes 2 12-hour day shifts followed by 2 12-hour night shifts.

Unless there was reasonable potential for sleep, a sustained schedule like that would seem cruel and unusual....
 
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Wilsonf22

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Unless there was reasonable potential for sleep, a sustained schedule like that would seem cruel and unusual....

I agree. In metro areas there is no down time, including no time to eat. I am interested in what other organizations are doing. There has to be a better practice.
 
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Wilsonf22

Forum Ride Along
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How interesting that an entire province has a similar schedule. We're all over the place in this part of Colorado. The common 12 hour shift schedule seems to be 3 shifts one week and four shifts the next. It is very uncommon to rotate between days and nights, most people keep their same hours and days of the week for a set period of time. Some folks will work three 14s, four 10s, or five 8s as well at some of the larger services.

In the more rural areas and at fire departments it is more common to have only three "groups" of personnel on 24 hour shifts. Compared to the above model of 12 hour shifts this reduces staffing needs 25% but allows for the same coverage. There's many different schedules on the three group schedule, common around here are 48 on 96 off and another that I can never really remember the name of which goes XOXOXOOOO where X is a 24 hour shift. 24 on 48 off also exists.

Thank you for sharing. Those schedules seem a lot more attainable. I heard that the average career of EMS personnel in Alberta is only three years! I believe the schedule has something to do with it.

I guess I can't generalize for all of Alberta, but most of Alberta is on this rotation. In the past, EMS services were delivered by municipalities which created more shift diversity. About ten years ago, the provincial government amalgamated most municipal services. All provincially delivered services (which is a majority of all services) operate on this schedule. However, there are still a few private service providers who operate on different rotations.
 

Tigger

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The day/night split was very common for busy northeast US fire departments, places that were/are running tons of fire. Many of them have switched away from it and gone to 24s. The 48/96 schedule is great if you're working some place relatively slow and downright dangerous if you're busy and don't a good fatigue mitigation plan.

One of the helicopter services here does two weeks of three nights and then two weeks of days and can't seem to keep any staff, wonder why.
 

Jim37F

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My first ever shift was 11.5 hours 1400-0130 (minimized the company's chances of having to pay double time if a late call held us past 12 hrs) on a Mon-Tues-Fri-every other Sat rotation. There was the opposite Tue-Thurs-Sun-e.o.Sat as well.... and a whole ton of other shifts. I had a CCT unit shift that was 10 hours, but I forget the days.

My next company did 12 hours, mostly 0700-1900 and 1900-0700, a few 0600-1800, 1800-0600 and 0800-2000 so everyone wasn't getting on/off dutyvat once, but it was those hours on a Thurs-Fri-Sat-e.o.Wed and Sun-Mon-Tues-e.o.Wed cycle.

Then I was at an agency that did an FD Kelly schedule. 24 hour shifts, 0700-0700 (with a couple 12 hour 0700-1900). On off On off On, 4 days off (XoXoXoooo). This is actually the same schedule I have now as a Firefighter (except we're 0800-0800)

And my last private company had a variation where it was On off, On, 2 off, On off, On 4 off (XoXooXoXoooo). 24 hour shifts were 0700-0700. There were a bunch of 12 hour, and even 11.5hr day cars with a variety of start/end times, mostly following the Mon-Wed-Fri-e.o.Sat/Tues-Thurs-Sun schedule to cover peak hours and regular 24hr shift change overs.

EMS here works all 12 hrs, all noon to midnight/midnight to noon, though I'm not sure of their daily cycle to be honest.
 

Lo2w

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My 911 in Ohio was on 12s, you bid day or nights at the end of the previous year by seniority as well bidding the A or B shift. We had a long week of 4 days and a short week of 3. Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday on the short. Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday on the long.

I'm starting at rural service on 48/96 in the new year.
 

CALEMT

The Other Guy/ Paramaybe?
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72/96 is what I work. Surrounding FD's work either a Kelly schedule (see either Tiggers or Jims above post) or a 48/96.
 

GMCmedic

Forum Deputy Chief
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My 911 in Ohio was on 12s, you bid day or nights at the end of the previous year by seniority as well bidding the A or B shift. We had a long week of 4 days and a short week of 3. Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday on the short. Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday on the long.

I'm starting at rural service on 48/96 in the new year.
This is what I did on 12s when I started. Shifts staggered every hour from 0400-1200 on day shift and 1500-1900 on nights. Eventually we went to a hodge podge schedule that I could never explain. I ended up working 6 straight 13 hour shifts with 8 days off in a row.

The last 7 years ive been on a Kelly schedule.
 

SandpitMedic

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I was on 24 on/24 off/ 24 on/ 5 days off. That was flight.
 

Ensihoitaja

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Our base schedule is 4 10-hour shifts. Day shifts start between 0500 and 1100. Night shifts start between 1400 and 2100. We pick every 4 months, based on seniority. The picks are all consistent start times.

We have 2 stations that do 12-hour shifts, so I work 2 10s and 2 12s every week.
 

Tigger

Dodges Pucks
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Modified Kelly Schedule. The worst of all possible worlds.
I think I'd rather do that over 24/48. I worked modified kelly for six years and while my 48s are waaaay better, at least you get a four day.
 

shelvpower

Forum Crew Member
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Working on an ALS response vehicle for a private service here in South Africa.
We work long week/short week schedule.

Long week:
On: Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 6am to 6pm with standby at night from home.
Off: Wednesday and Thursday

Short week:
On: Wednesday and Thursday. 6am to 6pm with standby at night from home.
Off: Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

We rarely get called out at night and we will only get dispatched if the ambulance crews request backup or if the initial information that can be obtained from the caller indicate that there might be a critically injured patient on scene.
 

RocketMedic

Californian, Lost in Texas
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This whole thread has me green with envy. 24/48s in general are not good solutions.
 

Ensihoitaja

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I think I'd rather do that over 24/48. I worked modified kelly for six years and while my 48s are waaaay better, at least you get a four day.

I worked them at Rural/Metro, where we had to run transfers at night and get up and post at night. So I basically only had 3 days off every cycle because the rest was recovering from running 16-18 calls plus posting every shift. Never once got more than 4 hours of sleep on shift.

My favorite schedule was Pridemark's 3/4 12 schedule. 12-hour shifts, so I slept in my own bed all the time and 4 days off every other week.

If I HAD to do 24s, I could live with Seattle Fire's 24/72 schedule.
 

FiremanMike

Just a dude
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72/96 is what I work. Surrounding FD's work either a Kelly schedule (see either Tiggers or Jims above post) or a 48/96.

Ugh, F that crap..

24/48 is the standard here.. There's a handful of departments with Kelly days.. both FD based EMS and third service EMS..
 

dutemplar

Forum Captain
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I utterly despise our 2 day, 2 night “four off”. - but we rarely get all 4 off with extra shifts, training and OT. I don’t flip very well between day and night shifts and it’s getting brutal.
 

Bullets

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12 hour Pittman schedule with 4 tours, so its this XXOOXXXOOXXOOO.

I love it. Every other weekend is a three day weekend, only for 15 days a month, OT built in.
 
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