I have been working in Sweden for the last 6 years. Overhere there seems to be 3 dominant shift paterns. Trafic related (mostly charter ops), 5 on 5 off, and a more complex pattern with varying start and finsh times, shift lengh and weekend work.
After 15 years in the buisness I can wholeheartely say that there are as many ´ideal` shift patterns as there are engineers.
In the interrest of flight safety and with a bit of insight into human factors isn´t it time that we all start putting pressure on our local airworthiness agenzies to get a system to regulate our working hours in the same manner as the pilots have, this would of course have to count night/evening time at double rate. I know that this might seem a bit communistic, especially for those of our collauges that are full time contractors, but it would eliminate those rediculous 12 hours night shift with 4 hours overtime followed by another 12 hour night, I think we have all tried this, and I think we have all expeirenced not being able to remember what we did 10 minutes earlier.