Shift schedules from around the world.

[Jerricho]

Here in the 'Peg, they use a lovely piece of software known as "Shift Logic" which allocates staffing levels to specific requirements during the day (and week). The shifts are all over the place, and have no structure to them what so ever, aside from the good old 0645-1400 then back in that night at 0000-0800 (gotta love that ).

I seem to remember reading various things about certain shift patterns being better for one's health than others (Like the TC's 2 mornings, 2 afternoons, 2 nights). What are the other shift structures out there, and is there any logic to them?

[Spuds McKenzie]

ZRH ACC:

Max. 5 days on in a row rostered.
No regular pattern, can be 3/4/5 on, 1/2/3 off.

Night shift: 2000 - 0530, no pre-dog (beauty!).

At least 10 days off per month .

At least 11h between shifts (can be down to 9 once a week)

[M609]

Small twr/app unit, but what the h.......


Max 8 days in row rostered
Regular pattern over 7 weeks
Max 5, min 1 days off in a row
No night shifts (closed), but we have 40 minute standby callout 00-06 after the 17-00 shift
Min 11 hrs between 2 shifts

Ah, and yes; 5 weeks vacation each year!

[Bright-Ling]

0645-1400 then back in that night at 0000-0800

Great PR for NAVCANADA there fella!!!! are you working undercover for NATS management???

[chiglet]

Used to do....1330-2130....followed by 0700-1330 plus 2130-0700 sleep, day off, repeat. Civil ATC [PATCRU/Manch TWR]
RAF...0700-1300 then 1630-2200 followed by 1300-1630+2200-0700, sleep, repeat, sleep + 3days off....unless sickness, then 2on1off ad infinitum... Now 2-0700-1400,2-1400-2200, 2200-0700 sleep+3 off
watp,iktch

[Jerricho]

B-L, that's just here in Winnipeg. I don't know if the other centres use this as well.

Anyway, I know back in my homeland, there used to be (once again, not sure now) a "morning-doggo" day of 0500-1100 and back at 2200-0700.

The joys of shiftwork

[Lon More]

Jer We tried Shift Logic at Maastricht several years ago but discarded it. From memory it was not flexible enough to cope with opening and closing of sectors due traffic demand and also changes in staff availability.

[vector4fun]

For the last 15 years or so:

1500-2300
1300-2100
0800-1600
0600-1400...2230-0630
2 days off

or

1500-2300
1300-2100
1000-1800
0800-1600
0600-1400
2 days off

Some small variations to the above, but that's the basic watch schedule for a lot of U.S. Tower/Tracons. We bid our days off once each year.

[eastern wiseguy]

Seems to me the shift logic is HEAVILY weighted in favour of the company ......hope they are paying plenty.I would much rather have a handle on when I could EXPECT days off .....

[cossack]

I work 17 in 28. 6/5, 6/3, 5/3. Only one weekend off a month.
There's OT there by the bucketful if you want it. Its not mandatory!
Days start between 0545 and 0630, finish between 1400 and 1530.
Swing shift is either 1130-2000 or 1300-2130.
Evenings start between 1400 and 1515, finish between 2200 and 0015.
Midnights are 0000 to 0700.
We have the 0545-1400 followed by 0000-0700 too. I do maybe 1 or 2 cycles of midnights in a 56 day period. The rest are all evenings by choice. Patterns can vary but most do days then eves.
At least 10 hours between shifts, maximum of 9 work days permitted, but as I said, OT is voluntary to a max of 96 hours in 56 days, paid at double time.
Shift Logic is "optimised" to have people there at the times when they are needed, allegedly.

[Jerricho]

Shift Logic is "optimised" to have people there at the times when they are needed, allegedly.

Hmmm, that's one interpretation of it.

[peatair]

Around 15 years ago a study was done by Sheffield University. They looked at ATC Shift patterns and recommended that, over a 10 day cycle, the pattern was MMAANNSOOO. This was adopted by the Unit at which I worked and it replaced a system which used to go AAOMMNNSOO.

The logic of the Sheffield study was that the shifts get later and allow your "body-clock" (circadian rhythm) to adjust gradually to the later hours.

In my opinion, the change was not beneficial and actually made me feel considerably more tired. However, to be fair, it put all the days off together which quite a few seemed to like this and, I suspect, voted for it for that reason. The problem was that you were at your Unit for 7 days on the run and got throughly fed up with it.

I'm rather amazed that someone on this thread mentions doing 0645 to 1400 and returning the same night. That's like the bad old days of the AMNSO "4 Watch" system which prevailed up to something like the mid-70s. By the end of the night duty - which was in those days 12 hours long - you had done 17 hours out of 24 on duty.

[Jerricho]

Peatair, guess what. That split day of 0645-1400 then back at 0000-0800 is normally followed by 2230-0700. And if you're really lucky, another 2230-0700 (Yup, three nights in a row!). As I have mentioned, the joys of shiftwork. And honestly, I love it .

[BALIX]

Phew, some of these shift patterns should shut up the 'grass is always greener' voices we hear on a regular basis in this country. Split shifts? Are we talking about the Dark Ages

I think all you Johnny Foreigners should get your unions to negotiate the six on, four off that we do. Tell 'em the Sheffield University boys approve! I feel we British ATCOs are a bit like the Vogon Spaceship Guards from Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy - The hours are good, its the individual minutes that are lousy

[Duff Man]

Different rosters depending where you are in Oz. Our TCU has 7½ hr shifts, average 14 per 21 days. Usually one or two weekends off a month. 10 hours between rostered shifts. 5 weeks rec leave (conditional on working 10 Sundays). Some centres have well defined shift patterns, ours tend to be a little random. Manual rostering mostly avoids split weekends.

Could be 3 on 1 off, 4 on 1 off, 5 on 2 off, occasional 3 day breaks, etc

1230-2000
0600-1330
0540-1230
-
-
-
0630-1400
0540-1230/2230-0600
-
0540-1230
0600-1330
0540-1230/2230-0600
-
-
1530-2300
1500-2230
1400-2130
1400-2130
-
0540-blah blah

[texas01]

Here at YVR ACC We are stuck with shift logic.

15:15 - 12:15
12:45 - 10:00
08:00 - 16:00
06:00 - 15:00
06:00 - 14:00
12:00 - 06:30

Add in an hour commute and you get completly exhausted very quickly. I do enjoy my job, but shift logic was the worst thing ever forced on us.

[Gonzo]

0315 start time? What sort of nonsense is that???

We do
2x 0700-1430
2x 1430-2200
then either:
2x 2200-0700, sleep day, three days off,
or 2x 1000-1900
or 2x 1330-2030
or 2x 1530-2300
and four days off,
or one day off, then 2x 0630-1330, and three days off.

[Jerricho]

Add in an hour commute and you get completly exhausted very quickly

Ah yes. To that lovely new centre I have heard so much about

[Uncommon Sense]

I will post a fair bit of the cycle here because there is no logic to repeating the block - I think it repeats after 16 weeks or something(?)

2300-0630
1200-2000
1200-2000
OFF
OFF
1500-2300
1100-1900
0500-1300
OFF
OFF
1100-1900
0530-1300/2300-0630 SPLIT
OFF
OFF
0600-1400
0530-1300/2300-0630 SPLIT
OFF
OFF
1400-2200
1100-1900
0500-1300
OFF
OFF
1100-1900
0530-1300/2300-0630 SPLIT
OFF
OFF
0600-1400
1200-2000
0600-1400
OFF
OFF

...and on and on until it repeats at some distant point.

Split Shifts -

Fatigue - achieved.

Cranky - achieved

Annual Leave 4 weeks with an extra week if you work on 10 Sundays (go figure that one out)

[PPRuNe Radar]

0315 start time? What sort of nonsense is that???

You will find that many 'true' H24 units have starts around this time for night shift staff, for example to cope with Transatlantic traffic.