9 min read What is a 9/80 work schedule? What are the benefits and challenges?
Though about 80 percent of businesses adhere to the standard 9-5 work schedule, others find the new 9/80 schedule worth it. According to Telegraph, different countries have varied working hours. The 9/80 work schedule involves long working hours.
However, employees are guaranteed two days off each month. In most cases, the 9/80 work schedule creates additional working hours throughout the day to improve productivity. Employers get rid of overtime by ensuring the first weekends at midday on Friday and the second week begins at midday on Monday. This creates 40 hours of active engagement in a workweek.
Any employee in the 9/80 schedule will work for 80 hours over 9 days, giving the schedule its name 9/80. The goal of this work schedule is to increase productivity and engagement and award the workers with a day off each work.
This article takes you through the 9/80 work schedule revealing how it works, its pros and cons, as well as how to get started. And now that you have already learned what the 9/80 work schedule is, the following section reveals the various pros of this wonderful schedule.
Example of a 9/80 Work Schedule
The 9/80 work schedule involves two weeks. This section takes it deeper into each week.
- The First Week
To begin with, employers can use Clock in Easy to manage this schedule. The first week – which runs from Monday through Thursday- would involve employees working from 08:00 AM and finishing work at 05:30 PM or starts at 09:00 AM and leaving at 06:00 P M.
An unpaid lunch break will be given to the employees from 12:00 to 13:00 PM. ideally; the time spent in that week would be 36 hours. This schedule leaves 4 hours for the last day. The last day in this schedule is flex day. On this day, the employees and the management decide when and how they spent the last 4 hours.
- The Second Week
In most cases, the second week of the work schedule 9/80 is almost the same as the first one. From Monday through Thursday, the employees work for a 9- hour shift, while the flex day would be utilized with keen regard to how it was spent in week one. For example, if they worked for the 4 hours, then this would still apply to this second week. This connotes that you would also find the same this second week if you took a day off in the first week.
In general, the 9/80work schedule gives your workers alternatives when measured up with the standard schedule. The employees enjoy a whole untouched weekend as an extra off day. If your company adopts this scheduler, you will enjoy a lot of benefits associated with it. However, if you stick to the standard schedule, you may never leverage the extra off days linked to the 9/80 work schedule.
Does the 9/80 work Schedule have its Pros?
The 9/80 work schedule is ideal for many companies. This is because of its numerous benefits. These are the pros of the 9/80 work schedule:
- Increased productivity
A lot of employees see the extra day off as a nice reward. Thus, this may motivate them to put more efforts throughout the week to earn it. Besides, the extended weekend can significantly improve the employees’ morale, which gives them a more positive outlook on their responsibilities. Consequently, the employees may not request sick days or even vacations. Ideally, fewer vacations, sick leaves, and improved work morale translate to increased productivity.
- Flexibility
The potential loss in coverage is one of the greatest concerns of most employers. To most of them, the day off may translate to less productivity. This connotes that the employer can decide to offer a three day weekend by allowing half of the employers to have a day off on Friday and the other half on Monday. This allows a three day weekend for the entire team as the business remains operational all week.
- Easier commutes
Employers whose workers are long-distance commuters can utilize their 9/80 work schedule to give incentives to avoid the physical toll usually attributed to commuting. They achieve this by adjusting the long-distance commuters' schedules to avoid heavy traffic menace that could get them to work late.
- Work-life balance
It is every employee's dream to find time for family, rest, and even other personal commitments. The work schedule 9/80 gives employees two days off every month. During those two days, employees can spend with their families, honor doctor's appointments, visit their friends or their kids, a study in far schools, attend their philanthropic ventures, take vacations, and conduct personal businesses.
All these create an effective work-life balance for the employee. In turn, employees will stay motivated throughout their engagement in the company. They will also take zero or fewer sick leaves and even zero or fewer time-off requests.
- Fewer Interruptions
Employees have some other things to take care of. Therefore, they can make use of the long weekends and the two days off each month to get things done. This connotes that they will not have to interrupt work to get time for their few personal commitments. Eventually, your business will experience improved productivity.
- Less Commuting
If the employees have two extra days off work, they will not commute as much. They will save gas for two days. Ideally, none of them will have to put more miles into their rides. And none of them will have to sit in the traffic. The two off days will lessen the amount of time, energy, resources, and bucks used in commuting.
- Improved Task Completion
In this schedule, every worker gets an extra hour each day. This connotes that the employee will have enough time to finish tasks that they would otherwise be left uncompleted. Thus, your company will witness improvement in task completion, which also translates to improved productivity.
- This schedule changes community rush hour issues.
If you integrate the 9/80 schedule in your company, employees will have to shift their schedule by an hour each day. This shifts their commuting patterns for the whole week. Ideally, each of your workers will complete the day's work at a time that lessens their commute. This shift also reduces the number of hours that most workers spend away from their families. When you include the extra weekend day that happens twice each month, it can really be beneficial to work this awesome program on multiple fronts.
Disadvantages
The 9/80 work schedule has many benefits as covered above. However, the same schedule has its drawbacks. Indeed, it may not be ideal for all employers, firms, or even industries. Some industries have unusual scenarios or strange scheduling needs that bar employer from actively realizing the many benefits of this schedule. This section reveals the various cons linked to the 9/80 schedule.
- Extensive workday
Not all employees are okay, working for an extra hour every day. Some employees tend to be tired, especially at 5. This could be fueled because they were used to the usual work schedule that runs from 9-5. Despite the prolonged weekend, some employees find it challenging to get used to the long workday. They find it stressful to work for an extra hour. Some workers may even opt to work for the usual hours and allow the extra day off to be scrapped from the schedule.
- The 9/80 work program usually works better in the morning
It is true to say that most workers have their mornings as their peak of production. However, only a few will do well during the last hours of the workday. Thus, if one hour is added into the morning routine, production will be high for most employees. But it is a big toll for employees whose employers add the extra hour in the evening. Besides, workers on a salary structure may even opt to work on the additional off day simply because they really want to get engaged in some stuff. This refutes the possible benefits that are likely in the first place.
- Problems with Focus
This schedule can be very harmful to your team members who work best in a quiet work environment. The company's fluctuation inactivity may distract such employees, which could lead them to lowered focus and engagement. It is also not ideal for telecommuters and any freelancers employed in your company. This is because most of them might be working when the rest of your employees are not in the office.
- Abuse and overtime
Many of the employees will strive to accommodate themselves to the extra hour. However, most of them will still face hardships in managing the work. Remember, the work does not just need to get done. It needs to get done perfectly. Some may not work well simply because they feel like their overtime dues are being denied or are being abused to work extra hours to earn a day off.
Most employees are used to get paid for any extra hour that they commit to company work. Thus, they will not feel appreciated well, and their overtime may not serve their intended purpose, which translates to abuse.
- Staffing Gaps
This type of work schedule 9/80 is not ideal for firms with fewer employees. Thus, companies with a low workforce may find it difficult to have members cover all the shifts so that your firm can remain open during the additional days off each month. However smart you may be to have some employees take the Friday off as others take the Monday off, you will still experience inefficiencies running your business. This schedule is not ideal for companies with fewer employees.
- Decreased productivity during the extra hour
Most employees tend to have reduced work morale in the evening. So, concerning how your employers shift the 9/80 hours, they may experience reduced performance in the extra hour. For example, if the extra hour is added to the morning schedule, employees who have to accomplish a few personal obligations, such as dropping kids to school, may have difficulties. Besides, those not used to working late in the evening may experience hardships if the extra hour is added to the evening schedule.
How to Get Started On A 9/80 Work Schedule
As covered in the previous sections, there is a lot to leverage in the work schedule 9/80. Thus, if you want to enjoy all that, you should integrate it into your company or business. But first, you need to examine your business, corporate, and functional level approaches to check if it will be the ideal solution. Create a 9/80 work schedule example and try it with your firm.
Afterward, you can test if this will work using your best 9/80 schedule software. If you want to draw the best schedule, use the 9/80 work schedule templates to come up with the right working hours. Also, it would help if you discussed the same with your employees. This is a nice move since they won't get surprised when they see the memo.
Conclusion
The 9/80 work schedule comes with great benefits that you may not want to miss. Now that you have used the standard work schedule for years, it is time to scrap it off and integrate the 9/80 schedule. You will reap the benefits, and your employees will be happy to take the two extra off days.
Your company will experience improved productivity, which translates to more revenue. Employees will not need to request off days and vacations. Sick leaves will reduce significantly, and your business will remain open all week.
If you want to get the best schedule, utilize the 9/80 work schedule templates or apps that will help you create nice work schedules for your business. You should also plan a meeting to discuss the integration with other leaders in your company before you pass the same information to the employees.
Finally, you need to be keen on its implementation. Remember, it has its cons. so, you should be vigilant to tackle the challenges presented by the 9/80 work schedule as early as they show up.
