12 Hours Shift Schedule Options
I’m looking for suggestions for twelve hours shifts; the catch is that it can’t be what we are working now and what I think is the traditional method:
Week 1: work M/Tu, off W/Th, work F/Sa/Su
Week 2: off M/Tu, work W/Th, off F/Sa/Su
For context, the Chief wants sergeants to work a staggered shift from the officers. Currently we work a schedule where we have four platoons (two days, two nights) with a sergeant assigned to each platoon and we work the schedule above. The chief wants the two dayshift sergeants to see each dayshift platoon and the same for nights. So the sergeants will be going to a new schedule and we are hoping to get some input on what it will be. Traditionally if we are short a sergeant for some reason then one will work what we call a float schedule that is offset one day from patrol:
Week 1: work Tu/W, off Th/F, Work Sa/Su/M
Week 2: off Tu/W, work Th/F, off Sa/Su/M
This is an option going forward but I think there might be better schedules out there, especially for nights. On nightshift with the float schedule, the biggest benefit of the 12 hour shifts (every other weekend off) is lost because you spend the majority of your Saturday sleeping. It is possible that the dayshift and nightshift sergeants can work different schedules based on what works best for their respective shifts and we don’t necessarily have to be identical. With all of that being said, I’m trying to look for options that I may not have thought of yet and bringing them to my partners to discuss. This is what I have thought of so far:
Semi-fixed weekdays:
Sgt 1: work every M/Tu, off every W/Th, rotate F/Sa/Su
Sgt 2: off every M/Tu, work every W/Th, rotate F/Sa/Su
Pros: Five days in a row off, fixed days off help with scheduling child care/school/etc., every other weekend off
Cons: Five days in a row on duty (bigger problem for night shift)
Fixed schedule:
Sgt 1: Work M/Tu/W and every other Th, off F/Sa/Su
Sgt 2: Off M/Tu/W and every other Th, work F/Sa/Su
Change back and forth every two/three/four(?) months. The back-and-forth day could also be Monday instead of Thursday or something else.
Pros: Fixed days off help with scheduling child care/school/etc., and three to four days off in a row every week.
Cons: You are stuck working every weekend for several months at a time, and dayshift is busy during the week and nightshift is busy during the weekend so you will be pretty bored on days work F/Sa/Su or nights M/Tu/W.
There has to be something better, right?
P.S. The sergeants not being assigned to a platoon is not up for debate and I have no input on the decision :(