Find out what swing shifts are and how you can implement them in your business.
23. May 2022 • 4 minute read
What is a swing shift?
A swing shift is a work shift that typically covers the hours between the daytime and overnight shifts, usually starting in the afternoon and ending late at night.
What are typical swing shift hours?
The usual hours for a swing shift are from about two in the afternoon to midnight. A swing shift usually lasts eight hours, but can be longer or shorter depending on the used shift pattern.
How do swing shift schedules work?
How swing shift schedules work depends on the shift pattern used in your business. There are different shift patterns in which swing shifts are used, some examples are: the continental shift pattern, the 4 on 3 off shift pattern, and the4 on 2 off schedule.
The 4 on 2 off schedule is a common shift pattern for companies working swing shifts.In case of the 4 on 2 off schedule, employees works four consecutive days, followed by two days off.
Here is an example of the 4 on 2 off schedule:
D = Day shift
S = Swing shift
N = Night shift
O = Rest day
Team 1: DDDDOOS - SSSOONN - NNOODDD - DOOSSSS
Team 2: SSSSOON - NNNOODD - DDOOSSS - SOONNNN
Team 3: NNNNOOD - DDDOOSS - SSOONNN - NOODDDD
Team 4: OONNNNO - ODDDDOO - SSSSOON - NNNOODD
Team 5: OODDDDO - OSSSSOO - NNNNOOD - DDDOOSS
Team 6: OOSSSSO - ONNNNOO - DDDDOOS - SSSOONN
Team 7: DDOOSSS - SOONNNN - OODDDDO - OSSSSOO
Team 8: SSOONNN - NOODDDD - OOSSSSO - ONNNNOO
Team 9: NNOODDD - DOOSSSS - OONNNNO - ODDDDOO
If you are looking for a way to improve the working conditions for your employees and your business, then you could consider implementing a swing shift schedule. They offer many benefits for both employers and employees. For instance, using swing shifts can increase productivity, reduce costs, improve morale, and increase retention.
The benefits of using a swing shift schedule:
What are the challenges of working with a swing shift schedule for employees and employers alike?
1. Employees may have difficulty adjusting to working different hours on different days.
Working with swing shift schedules can be difficult for your employees because they have to adjust their sleeping and eating habits. It can also be difficult for employees with children to find childcare if they work swing shifts.
2.Employers may have difficulty finding qualified employees who are willing to work swing shifts.
Finding qualified employees willing to work shifts can be difficult because not everyone is willing to work with constantly fluctuating work hours. However, it can be helpful to showcase the above-mentioned benefits that come with swing shift hours when looking for qualified employees.
Note:Carefully consider whether you have enough employees to start working with a swing shift schedule.
3. Employees may miss out on social activities or family time due to their work schedules.
If you work swing shift hours, your employees may have to sacrifice their social lives and family time every now and then. As a manager, you should be considerate of this and find ways to compromise every now and then to keep morale high.
4. You need to provide support to help your employees adjust to swing shift schedules.
If you're planning to implement a shift pattern that contains swing shifts, make sure to provide your employees with support. This may include helping them adjust to their new work schedules, providing childcare options, and being understanding of their need for flexible hours.
How to implement a swing shift schedule in your business
If you are considering to implement a swing schedule, there are a few things you should keep in mind: First, you will need to ensure that your employees are willing to work with the new shift schedule. Second, make sure to create a schedule that allows employees to have some flexibility in their work hours. Third, you will need to provide employment support in order for them to adjust to their new work schedules. Finally, you should consider the challenges and benefits of using swing shifts before making a decision.
How Workfeed can help you to make working with swing shift schedules easy
Unlike Excel, Workfeed provides a great overview when making work schedules, which comes in very handy with more advanced scheduling methods. It is very common with swing shift schedules to repeat the schedule every 4 weeks or so, and Workfeed allows you to automate this. By saving your rotational schedule as a template, it only takes you a few clicks to schedule months ahead. On top of that, your employees can see their shifts in Workfeed's app, where they're also able to swap shifts with each other if they're not able to work a certain shift, meaning you do not have to adjust the schedule manually.
Read more about Workfeed
Berry van Waarden
Head of Marketing
FAQs
A swing shift schedule refers to the specific schedule that an employee works, which may involve working during the late afternoon or evening hours and ending late at night or in the early hours of the morning. A swing shift schedule is typically set by the employer and may be consistent or vary from week to week.
What is the point of a swing shift? ›
When a swing shift occurs between the day shift and night shift, the hours are commonly 4pm-12am. This relieves day shift workers in time to commute home for dinner, while allowing night shift workers to get some rest before starting their workday at midnight.
What does swing shift do to your body? ›
Increased risks
Increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Higher risk of mood changes. Increased risk of gastrointestinal problems, such as constipation and stomach discomfort.
What does swing mean on a job application? ›
Applying for a job with swing shift hours means you'll work a business's normal hours. While typical business hours might be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., swing shift hours in such an instance might range from 4 p.m. to midnight.
How do you get used to swing shifts? ›
5 Ways to Adjust to Shift Changes
- Adjust Sleep Schedule 3-5 Days in Advance. Back when I was a lieutenant at Tigard PD, I was finding that many of my officers would try to adjust to shift changes cold turkey. ...
- Make Exercise a Habit. ...
- Moderate Caffeine and Alcohol Intake. ...
- Forward Clock Rotations. ...
- Avoid Blue Light.
Since swing shift workers are giving up their free time during prime hours of the day, many employers offer advantages or extra compensation—but it isn't required. Although the hours aren't ideal, it's still considered the same as other shift work, so the only real requirement is that your pay meets the minimum wage.
Is swing shift better than day shift? ›
Increased employee satisfaction
Flexible work hours can make life more convenient for your employees. Some workers prefer the swing shift because it allows them to avoid rush hour traffic, attend daytime appointments, or manage childcare more easily.
Is swing shift worth it? ›
Potential financial benefits
Employers often provide shift differentials, which are increased pay rates for employees working non-traditional hours. These additional earnings can make swing shifts more attractive to employees and serve as compensation for the unusual hours.
Is swing shift healthy? ›
Although there are a few advantages of rotating shifts over constant night shift, including more stable circadian rhythms and longer sleep times5, it has been shown to impact on a range of health and safety outcomes, including an increased risk of fatigue, accidents, stress, depression, and chronic ailments compared to ...
Is swing shift bad for mental health? ›
Shift work is associated with poorer mental health outcomes. This includes higher rates of depressive symptoms and anxiety. In fact, one study found that the risk of depressive symptoms was 33% higher in shift workers than in non–shift workers.
A swing shift is a work shift that takes place outside the regular 9-to-5 working hours of a business. Swing shifts generally begin during or near the end of the first shift—around 2 to 5 p.m.—and last until the start of the third shift—around 10 p.m. to midnight—to fill the gap between the day and night shifts.
What does swing mean for adults? ›
Swinging can take place in a number of contexts, ranging from spontaneous sexual activity involving partner swapping or adding a third or more participants at an informal gathering of friends to planned regular social meetings to "hooking up" with like-minded people at a sex club (also known as a swinger club, not to ...
What is swing in simple words? ›
to move easily and without interruption backwards and forwards or from one side to the other, especially from a fixed point, or to cause something or someone to do this: He walked briskly along swinging his rolled-up umbrella.
What is a swing shift called? ›
A swing shift is a work shift that covers the hours between the day shift and the night shift. In other words, the swing shift workers fill in as a replacement for the day shift workers and work until the night shift workers start their shifts. It's also sometimes called as the afternoon shift or the second shift.
What is the healthiest shift work schedule? ›
In general, clockwise shift rotations should be used (day–evening–night). Ideally, a rotational schedule should include no more than 3 night shifts in a block, with 3 days of recuperation after the night shift work.
What does a 12 hour swing shift look like? ›
A typical 12 hour shift schedule is a 2-2-3 schedule. This type of shift schedule is popular because employees are guaranteed every other weekend off. Employees will have two work days on, two days off, and then three work days on, followed by two days off, before their full weekend off.
Can swing shift cause anxiety? ›
In the fully adjusted model, individuals who reported engaging in shift work, or shift workers, had a higher risk of depression (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.12-1.33; P < . 001) and anxiety (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.04-1.28; P < .
Is swing shift a graveyard? ›
For example, in a 24-hour manufacturing operation, you might have the following shifts: Day Shift: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Swing Shift: 4:00 PM – 12:00 AM (midnight) Night Shift (or “Graveyard Shift”): 12:00 AM (midnight) – 8:00 AM.
