Although these shifts are an hour longer than the average 9-5, employees enjoy the freedom of a long weekend every other week. Employers might even allow their employees to work four-hour shifts on the fifth day of each week.
How to manage payroll for a 9/80 schedule
With a 9/80 work schedule, the working hours are broken down into two-week periods:
Week 1: Employees work five days. The first four days will be nine-hour shifts, but the fifth day will be a slightly shorter eight-hour day.
Week 2: Employees work four more nine-hour shifts. Instead of an eight-hour shift on their fifth day, they’ll get the day off.
Workdays are scheduled and billed in two weeks to avoid paying overtime.
An automated payroll tool is invaluable for teams, especially when working on an unconventional schedule. Payroll systems track hours accurately to avoid lawsuits and ensure companies aren’t paying overtime.
How to manage leave days for a 9/80 work schedule
Managing sick leave, vacation, and holidays is slightly different for a 9/80 schedule, but it’s not impossible to manage.
Employees who are ill Monday-Thursday will take a nine-hour sick day. If they are ill on Friday of week 1, they will take an eight-hour sick day. The same principle applies to vacation days.
For local and national holidays, leadership needs to take a different approach. For example, if New Year’s Day falls on a scheduled day off, employees are typically granted a holiday “credit day” to use in the calendar year. Another example would be if a holiday is on a Tuesday, this will count as an eight-hour holiday, with an additional one “credit hour” of PTO.