Should Your Company Employ a 9/80 Work Schedule

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With more workers looking for flexible work arrangements, businesses are exploring new ways of scheduling. Most companies use a 9-5 schedule, which focuses on 5-day work weeks and 8-hour workdays. Rather than a standard 40-hour work week, other employers are adopting alternatives like a 9/80 schedule.

What is a 9/80 work schedule?

A 9/80 schedule aims to improve work-life balance for employees while also increasing productivity. Instead of working ten days over two weeks, employees work just nine days. At the same time, employees still work 80 hours during the two weeks just like a standard 9-to-5 arrangement. By offering an alternative work schedule, this option also attempts to increase employee engagement by responding to requests for alternative work arrangements.

The 9/80 work schedule revolves around a two-week cycle. It divides 80 work hours among nine days. Generally, there are eight 9-hour days and one 8-hour day plus one day off. There is the option for employees to have a full day off every other week or a 4-hour day every week. Essentially, employees work longer days to earn a day off or a pair of shorter work days.

In practice, days are split with one four-hour block and one five-hour block with one hour for lunch on 9-hour work days. For 8-hour work days, the day is split with two four-hour blocks along with an hour for lunch. At the end of the two-week cycle, an employee earns a day off on Friday. Start and end times will vary depending on each company’s individual operational needs.

For payroll, employers apply the first half of the 8-hour work day in the first week. The second four-hour block of that day is applied to the second week. This also helps with tracking overtime in any given week.

Example of a 9/80 schedule

Here’s how a 9/80 work schedule might work. The hours represent work hours and do not include breaks, including for lunch.

First Week

Monday: 9 hours
Tuesday: 9 hours
Wednesday: 9 hours
Thursday: 9 hours
Friday: 8 hours

Second Week

Monday: 9 hours
Tuesday: 9 hours
Wednesday: 9 hours
Thursday: 9 hours
Friday: Off

Advantages of a 9/80 work schedule

There are several advantages to a 9/80 schedule, including the opportunity to try something new. This type of schedule promotes better work-life balance and offers more time to rest, for example. It also offers greater flexibility and can increase productivity.

A 9/80 schedule offers flexibility. Although the basic principle of the 9/80 schedule is a day off, each employer has the flexibility to determine how to schedule the time off depending on operational needs. For example, an employer could give some employees one day off while others have another day off. Similarly, time off could be split to allow for half-days off so there is always coverage in the workplace.

Another advantage is an increase in productivity. The additional day off gives employees an incentive to work harder, for example. The prospect of an extended weekend can also help boost morale and allow employees to spend more time with families or pursuing personal passions. With increased morale, employers often see fewer sick days. Extended weekends may also reduce vacation requests.

A 9/80 schedule also means less commuting. With two extra days off each month, employees do not have to travel to work. This means fewer cars on the street and less time spent on public transport.

Like other flexible work arrangements, the 9/80 schedule helps improve work-life balance. By adopting this arrangement, employers provide workers with an extra two days off each month. This help employees find more time for personal appointments during the week without taking time off during the week.

Disadvantages of the 9/80 work schedule

A 9/80 schedule does not always work for every employee, employer or sector. Some businesses, for example, have unique schedule requirements. Operational requirements may also prevent employers from adopting this type of arrangement.

A significant challenge with a 9/80 schedule is the longer workday. While employees get a day off, they also need to work an extra hour each day. This could result in added stress and lead to burn-out. It also means that days become even longer if workers need to work overtime.

Another disadvantage is less coverage. This is a challenge for small businesses in particular when it comes to staffing gaps. When a business has fewer employees, it may be difficult to implement a 9/80 work schedule. There might not be enough employees to meet demand, for example. If employers split the day off, there might also be a lack in coverage.

While 9/80 schedules can increase productivity, it can also decrease productivity. This is especially the case during the additional hour at the end of the day. Employees might struggle to focus and with their performance after a longer day at work. While this can become less of an issue as employees adjust to the new schedule, it might cause challenges. This is especially true if workers have late afternoon or evening commitments, like picking up children at school or daycare.

There are challenges for tracking hours, which requires close oversight. For example, a sick day typical equals 9 hours unless it is on an 8-hour work day. Similarly, if a holiday is on the schedule day off the employees gets 8 hours towards another day off. If the holiday is on a 9-hour work day, then they are entitled to 8 hours for the holiday to be used at a later date plus one-hour of vacation. To avoid confusion, it is often best to have employees fix their day off and require notice when changing these days.

Implementing a 9/80 schedule

The first step before introducing a 9/80 work schedule is to look at your business needs, including your operational requirements. For example, develop a test schedule and discuss the idea with employees to get feedback. Knowing how this arrangement might work in your business or organisation is the best way of determining if it is the right option.