9/80 Work Schedule: A Complete Guide & Free Templates
Are you looking for a change to the traditional 9-5 schedule in your business? Meet the 9/80 work schedule, where you and your team get every other Friday off.
Of course, many people love the idea of having longer weekends. 3 days off? Traveling is easier because the time isn’t too tight. Everyone commutes less, saving time and energy. People get an extra full day to spend time with family or for themselves.
But those ideal weekends also come with squeezing more hours into each workday. Obviously, a 9/80 schedule may not work well for every business.
Wondering what to prepare to implement this type of schedule? In this post, we’ll explore the ins and outs of the 9/80 work schedule, and how you can get started using it in your business.
What is a 9/80 work schedule?
The 9/80 work schedule is a type of schedule where employees work eight nine-hour days and one eight-hour day to get an entire day off every two weeks.
Here’s a common example of the 9/80 work schedule:
In Week 1, employees work for 9 hours from Monday to Thursday, and 8 hours on Friday.
In Week 2, employees work for 9 hours from Monday to Thursday. And they get a full day off on Friday.
For payroll calculations, the first 4 hours of the 8-hour workday belongs to Week 1, and the last 4 hours belongs to Week 2.
There might be different variations of a 9/80 work schedule, but the general idea still remains. The specific day off doesn’t always have to be Friday. It varies depending on how each business sets up its schedule. Some might pick Monday as the day off, while others allow employees to choose any day within the week.
What’s the difference between 9-5 schedule vs 9/80 schedule?
In a regular 9-to-5 schedule, employees work 40 hours a week, totaling 80 hours every two weeks. With a 9/80 schedule, they still work 80 hours over two weeks, but they get an entire day off every other week.
9/80 work schedule examples
9/80 schedule in a business that starts at 8am:
Week 1
- Monday to Thursday: 8am–12pm & 1pm–6pm
- Friday: 8am–12pm (first week) + 1pm–5pm (second week)
- Saturday & Sunday: Off
Week 2
- Monday to Thursday: 8am–12pm & 1pm–6pm
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Off
9/80 schedule in a business that starts at 7am:
Week 1
- Monday to Thursday: 7am–12pm & 1pm–5pm
- Friday: 7am–11am (first week) + 12pm–4pm (second week)
- Saturday & Sunday: Off
Week 2
- Monday to Thursday: 7am–12pm & 1pm–5pm
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Off
There are different variations of a 9/80 work schedule because businesses start and end their workdays or breaks at different times. But the general idea of eight nine-hour workdays remains.
Benefits of a 9/80 work schedule
Improves work-life balance
Having one extra day off can be huge for some employees. They have more personal time for themselves and longer weekends with their family. With flexible time for activities outside of work, employees can return refreshed and more productive.
One weekday for personal matters
With a designated weekday off every other week, employees can schedule medical appointments, run errands, and complete other personal tasks without having to use vacation time or disrupt their workweek.
Whether it’s handling family obligations or simply enjoying some downtime, having a weekday off gives people the freedom to prioritize personal needs while working a full-time schedule.
Fewer time-off requests, sick leaves, and no-shows
With the extra day off, employees can address personal needs and recharge, lowering the need to take time off for appointments or emergencies. Longer weekends may give people more time to recover from minor illnesses or fatigue, reducing the need for sick leave.
Less interruption, increased productivity
Working one extra hour per day gives staff more time to complete their work without putting it off to the next day. Work is less interrupted, resulting in increased productivity.
Saves time and money on commuting
Commuting to work can be a huge waste of time and money. No one loves traffic jams and costly gas prices. Even though it’s only one extra day off every 2 weeks, employees are going to enjoy this benefit.
Reduces mental problems
Workplace stress is a common reason for mental health issues among employees. More days off and longer weekends allow your staff to balance their work and life, spend time on themselves, and relax. This can reduce stress and mental problems significantly.
Boosts employee morale
The idea of having an extra day off can boost employee morale remarkably. Many will be excited about having a longer weekend waiting for them and having more control over their week.
Attracts talented workers
Some young workers actually prefer flexibility over pay, seniority, and health coverage. A flexible schedule has become an attractive perk that more young employees now prioritize when looking for a job.
Good for the environment
A day off means less commuting and vehicles, aka less emission and pollution. Of course, some of your employees will be traveling and driving outside on these days, but not all of them. A few vehicles off the road have already made a significant contribution to protecting the environment.
Avoid rush-hour traffic
Working 9 hours a day requires your staff to either come earlier or leave later. This allows them to avoid peak-hour traffic where everyone rushes to work, school, and home.
Challenges of a 9/80 work schedule
You must be wondering how people can work 9 hours straight in a day, right? That’s the problem with a 9/80 work schedule. It has its disadvantages, too.
Probably decreases productivity
8-hour workdays have already been tiring for some, let alone adding one extra hour. Some employees may be unwilling to try this 9/80 schedule. They can be grumpy and work with lower energy, which results in decreased productivity.
Less time for personal obligations on 9-hour days
Scheduling conflicts may arise if employees have personal obligations on 9-hour workdays. For instance, some may need to pick up and drop off their kids at school. Some may want to prepare lunch with the rare time they have in the morning. Others take extra classes in the early evening.
Difficult to manage schedules and payroll
If your business needs to open 5 days a week, you may need to rotate 2 groups of employees so that there’ll always be someone in charge. One group can take Friday off, while others take Monday off, for example.
It’s fine if your business is still small, but once it grows, managing all this can be a nightmare. It requires long-term planning and making adjustments to the work schedule.
By applying the 9/80 schedule, you need to adjust your payroll system accordingly. Basically, you don’t have to pay overtime if your employees work within the 80-hour/2 weeks time frame. But sick leaves, paid leaves, and vacations need to be handled differently depending on whether they’re off on 8-hour or 9-hour days.
The extra hour may be unnecessary for some businesses
Your business may not need this extra hour. If you’re running a coffee shop and there aren’t many guests at the extra working hour, then this hour is of no use.
Costs may occur
Depending on your industry and business, you need to consider the cost that may occur together with a 9/80 schedule.
For instance, your business includes risky tasks during non-daylight hours, meaning you need to spend more money on safety measures. If your employees work on computers, they have to sit longer, leading to health problems and you may have to compensate for those medical costs.
How do you implement a 9/80 schedule?
1. Plan & communicate
Find out if a 9/80 work schedule is feasible to implement in your business and the necessary steps to implement it. Then, talk to your employees about this type of work schedule and gauge their willingness to adopt it.
Involving your team in the decision-making process and addressing any concerns they may have can help foster buy-in and make the transition to a new work schedule smoother.
2. Select the “off” day
The “off” day, also known as the “flex” day or the alternating day, is the day off every other week. Most companies take every other Friday off. But some take Monday off, or let employees choose.
Note: If you change, switch, or trade the “off” day, time tracking can be more complicated.
3. Determine the start and end of the workweek
Knowing the start and end times of the workweek helps you calculate overtime. One approach is to start the workweek from the last half of the “off” day.
For example, if the “off” day is Friday and your opening hour is 8 am – 6 pm, then start the workweek at 1 pm and end the workweek at 12 pm on those Fridays.
4. Create a policy for implementing the schedule
Since the 9/80 schedule is more complex in terms of overtime and payroll, you should create a policy for it. State your expectations and include details about overtime so employees are clear about their working time.
5. Establish a system for maintaining schedules, overtime & payroll
If employees change their working hours and lunchtime on the 8-hour day, or change their “off” day, it’ll result in overtime.
For example, on a standard 8-hour day, an employee works from 8 am to 12 pm and finishes their first workweek, then takes a 1-hour lunch break, then starts their second workweek by working from 1 pm to 5 pm. If they decide to take a break at 11 pm, that’ll result in 1-hour overtime for the second workweek.
So, establish a system for handling work schedules, overtime & payroll so you don’t get confused when those cases happen.
What people on Reddit say about the 9/80 work schedule
The 9/80 schedule is undoubtedly controversial. Some love it. Some hate it. Let’s see what people on Reddit say about it.
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byu/mvea from discussion
inFuturology
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byu/mvea from discussion
inFuturology
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byu/Chris71Mach1 from discussion
inantiwork
Frequently asked questions about the 9/80 work schedule
1. How do you calculate overtime when you implement a 9/80 work schedule?
Businesses implementing a 9/80 work schedule must comply with the state and federal overtime compensation regulations. Non-exempt employees covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) will receive overtime compensation at 1.5 times their regular rates if they work over 40 hours per week.
2. How do holidays work with a 9/80 work schedule?
This depends on whether the holiday falls on an 8-hour or 9-hour workday. If the holiday falls on an 8-hour workday, employees get 8 hours of holiday credit or another day off during the pay period. If the holiday falls on a 9-hour workday, employees get 8-hour holiday credit plus 1-hour credit to their PTO bank.
Some companies only allow the holiday to be an eight-hour day. In this case, if the holiday falls on a nine-hour day, employees work one extra hour on another day, take an hour of unpaid leave, or take an hour of vacation time.
3. How does sick time work with a 9/80 work schedule?
This also depends on whether the employees take sick time on an 8-hour or a 9-hour workday. If an employee is off on an 8-hour day, 8 hours are deducted from their leave bank. If an employee is off on a 9-hour day, 9 hours are deducted from their leave bank.
4. Is a 9/80 schedule worth it?
Some say that this type of schedule is the best job perk they’ve ever had, some hate it. As cliché as it sounds, this depends. If this schedule type seems to work for your business, try it out and see if it sticks.
Should I use a 9/80 schedule for my business?
Your industry and your business
This depends on your industry and the characteristics of your business. Can it operate outside standard 9-5 hours? For instance, if your business is in the customer service industry, being available for more hours is a huge plus.
Adjustments and adaptations
A 9/80 work schedule needs lots of adjustments and adaptations. Are you willing to spend more time and effort on creating employee schedules, adjusting the payroll system, and managing days off?
Your employees
Some employees may feel this flexible schedule is amazing, while others think it’s a nightmare. Check to see if this kind of scheduling works for your employees.
You can let your staff try the 9/80 schedule out voluntarily. Some employees may change their minds if they see their colleagues get an extra day off.
How your business handles tasks and workflow
A 9/80 schedule is more suitable for businesses operating on individual output. If your business requires collaboration and dependent tasks, it can be challenging to manage the workflow.
What should I do?
Communication is key. You can discuss with your employees and explain clearly the pros and cons of the 9/80 method to see how your staff members react. You may want to test it out with voluntary staff to see if it works.
Think about the long-term outcomes and consequences of the 9/80 schedule. Create a long-term plan if you decide to officially use it for your business.
When choosing between a traditional 9-5 schedule and a 9/80 schedule, there’s nothing right or wrong, or which one is better. It’s more about considering which one suits your business and is most beneficial for both employers and employees.
To get started, you can use our 9/80 work schedule template on Google Sheets or try out free employee scheduling software like Camelo. You can set up a 9/80 schedule on Camelo, copy it from week to week, and manage employee work hours right on the app.
