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Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS)

Twelve-hour Shifts

Reference Number: MTAS-1201
Reviewed Date: 09/24/2021

In the most prevalent 12-hour shift schedule officers work four days, followed by four days off. Obviously, the eight-day cycle of work days and off days does not correspond to a seven-day week. In any given one-week work period, the number of hours scheduled, let alone the number of hours actually worked, will fluctuate between 48 hours and 36 hours. For a one-week work period, the 48 hour weeks create five hours of overtime pay (five hours in excess of the 43 hour overtime threshold). Even with a two-week work period the schedule will create fluctuations in the number of hours scheduled to be worked from one work period to another. As you can see from the following table, a four-week work period provides a consistent number of hours scheduled for each work period. The 168 hours scheduled for each four-week work period is less than the 171 hours overtime threshold for a four-week work period.

 

SUN

 

MON

 

TUE

 

WED

 

THU

 

FRI

 

SAT

 

Hours

 

 


Work

Work

Work

Work

 

 

 

 

 

 


48

 

 

 

 


Work

Work

Work

Work

 

 

 

 


48

 

 

 

 


Work

Work

Work

Work

 

 


48

 

168 Hours

      Work Work Work Work 48
        Work Work Work 36
Work         Work Work 36
Work Work         Work 36  
Work Work Work         36

Schedule then repeats.