‘Oh, I’m on continental time daaaarling!’ Sounds glam, doesn’t it? You’re picturing a yacht drifting off St Tropez, laptop open somewhere in the background and a cheeky aperitivo very much in the foreground. Yes. Please. Continental is definitely for us.
Idyllic though this sounds, it’s not quite what a continental shift pattern looks like. In reality, it’s less ‘working from a boat in the Mediterranean’ and more ‘12-hour night shift’. Hmm. Which would you rather…?
But hold your horses. What if doing one, meant you could have the other? And even better, over a lovely long weekend on the continent after a run of shifts, you wouldn’t have to work at all… Sound a bit more appealing? Let’s introduce you to the world of continental shift patterns.
Table of Contents
So what is it?!
Continental shift patterns generally involve fewer but longer than ‘typical’ work days, if we’re treating an 8-hour day during ‘business hours’ as the standard. It’s like the rebel sibling of the archetypal 9–5. Often it involves 12-hour shifts, overnight for a while, then back to days. It’s not unpredictable or sporadic shift work, as you would typically still use a set shift pattern, or work certain shifts on rotation, but these might be at ‘unusual’ times.
Where and why would you see this kind of work schedule? Generally, it’s used in organisations that need to provide a 24-hour service and so need to have guaranteed, uninterrupted staffing. Think healthcare, emergency services, utilities and maintenance, manufacturing and maybe certain kinds of call centres.
Examples
Example shift patterns might be a cyclical rotation through day, evening then night shifts, in a set pattern, for a set period of time – eg, a 28-day cycle. A common pattern is to do four 12-hour days ‘on’ a particular shift, then have four days off. This is popular, as it gives you a longer ‘weekend’. An extended break will enable you to fully recoup after four long days (or nights) and still have time to enjoy yourself and get some life admin done.
Another option is a 2-2-3 shift pattern: two days, then two ‘swing’ shifts (afternoon/evening), and three nights, all 8-hour shifts. The advantage here is the period of adjustment between working days and nights, which could be a bit of a shock to the system otherwise. This gives your body clock chance to catch up and reset.
Benefits
There are many benefits to the continental shift pattern. First of all, it’s a necessity. Not just for employers or employees, but for society. Without it, many services would simply cease to operate. And while we can just about deal with Starbucks closing for the night, you don’t want to be rocking up to A&E to find the doors locked because everyone clocked off at five.
For businesses that operate 24 hours, shift planning is a constant and major effort. Staffing levels cannot fall below a certain level at any point, and ensuring that doesn’t happen is a full-time job in itself. If people are on set rotational shift patterns, ideally with some overlap, this helps to simplify workforce and workload management in an otherwise complex business.
Having something set in stone in what are often highly chaotic and unpredictable environments, gives everyone a bit of breathing room. The clarity and predictability of shift patterns also makes it easier to spot gaps and adjust staffing levels as needed, giving agile organisations the ability to be both proactive and responsive.
It has benefits for the staff, too. Not everyone fits the ‘standard’, and a 9–5 can be too monotonous for people who like a bit of variety. Some will find the idea of working ‘odd’ hours a draw in itself. For an introvert, heading into work as everyone else is off home might seem like absolute heaven. You could just be more of a night owl, at your most productive in the later hours, and sleeping the day away is your ideal setup. Maybe you’re a vampire and actually can’t go out in the day. It’s no one’s business but yours (though perhaps a hospital job is not for you…?)
Challenges
A 12-hour continental shift pattern in the UK, especially in winter, can be challenging. We’re already short on sunlight as it is, so if you’re up all night to work and then sleep through the day, you’ll need a serious vitamin D top up. This is why it’s good to work shifts in a pattern – working all, or too many, nights has been proven to be bad for your health long-term, so moving back to days later in the cycle will enable you to get some colour back in your cheeks!
Not all hours in a day are made equal, and your body clock will have something to say about it if you’re constantly playing switcheroo. Shift patterns need to be carefully considered to ensure maximum productivity. You need to build in sufficient rest time so that people are firing on all cylinders, as often these are fast-paced and high-pressure environments, which place a heavy burden on staff even without the long hours.
In a 24-hour operation, it would be easy to fall into a trap of allowing, whether consciously or not, people to work too long, or giving them shifts that are too close together. If someone has done a run of night shifts, they’re going to need more than a day to readjust before they can work a day shift. This can also make finding cover tricky.
If someone is off sick or on leave, you don’t have your full pool of staff to draw from, as not everyone’s work pattern will be able to accommodate an extra shift.
The kinds of organisations and industries that run 24 hours are commonly ‘critical’ operations, with life-or-death situations (eg emergency services) or dangerous machinery (eg manufacturing). It’s not safe to have people coming to work too tired to function, either for the employees or the people they are working with and for.
Top tips for implementation
While there are definitely challenges to navigate to make a continental shift pattern a healthy one for those who choose (or have no choice but to adopt) this kind of work schedule, there are things we can do to make it easier on the body and the mind.
For the worker, you need to give your body the rest it needs when you’re not at work. Tempting as it might be to join in on any fun and games you can hear going on at home, try to resist. Blackout blinds, sleep masks and ear plugs can be your new best friends. For those having to psych themselves up to work when everyone else is getting into their PJs, or trying to wake up when it’s dark outside, daylight lamps that emit artificial ‘sunlight’ can be a real help.
If you can, try to ensure you’re still eating healthy meals on night shifts, the same kinds of things as you would if you were working in the day. Though you may need some extra energy-boosting snacks to keep you going. Avoid refined sugar as the high will be short-lived and you’ll likely crash soon after, making it even harder to stay awake and alert.
From the employer’s side, you need to make sure that shift patterns are realistic and reasonable. Beyond that though, think about the environment people are working in; an ideal ‘night shift’ setup may well look different from in the day time, as you’re fighting against a natural instinct to sleep. Think about lighting, ventilation, and the ability to stay hydrated (and caffeinated!). A stuffy, dim environment is not going to pep anyone up, but fresh air and a glass of water can be very effective energy boosters.
Key takeaways
Okay, so it’s perhaps a tad unrealistic to suggest you could use your days ‘off’ shift to sun yourself in the Med (unless you’re one of those lucky people who can sleep in an economy plane seat!). And while it’s disappointing to learn that continental shift patterns sadly do not involve spending much time working on the continent, nor do they come with croissants and jam, for some people a cycle of more intense work days (or nights) followed by a longer break gives them a lot more freedom. This can be hugely valuable for people for whom the traditional 9–5 is too limiting or doesn’t suit their lifestyle or needs.
With a bit of proactive thinking to keep wellbeing at the front of everyone’s mind, the continental shift pattern adds another choice, and so more flexibility, into the world of work, while playing a vital role in keeping our essential services running.
Author
Abigail Willford
Abi is a freelance writer based in Brighton & Hove, UK, writing for businesses about work, life and everything in between.
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