ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses different rotating schedules and their impact on employee safety, performance and lifestyle. It provides a primer on shift scheduling. Preston Richey, a scheduling consultant, tells that using the right schedule for a certain group of employees is critical. Richard Coleman says that the 12-hour schedule came to America in 1955. By the 1970s, rotating schedule workers in chemical plants and refineries were hearing about it and wondering if it would get them away from six- and seven-day schedules. The 12-Hour/4-Day schedule is popular in many refineries. Although it requires some payroll policy acrobatics, it provides a consistent, predictable schedule for everyone involved. Twelve-hour schedules are usually promoted and planned by the local plant shiftworkers. The 12-hour system requires a special focus on how employees are to be relieved during vacations and emergency illnesses.
