Shift Based Business - A Boon for Industrial and Social Development

The recent business patterns are quite different from those that we worked in the past. These days we come across the term 24/7, that is nothing but shift based business. This pattern is mostly to utilize 24 hours instead of just working as per the regular schedule of 8 to 12 hours. Here employees work in rotational shift timings which mainly consist of three shifts, i.e. Day Shift, Evening shift and Night Shift. Further these shifts are named and categorized as per the timings, like early morning, graveyard or sunrise shifts. This is basically done to utilize the maximum time in production or the 24 hours are made productive in order to maximize profits. Shift based business works on different patterns.Three shift based businessThis type of pattern is the most commonly used pattern where in there are three shifts in 24 hours, first shift, second shift and the third shift. First shift starts at 6 am in the morning until 2pm in the afternoon, the second shift starts at 2 pm and continues until 10 pm in the night and the third shift starts at 10pm and ends at 6pm in the morning. These shifts are normally eight hour shifts and each employee works for five days a week, getting a work off two days a week. It is possible to adjust these weekly offs, as it can be rotated as per the requirement and with mutual understanding of both the employee and management. Considering the continuous flow of work to be 24/7, this pattern is mostly practiced in BPO's which work to provide 24 hour customer service. This pattern is very helpful for such organizations. Two days weekly off again gives them a break from work and time to get refreshed and this takes care of the employee's health, too.Four on-Four off shift based businessIn this pattern, generally employees work for four days in a week but they mostly work for 12 hours a day instead of eight hours and then they have four days weekly off which is double the time than usual weekly offs. This gives them sufficient amount of time to take rest as well as do their personal work which they can't during their working days.Four on-Two off shift based businessIn this pattern employee work for five days a week and get two days as weekly offs, this is a rotational pattern and very common in the BPO industry.Shift based Business is always beneficial for both the employer as well as employee. The employer benefits as all the seven days, 24 hours his company is under production activity which helps the company in making maximum utilization of resources to generate good profit. From the employees point of view, he gets to work in shifts and is paid a handsome salary in return as its already a profit making organization because of 24/7 pattern. This also helps to reduce unemployment as huge numbers of resources are required to work through 24 hours.