Graveyard shift (in shift work): Late-night to early morning work hours.
Graveyard shift
Work hours that typically run late at night into the early morning. It’s a term commonly used in shift planning, especially for businesses that operate outside regular hours.
What is a graveyard shift
The graveyard shift is essentially the night shift, commonly scheduled from around 11 PM to 7 AM. This shift is particularly significant in industries like healthcare, hospitality, and 24/7 customer support services. Working this shift can be quite the adjustment, often leaving employees feeling isolated or experiencing disrupted sleep patterns.
For instance, a hospital may have nurses who work the graveyard shift to ensure round-the-clock patient care. It’s not just about working late hours; it’s about adapting to a lifestyle that accommodates late-night commitments while still managing personal responsibilities. It’s critical for employers to recognize the unique challenges faced by graveyard workers, such as potential burnout or low morale, and provide support through proper scheduling practices.
A graveyard shift is not simply just working overnight; it also involves unique scheduling challenges, finding workers who prefer such hours, and ensuring that systems are in place to keep operations running smoothly.
Best practices
- Communicate consistently with your team about their availability and preferences for night shifts. Make it a point to gather feedback from employees to gauge their comfort levels and adjust scheduling accordingly.
- Foster a supportive environment to help alleviate the effects of working late hours, such as providing resources for mental and physical well-being.
- Rotate shifts strategically to prevent worker fatigue and keep the team engaged.
Common pitfalls
- Neglecting to consider the health impacts of working late hours can have serious repercussions on your workforce.
- Avoid not providing adequate rest periods during shifts; fatigue can lead to mistakes and accidents.
- Skipping employee feedback sessions may prevent you from identifying the specific needs and issues faced by night shift workers; listen to what they have to say!
How we can help
Not every self-scheduling solution fits every workforce. When your basic roster is not enough, Zelos is a practical addition to your toolbox for shift exchange and extra shift signup. We’re dedicated to creating a user-friendly experience for managing flexible shifts. Sign up for a free account on our website and see how our tools can assist in streamlining your shift planning process.
Shift work glossary
- Schedule adherence
- Schedule lock
- Schedule optimization
- Schedule request period
- Schedule template
- Schedule transparency
- Scheduling conflicts
- Scheduling constraints
- Scheduling fairness
- Scheduling horizon
- Seasonal roster
- Self-scheduling
- Self-scheduling rules
- Shift bidding
- Shift differential
- Shift eligibility
- Shift Fatigue
- Shift marketplace
- Shift pattern
- Shift release
- Shift rotation
- Shift swapping
- Shift trade
- Split roster
- Split shift
- Staggered shift roster
- Swing shift