The specificity of various activities dictates the need to use different work schedules. This can serve to optimize the production process, maximize the load on production lines, or simply be dictated by the nature of the work and the varying intensity of the load during the day. In order to maximize the protection of the rights of employees, all existing types of schedules were systematized and enshrined at the legislative level.
Legislation
The main document regulating the relationship between employers and staff, including in the field of time regulation, is the Labor Code, according to which six main modes of work are distinguished. For each of them, the norms for accounting for working hours are prescribed. Service time exceeding the established standards is considered overtime and is paid at an increased rate. Enterprises whose working conditions are considered harmful and hazardous to health have restrictions on the possible duration of work.
Types and features of work schedules
The most common is the normal (single-shift) mode of operation. Accounting for working time can be daily or weekly. The working week, in turn, can be five days with two days off or six days, with one day off. At the same time, the maximum number of working hours per week is forty, and in the case of overtime, time in excess of this limit is considered overtime and is paid accordingly.
The next version of the schedule is an irregular working day. It is used in cases where the employer on a regular basis is forced to involve an employee to perform his duties outside his normal working day. The list of employees who can be involved in irregular hours must be an appendix to the collective agreement. Employees whose working hours are irregular are entitled to an additional annual paid leave of at least three days or to monetary compensation (in this case, overtime hours are paid as overtime).
Sometimes the specifics of the job require a flexible schedule. In this mode, the employee, to a certain extent, independently determines the start and end time of work, as well as the duration and number of breaks. At the same time, the total number of labor hours remains unchanged, and, depending on the accounting model (daily or weekly), is worked out during the day or week. In some cases, monthly or even quarterly accounting may be applied.
Some enterprises, such as factories with a production cycle longer than a shift, or emergency services, are forced to operate around the clock. In such cases, a shift work schedule is applied. This means that employees go to work according to a predetermined schedule and spend a certain amount of time at work. Time accounting for a shift schedule is carried out according to the summed method, that is, the number of hours is taken into account for a certain period of time, while it should not exceed forty hours per week, multiplied by the number of weeks. If more than half of the shift time falls on the time interval from 22.00 to 6.00, such a shift is considered a night shift and is reduced by an hour without further working off.
In the event that the labor process takes place at a distance from the place of residence of the employee, the shift method is applied . It implies an inseparable presence at the workplace without a daily return home. The employer is obliged to provide employees with acceptable living conditions. The employer keeps records of the time worked and the time intended for rest. Working time is calculated summed up over a long period, but not more than a year. The following cannot be involved in work on a rotational basis: pregnant women; women with children under the age of three; and persons with medical limitations that render them unfit for such service.
And finally, the last mode is the fragmented day mode . It is used for non-uniform intensity of work during the working day. It is very similar to a flexible schedule, but unlike it, the start and end times of working hours, as well as the number and duration of breaks, are fixed. It is mainly used daily or weekly accounting.
Conclusion
A properly drawn-up work schedule is one of the serious tools that allow you to achieve maximum efficiency in the enterprise. A good manager is able to choose and competently, taking into account all the legal nuances, apply exactly the regime that is suitable for the object entrusted to him. Well, accounting for working time stands guard over the interests and rights of both employers and employees.