When seeking employment, many people often see job advertisements seeking applicants willing to work rotating shifts. While some people prefer the stability of a fixed schedule, others actually prefer a rotating schedule as it gives them the opportunity to regularly work with different people or experience things that are happening when they might otherwise be working. Not all rotating schedules
. are created equal. It is important to understand the different types of rotating schedules. A traditional rotating shift is the most common type. In this type of shift, an employee will alternate regularly, usually on a weekly basis. A traditional rotation may include one week on the day shift, one week on the second shift and one week on the overnight shift. Another type of rotating schedule is called slow rotation. This scheduling behind a slow rotation is similar to the traditional rotating schedule except instead of rotating on a weekly basis, it may only rotate bi-weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly or annually. This type of rotation is often easier to become accustomed to. Oscillating schedules are quite the opposite of the slow rotation. An oscillating schedule generally has two separate shifts that rotate their hours while a third shift crew works a fixed schedule. This type of schedule is most commonly seen in companies that have scheduled work shifts of 10 or 12 hours, allowing two crews to continuously alternate while an additional crew is on hand for the busiest times of the day. This form of schedule is more difficult to get used to. There are a number of advantages and disadvantages for using a rotating shift. One of the biggest advantages is that a greater number of employees are given access to the more desirable shifts while the disadvantages include being an unpopular choice with some employees and management due to workloads that are often unbalanced. More reference links: http://shift-work.com/shift-schedule-issues/rotating-fixed-shifts/ http://smallbusiness.chron.com/oshas-recommendations-rotating-shift-work-32396.html
