A 9/80 schedule is working 80 hours in 9 days, usually nine-hour days with one day off every other week.
How it works
A 9/80 schedule fits 80 hours into 9 days over two weeks.
Typical pattern
- Week 1: four 9 hour days and one 8 hour day.
- Week 2: four 9 hour days with one day off.
Result
One extra day off every other week.
Overtime
The workweek is defined to split the 8 hour day so overtime applies correctly (FLSA).
Pros
Longer weekends.
Cons
Longer days.
Schedule structure
A 9/80 schedule compresses 80 hours into nine days across two weeks. Employees work eight 9-hour days and one 8-hour day, for 80 hours, with one day off every other week. Typically one week has 4 nine-hour days plus one 8-hour day split across the pay period midpoint, and the other week has 4 nine-hour days.
- The workweek in FLSA terms is fixed, usually defined so the 8-hour day is split into 4 hours in each week, ensuring each week has 40 hours.
- Overtime applies for hours over 40 in a defined workweek under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and states like California have daily overtime rules requiring an alternative workweek schedule adopted by employee vote.
- Federal government agencies use 9/80 as a Compressed Work Schedule.
Pros and cons
Benefits include a day off every two weeks, fewer commutes and better work-life balance. Drawbacks include longer days, childcare conflicts and fatigue. Coverage of services needs planning. Employers must follow state and federal law.
Schedule structure
A 9/80 schedule compresses two weeks into nine working days: eight 9 hour days and one 8 hour day, totaling 80 hours, with every other Friday off. The workweek is usually defined at midday on a Friday so overtime rules stay compliant under the FLSA.
Pros and cons
Benefits include a day off every two weeks. Drawbacks are longer days and coverage gaps. Employers must follow state overtime laws, and California has special rules.
How the schedule is built
A 9/80 schedule compresses 80 hours into nine days over two weeks. Employees work eight 9 hour days and one 8 hour day, with one day off every other week. The 8 hour day is split to fit the two seven day workweeks that define overtime, often by working 4 hours in each week on a designated day.
Pay and legal points
Because overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act is counted by workweek, the employer must define the workweek start time carefully to avoid overtime. In California and some other states, daily overtime rules (over 8 hours a day) apply unless there is an alternative workweek schedule adopted by a vote. Benefits include a regular day off, fewer commutes and better work life balance, but longer days cause fatigue. Check your employer’s policy and local law.
Based on data from the US Department of Labor and the California Department of Industrial Relations
