{"id":9751,"date":"2021-08-31T12:20:15","date_gmt":"2021-08-31T10:20:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/?p=9751"},"modified":"2026-03-03T02:55:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T00:55:16","slug":"9-80-work-schedule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/tracking-time\/9-80-work-schedule\/","title":{"rendered":"9\/80 Work Schedule: What It Is and How It Works"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Working nine-to-five, what a way to make a living! In the 1920\u2019s nine-to-five work schedules went mainstream and brought the Americans an entirely new view of how a workday should look like. It later spread to the rest of the world and became a status symbol since only white-collar workers could enjoy the perks of a fixed work schedule. Nowadays, the situation is completely different. People find nine-to-five work schedules outdated due to so many alternative work schedules that are present today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, many companies offer their employees workweek schedule alternatives and among them is the 9\/80 work schedule<\/b>. The majority of employees would agree that the best work schedule is one with the most time off. The 9\/80 work schedule could be the one they were longing for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this blog post, we will tell you everything you need to know regarding this type of work schedule \u2014 how it functions, its pros and cons to both employees and businesses, and whether it can be suitable for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n

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What is a 9\/80 work schedule?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Simply put \u2014 9\/80 is a compressed two-week work schedule where employees have one day off every other week. Meaning, employees work nine hours a day every Monday to Thursday, and on Fridays (in the first week), they work for eight hours (=44 working hours for week #1). The next week they also work 9-hour days from Monday to Thursday and get Fridays off (=36 working hours for week #2). The cycle repeats again the upcoming Monday. Thus, employees have a 3-day weekend, but that scheduled day off can be any other day of the workweek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In essence, a 9\/80 work schedule is an alternative work schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to recent research<\/a>, 63% of businesses with 500 employees or less offer some form of alternative work schedule to their employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from the 9\/80 work schedule, there are other alternative schedules in the USA employees can choose from. Workers can choose between schedules such as 4\/10, 3\/12, and our topic in this blog post \u2014 9\/80.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How a 9\/80 workweek schedule works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For instance, your regular workweek schedule is from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with Friday as a scheduled day off. Here\u2019s how your compressed workweek schedule would look like (without a lunch break).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Week No. 1<\/b><\/td>Week No. 2<\/b><\/td><\/tr>
Monday 8:00 – 5:00<\/td>Monday 8:00 – 5:00<\/td><\/tr>
Tuesday 8:00 – 5:00<\/td>Tuesday 8:00 – 5:00<\/td><\/tr>
Wednesday 8:00 – 5:00<\/td>Wednesday 8:00 – 5:00<\/td><\/tr>
Thursday 8:00 – 5:00<\/td>Thursday 8:00 – 5:00<\/td><\/tr>
Friday 8:00 – 4:00<\/td>Friday Day Off<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Whether you are an employee or a business owner, you need to carefully track your or your employees\u2019 worktime because it takes some time to get used to a new schedule and integrate it into your daily routines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this purpose, you can try out an employee time tracker application that is simple and convenient to use, such as Clockify by CAKE.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With it, you can keep track of your clock-in and clock-out times, and ensure you adhere to your work schedule, no matter its type. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can either go with Clockify’s free version, or select one of Clockify’s plans<\/a> with features that’ll suit your workflow the best. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Clockify pricing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

9\/80 work schedule template<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Since it may seem confusing to calculate your hours according to a 9\/80 work schedule at first glance, we\u2019re also including a free 9\/80 work schedule template you can use, to help you grasp the concept. Here, you can enter your clock-in and clock-out time and easily calculate your total hours when using a 9\/80 work schedule:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udd3dDownload a free 9\/80 work schedule template<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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How to run payroll for a 9\/80 workweek?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In a 9\/80 workweek schedule, the total hours worked for the first week are 44 hours, and for the next week 36 hours. Paid workdays in a compressed workweek are handled in a two-week period to avoid paying four hours (from the first week) of overtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s assume that you work Monday – Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (without a lunch break). The first workweek will end at 12:00 p.m. (noon) on the first Friday (=40 paid hours), the new week will begin at 12:01 p.m. and end the next Thursday at 5:00 p.m. (=40 paid hours). This is how payroll in a compressed 9\/80 workweek schedule is handled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The payroll system needs to be carefully handled in order to accurately track billable and non-billable hours<\/a> to avoid any misunderstandings or even lawsuits. Bear in mind that this is just an example scenario where an employee starts their work at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 5:00 p.m. without a lunch break. As with any other schedule, a 9\/80 must include a lunch break of 30 minutes to 1 hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

California Labor Code 510 (which we will discuss in more detail below) states that everyone who works over 8 hours a day is eligible for overtime pay. But with a 9\/80 work schedule, this is not applicable. Overtime work in a 9\/80 schedule is calculated on the following principle \u2014 working more than 40 hours a week before noon on Friday is considered overtime<\/a>. In that case, employees must be paid 1.5 times their hourly wage for the overtime hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leave days in a 9\/80 workweek schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As the payroll system is handled differently with this alternative schedule, the same is true of sick and vacation days. If a sick day takes place between Monday and Thursday, it counts as a 9-hour sick day. If it happens on a Friday, it counts as an 8-hour sick day. The same rule is applied for vacation days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, when it comes to national holidays, the situation is slightly different. Let\u2019s say Christmas falls on your scheduled day off. In this case, you are entitled to a holiday \u2018credit\u2019 of 8 hours which you will be able to use within the next 12 months. Moreover, if a national holiday falls on a Monday (9-hour workday), it is counted as a regular 8-hour holiday + you receive 1 hour of vacation credit, which you can use later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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\n Free time tracker<\/span>\n

Time tracking software used by millions. Clockify by CAKE.com is a time tracker and timesheet app that lets you track work hours across projects.<\/p>\n\n

\n Sign up<\/a>\n\n Learn more<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
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How is a 9\/80 work schedule approved? (California Labor Code section 510)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to law, California Labor Code section 510<\/a> sets the requirements for implementing a 9\/80 work schedule. Before even considering 9\/80 for your business, it must be approved in a secret ballot election by at least two-thirds of the employees in a certain work department. An employer is obliged to disclose wages, hours, and benefits in a written form in both English and non-English language (if more than 5% of employees speak a different language) and hold the election to their own expense during working hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The results from the election must be handed over to the California Division of Labor and Research<\/a>. Also, if one-third of employees file a petition to revoke an alternative schedule, a new election shall be held within 30 days after the petition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When an organization or company elects a 9\/80 work schedule for a specific department or a shift, affected employees fill in a form where they choose their day off between Monday to Friday. If, for instance, they choose their day off to be Wednesday, they have to pick between two options: Wednesday A<\/a> or Wednesday B<\/a>, depending on whether they want to begin a work month with the first Wednesday off or the next (in a two-week timeframe).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scheduled day off is fixed, and once established, it cannot be changed unless in exempt cases where the request is consulted with a supervisor or manager. There are exceptions where certain groups of workers can be exempt from this work schedule. Single parents with small children, people with certain medical conditions, or university students who work and study can ask to be excluded from this schedule. Groups of workers such as customer support specialists and computer operators who maintain 24-hour coverage are also excluded from the compressed workweek schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the steps above should be followed accordingly in order to avoid any penalties or lawsuits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An example of a 9\/80 work schedule: Clif Bar & Company<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Clif Bar is an American food company that produces energy drinks and power bars. It is popular among cyclists, climbers, and other outdoor enthusiasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They believe their employees\u2019 time off is precious and, they\u2019ve reportedly integrated an alternative 9\/80 schedule as an optional work schedule for their employees. Having a healthy, stress-free work environment is the secret to their success. The 9\/80 work schedule offers Clif Bar’s employees the opportunity to spend more time with their families doing enjoyable and healthy activities. Moreover, this company wants to help their employees shorten running their errands as well, so they offer additional perks meant to help create 3-day weekends for their employees as enjoyable and fulfilling as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The owner of Clif Bar, Gary Ericson, believes this alternative work schedule results in employees\u2019 satisfaction, boost in motivation, personal growth, and increased productivity at work. His employees\u2019 well-being<\/a> is the key to success according to Ericson, and a 9\/80 work schedule helps them achieve it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to job reviews from several websites, the 9\/80 work schedule and relaxing atmosphere at work are actually the two most important benefits of Clif Bar & Company, as rated by current or former employees. So, this type of alternative work schedule works for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the advantages of a 9\/80 work schedule?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whether you are an employer or employee, dealing with changes is never an easy process. You need to adapt to different work habits and integrate them into your or your company\u2019s daily routine. Following is a list of advantages of a 9\/80 work schedule from both employee and employer\u2019s points of view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advantages of a 9\/80 work schedule concerning employees<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Both you and your family members will likely need to manage major life changes. Still, the good side of this life-changing situation is that you will be able to spend more time together. We\u2019ve prepared a list of advantages when initiating a 9\/80 work schedule as an<\/i> employee<\/i>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n