Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997 (Act No. 75 of 1997)

Codes of Good Practice

Code of Good Practice on the Arrangement of Working Time

Glossary

Purchase

Continuous shift work

the employer operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round.

Semi-continuous shift work

the employer operates 24 hours a day without a daily break, but with a break at the weekend.

Discontinuous shift work

the employer operates less than 24 hours a day with at least one daily break. A "two-shift" system is the most common discontinuous shift system.

Short or part-time shifts

daily scheduled working hours that are substantially shorter than eight hours.

Long shifts

daily scheduled working hours that are substantially longer than eight hours.

Rotating (or alternating) shifts

workers alternate between different shifts. There are three key elements to rotation:

The direction of rotation - rotation can either be forward (clockwise, for instance, morning to afternoon to night) or backward (or counter-clockwise). In forward or advancing shifts, the starting time of one shift in a shift worker's schedule is always later on the 24-hour clock than the previous shift. In a continuous shift system workers will work a morning shift. In backward or delaying rosters. one shift always begins at an earlier time than the previous shift;

ii)	The frequency - employees may change shifts every week or at shorter or longer intervals;

iii)	The length of the cycle - the period required for a complete schedule of rotation, after which the cycle is repeated.

Fixed (or permanent) shifts

employees work permanently on a single shift.