Shift

A shift is a continuous period of work with defined boundaries. In most operational contexts the boundaries are scheduled in advance ("closing shift, 5pm to 11pm") but the actual recorded shift is the time the worker clocked in to the time they clocked out, which may differ.

Common shift patterns:

• Fixed shifts: same hours every week. Common in office and retail settings.
• Rotating shifts: different hours week to week. Common in 24/7 operations.
• Split shifts: a single workday split into two segments with an unpaid break between (e.g., a server working both lunch and dinner). Each segment is usually one shift.
• On-call shifts: worker is available but only paid when actually called in.

Time-tracking systems usually treat each clock-in / clock-out pair as one shift. Scheduling tools (separate from time tracking) define planned shifts; the actual recorded shift is the data the tracker captures.