Beyond the 9-to-5 grind: Exploring the 9/80 work week
Back in the 1980s, when the Dolly Parton classic “9 to 5” filled the airwaves, workers identified with the song’s hours. The standard employee worked five days of 8 hours each, totaling a 40-hour workweek.
Technology, though, has progressively opened up possibilities as to where and when employees can perform tasks. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic threw the concept of “business as usual” into a tailspin. Thinking outside the box became a way to survive and then thrive.
Remote work, job shares, flexible work schedules, four-day workweeks—today, a range of possibilities exist, including an intriguing one known as a 9/80 work schedule.
What is a 9/80 work schedule?
A 9/80 work schedule involves employees working 80 hours over nine days instead of the traditional ten. They then receive a day off. This set-up means workers get a three-day weekend every other week.
Employers differ in how they divide those 80 hours during the two weeks. The following arrangement, however, is the most common.
First week: Four 9-hour days and one 8-hour day
Second week: Four 9-hour days and Friday off
For payroll purposes, employers split the eight-hour day in half. The four morning hours count toward the first workweek, and the four hours after the lunch break apply to the second workweek. This method keeps both weeks of the pay period at 40 hours, which avoids overtime pay issues.
Benefits of a 9/80 work schedule
An obvious question becomes, “What do an organization and its employees stand to gain from a compressed work schedule?” Potential positives of this type of schedule include:
A 9/80 arrangement provides two extra days off each month. These long weekends allow employees to spend more time with family and friends, pursue hobbies, run errands, attend appointments, travel, or do whatever they choose.
Employees save time and money by commuting one less day each pay period. Well-being improves, as stressful commutes can play a part in burnout. For drivers, less travel means lower wear and tear on their car. Some lucky workers encounter less traffic or public transportation crowds on 9-hour days by beating rush hour in the morning or leaving after it in the evening.
Fewer commuting days can reduce carbon emissions. Likewise, closing the office two additional days per month saves electricity.
Workers tend to feel more satisfied with their jobs with more time for rest and greater control over balancing personal and professional obligations.
Refreshed workers possess the mental and physical energy to achieve greater output. Also, the extra hour on the nine-hour workdays provides a more extended period to start and finish demanding projects. People can maintain their momentum rather than needing to stop and then pick up again the following morning.
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Boost to recruitment and retention.
Alternative work schedules attract attention from job seekers. Likewise, current employees may consider the 9/80 schedule a valuable perk that helps them stay put.
On more extended workdays, companies can offer services to clients outside of traditional business hours. Some customers may find scheduling early-morning or late-evening meetings or services attractive.
Drawbacks employees face with a 9/80 work schedule
Without a doubt, the biggest lure of a 9/80 schedule is the extra days off. However, this time is not a gift. Employees earn it by working longer hours on eight other days of the pay cycle.
Some people exhaust themselves during nine-hour workdays. They become tired, physically uncomfortable, unfocused, or mentally drained. Many workers complain that by the time they get home, barely enough hours remain to eat and open the mail before the clock says bedtime.
Individuals with strong inclinations toward a specific time of day may find the 9/80 schedule especially difficult. Night owls can struggle to arrive on time at an office that opens an hour earlier.
Likewise, a morning person can run out of steam when quitting an hour later. Some companies deal with this issue by letting workers decide which end to tack on the extra hour.
A large challenge employers encounter with a 9/80 compressed workweek
While more days off appeals to workers, many employers worry about the bottom line. Losing one day of the week may not prove practical for some work environments.
One way to handle this issue is to split staffing. Divide team members into two groups. One group follows a 9/80 schedule, in which they receive Friday off. The other group also operates on a 9/80 schedule but gets Monday free. This method allows a company to manage all weekdays with fewer employees on Mondays and Fridays.
Small businesses sometimes find this route challenging. If half the staff is gone, they lack sufficient staff for adequate shift coverage.
All employees must improve their organization and communication. Some team members are off on Monday, and some on Friday. Everyone must know who works when and what tasks people are responsible for on certain days.
Other considerations about a 9/80 schedule
Before implementing a compressed workweek schedule, think about matters from all angles.
A 9/80 work schedule complies with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as long as non-exempt employees do not work over 40 hours per week. As discussed earlier, splitting the 8-hour day into four hours clocked in week one and four in week two solves this dilemma.
While no federal labor laws hinder the 9/80 arrangement, state laws may regulate compressed schedules. Look into specifics for your state. Some, such as California, provide very detailed information about the number of work hours and what constitutes overtime.
How you handle sick leave and vacation days may need to change. Rethinking the total number of hours available to take off can help.
Most days involve nine hours of work. Sometimes, though, an employee’s absence happens on an eight-hour day. Since all days are unequal, subtract the number of hours they were scheduled to work from the total benefit.
Think in hours rather than days. This means that someone with 80 PTO hours available would be down to 71 after missing a nine-hour day or down to 72 after calling in sick on an eight-hour day.
Some industries lend themselves more to alternative schedules than others. Accountants and computer programmers, for instance, might thrive on 9-hour days. They may get involved in a project and benefit from the extra hours, but construction workers may need more time to perform well, raising safety concerns. Similarly, the amount of daylight available may impede working a ninth hour.
Wise leaders are open to new methods but do not make changes to appear trendy.
Solicit a wide variety of opinions before committing to a 9/80 schedule. Does the thought of those 9-hour workdays mortify workers? Do employees think two extra days off a month would benefit their work-life balance? How do clients and vendors feel about your workplace being closed every other Friday?
Let responses to these questions guide further action. Depending on the work environment and the people in it, a 9/80 schedule could prove a win for all.
9/80 work schedules in action
For further insight, let’s look at the experiences of four organizations with this type of schedule.
CPR Certification Plus
“The 9/80 schedule was introduced with one principle in mind: to enhance work-life balance without compromising productivity. Employees work 80 hours in 9 days and take every alternate Friday off,” says Jamie Miller, CEO of this training site dedicated to CPR and first aid certifications.
She notes three important benefits of this system:
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Improvement in employee happiness
“Thanks to the additional time off, our employees can rest, engage in hobbies, or run errands, which results in more satisfied and engaged employees.”
“Working hours are longer, which enables employees to engage in prolonged uninterrupted periods of work and complete difficult tasks.”
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Attractive to job candidates
“The recruitment strategy has worked out, and we managed to maintain our professional standards and will be able to compete in the very saturated job market.”
Miller admits, though, that obstacles exist. “It can be difficult to work longer hours, especially for those required to exert too much mental or physical effort. To tackle this, we have promoted breaks and closely managed workload.
Then, there is the aspect of planning for the customers’ off-Fridays coverage, which is an issue, but the merits far surpass the logistical problems.”
Waste Direct
Owner and founder Evie Graham says her London waste management company switched to the 9/80 system last year after noticing drivers needed better work-life balance.
“Initially, I was concerned about coverage — waste collection needs consistent service,” she says. “However, after planning carefully with our operations team, we found we could extend our daily collection hours while giving staff more meaningful time off. The longer days let our drivers complete their routes with fewer interruptions.”
The response from drivers has been positive. “They tell me the extra day off helps them recover better, especially from the physical demands of waste collection. Even our office team appreciates the schedule — they use their extra day for personal appointments.”
Graham notes that the bottom line has been positive, too. “Looking at our numbers, this schedule works. We’ve reduced overtime costs significantly, and our service quality has improved. The consistent three-day weekends help us retain good staff—something crucial in our industry.”
Mentalyc
Why did this company specializing in effortless automated notes for mental health providers choose a 9/80 schedule? As CEO
Maria Szandrach explains, “In the mental health tech industry, the stakes are high—our work impacts the well-being of providers and their patients.”
“We wanted to create a system that supports our team in doing their best work without sacrificing their mental and physical health. The 9/80 schedule promotes this balance by offering a structure that encourages productivity and rest.”
Besides better work-life integration, she has noticed a boost in creativity and focus. “In our line of work, innovation is everything. The extra day off every other week allows our team to return recharged, which fuels their ability to think creatively and solve complex problems.”
Szandrach admits that ensuring consistent client support, especially during off Fridays, has proved challenging. The company tackled this issue by alternating schedules within the team to maintain coverage.
Overall, she considers the system a success. “As a leader, seeing how this schedule has positively impacted our team’s morale is incredibly fulfilling. It aligns with our mission of improving mental health practices – if we preach balance and efficiency to our clients, we must also embody it internally.”
New York Gates
As mentioned earlier, the 9/80 schedule works better for some organizations than others. Here’s an example of a company that tried it but returned to a traditional 5-day, 40-hour workweek.
“The biggest challenge with the 9/80 schedule in our line of work – installing and repairing security gates – was coordination,” says founder Beni Avni.
“Since our services are often urgent and rely heavily on schedules aligning with clients’ availability, having to alternate Fridays off created difficulty in managing gaps.”
“While some team members appreciated the extra day off every other week, it made providing consistent service tricky, especially for emergency calls.”
Avni notes that another consideration was productivity. “Although the 9-hour workdays were manageable, we found that fatigue could set in toward the end of the extended shifts. This led to a slight drop in performance and, at times, errors that could have been avoided with shorter days.”
What did his staff think of the 9/80 arrangement? According to Avni, opinions were mixed. “Some staff enjoyed the flexibility of the extra day, but others struggled to balance the longer daily hours with family or personal obligations.”
He offers this advice: “The success of a 9/80 schedule largely depends on your industry and operations. It could be ideal for industries with non-time-sensitive tasks or longer project cycles.”
Additional resources:
Flexible work arrangements: 4 types to improve employee productivity 
Work flexibility: Unconventional arrangements are here to stay
Navigating a toxic work environment: Strategies for survival
