The 9/80 Work Schedule: How It Works, Examples & Template

The 9/80 work schedule compresses the standard two-week, 80-hour load into nine days instead of ten: eight 9-hour days plus one 8-hour day, earning every other Friday off. Employees still average 40 hours a week — they just bank one extra free day a fortnight.

Try the rotation

Pick a start date to map the rotation onto real weeks. Team A starts the cycle on day 1; the other teams are staggered so cover never drops.

Cycle start date

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
Team A	Day	Day	Day	Day	Day	Off	Off	Day	Day	Day	Day	Off	Off	Off

Day = Day shiftOff = Day off

The math

Cycle length	14 days (two workweeks)
Hours per cycle	80 hours
Shape	Eight 9-hour days + one 8-hour day, then a day off
Average hours per week	40 hours
Extra days off per year	26 (every other Friday)

How the rotation works

Week one runs Monday-Thursday at 9 hours plus an 8-hour Friday (44 hours). Week two runs Monday-Thursday at 9 hours, and Friday is off (36 hours). Total: 80 hours over nine working days, with 26 three-day weekends a year.

The payroll detail that makes 9/80 legal and clean in the US: the workweek is redefined to split the 8-hour Friday in half — the official week ends mid-shift on Friday. Four hours count into each adjacent week, so both weeks total exactly 40 and no overtime is triggered. Get that definition into writing before launching; it is the single most common 9/80 implementation mistake.

Teams usually split into A/B groups taking opposite Fridays off, so the office never goes dark and meetings have a guaranteed common core (Monday-Thursday).

Who uses it

Engineering & aerospace firms — the schedule's heartland — common across US defence and energy
Government agencies & utilities — widely offered as a compressed-week benefit
Professional services & back office — focus-heavy work that absorbs a 9-hour day easily
Manufacturing support functions — plants align support staff Fridays with maintenance windows
IT & development teams — popular as a retention benefit with zero headcount cost

Pros & Cons

Pros

26 three-day weekends a year at no reduction in hours
Fridays alternate across A/B groups, so coverage never fully drops
One fewer commute per fortnight; quieter offices on alternating Fridays
Strong, cheap retention and recruiting benefit
Monday-Thursday overlap keeps collaboration hours intact

Cons

The split-Friday workweek definition must be documented precisely or overtime liability appears
9-hour days stretch childcare and evening commitments
Leave accounting gets fiddly: a sick 9-hour day ≠ an 8-hour day
Customer-facing roles need cover choreography for off-Fridays
Not suited to 24/7 operations — it's an office/day-shift pattern

Variations & alternatives

The 4/10 schedule 4 on 3 off 5 on 2 off Rotating shift schedules

Free template download

Download the pre-built rotation calendar, ready to print or edit. No email required.

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Build this schedule in Tommy

Set the rotation once and Tommy fills the weeks ahead — shift swaps, leave and coverage gaps handled in one place, with your team always seeing the latest version.

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Frequently asked questions

How does the 9/80 schedule work?

You work eight 9-hour days and one 8-hour day over two weeks (80 hours), and take every other Friday off — 26 extra free days a year while still averaging 40 hours a week.

How does 9/80 avoid overtime?

By redefining the official workweek to end halfway through the 8-hour Friday. Four Friday hours belong to each adjacent week, making both exactly 40 hours. This definition must be written into policy before the schedule starts.

What happens if I'm sick on a 9-hour day?

You use 9 hours of leave, not 8 — leave balances on a 9/80 are spent in day-lengths. Most employers convert balances to hours to keep this clean.

Can a whole team be off the same Friday?

Most employers split staff into two groups on opposite Fridays so the business stays open. Some small teams close entirely on the common Friday instead.

Is 9/80 the same as a 4-day week?

No — a true 4-day week (like the 4/10) gives a 3-day weekend every week. The 9/80 gives one every other week, in exchange for a shorter daily stretch (9 h vs 10 h).