shift work

Method of organizing work so that the same machinery or equipment (capital) is used at least twice during a 24-hour period by different groups or shifts of workers.

For example, a factory may have two shifts a day, one group of workers working the day shift from 6 am to 5 pm, and another group working the night shift from 5 pm to 1 am. Bus and train drivers often work shifts because a continuous service needs to be provided throughout the day. So too do workers where plant and machinery cannot be shut down without causing damage to the plant, such as steelworkers. Shiftwork is often paid at a higher rate than normal work because of the unsocial hours involved.