Split Shift Meaning Explained: How It Works, Benefits, Laws, and Real-World Examples

Split shifts divide a workday into separate periods with a long unpaid break, boosting flexibility and reducing staffing costs. This schedule helps businesses meet demand during peak hours while supporting employee well-being and complying with labor laws.

By Brad Nakase, Attorney

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. A split shift schedule: What is it?

3. How Do Split Shifts Operate?

4. Is Employee Pay Affected by Split Shifts?

5. You might have to pay extra for split shifts according to state laws

6. Split shift laws in California

7. Are There Split Shift Regulations in Any Other States?

8. What Advantages Do Split Shifts Offer?

9. Are There Certain Legal Obligations for Scheduling Split Shifts?

10. Rethink the Workdays of Your Employees

Introduction

Businesses frequently need to be accessible to clients much past regular office hours in today’s modern, 24/7 environment. Your team and you may follow a typical 9-5 workday, depending on the industry you operate in. This may not always be the case, though. Industries must run constantly, frequently at various times of the day and night, including hospitality, public transportation, food service, healthcare institutions, and even customer service departments.

The real query, however, is: How can companies provide 24-hour service without putting too much strain on their staff? After all, expecting people to labor around the clock is neither realistic nor equitable. Long workdays can significantly harm employees’ mental and physical well-being, according to research. Therefore, how can companies prioritize the health of their employees while maintaining the ideal workforce levels to service customers?

You might be surprised to learn that the answer is as easy as you might think—the split shift.

Understanding the split shift meaning can help businesses structure work hours more efficiently without overworking employees.

A split shift schedule: What is it?

When an employee works a split shift, their hours are divided into at least two halves, with some unpaid downtime thrown in between. Although everything is completed in a single workday, you are in charge of deciding how the working hours are divided and what duration the break is.

“Don’t we currently do this during lunch breaks?” is what you may be asking yourself. Not quite, anyhow. The typical one-hour lunch break during a shift isn’t truly considered. This is not a break; it’s just a break for meals.

The time between work shifts must be at least two hours. A team member’s entitlement to a meal break according to employment laws cannot be limited to that. In addition to any meal breaks the team may have, it must be free time. A split shift differs from your regular work schedule because of this. Everything depends on how you divide up the workday while adhering to the regulations.

How Do Split Shifts Operate?

Let’s see how a timetable like this is used. For example, if your restaurant is open from 11 am to 11 pm, however, its main eventful times are in the morning and evening. You need your most seasoned workers to work throughout lunch and dinner because these times can grow crowded.

Your best staff members may be scheduled for a split shift from 11 am to 1 pm, followed by another shift from 5 p.m. to conclusion, with a legally mandated meal break between those hours. In the afternoon, when you have fewer customers, your less seasoned staff members can fill the four-hour schedule.

Your critical personnel will still work eight hours a day under this kind of employee scheduling, but they will take four hours off in between before returning for the evening shift. They are free to do as they choose during that unpaid, inactive period. That’s the core of split shift meaning—segmenting the workday while maintaining legal and operational balance.

Is Employee Pay Affected by Split Shifts?

Federal laws mandate that you give your workers at least a minimum wage, which might be either the state’s minimum wage (or else even the municipal minimum wage) or the federal minimum wage.

Paying your employees more than the minimum wage on weekends or nights is a reasonably frequent practice if your firm works during unfavorable hours in an effort to make those times more enticing. A shift differential is the term for this.

Although such a compensation increase may be typical, it is not necessary. For split shifts, businesses are exempt from paying a shift differential under the FLSA (Federal Fair Labor Standards Act).

You might have to pay extra for split shifts according to state laws

However, it’s crucial to examine your state. In certain states, such as California, you have to shell out a split shift surcharge. What this means is that workers who work more get a small bonus, which we will go over in detail later.

If a team member stays on-site, such as in a residence above the restaurant where they work, or if they offer to serve an additional shift on the same day of work, they are not eligible for these premium payments.

Split shift laws in California

In California, understanding the split shift meaning comes with knowing that businesses must pay a split shift premium. According to California’s split shift legislation, businesses must pay an additional hourly wage at the local or state minimum wage rate, whichever is higher, as part of the split shift premium. For each split shift, this premium gets added to the worker’s base pay.

It’s not as easy as you may assume to add an additional hour of minimum pay to the shift. It must be added, but the total must then be compared to what they would make at their normal rate.

You are liable for the difference if their total compensation for that additional hour exceeds what you are paying them anyhow. It’s important to make sure that the numbers are correct in order to adhere to California split shift regulations.

The following is the formula for one split shift:

Split Shift Premium is equal to Total Salary at the Minimum Wage + One Additional Minimum Wage Hour – Overall Salary at the Regular Hourly Rate.

Are There Split Shift Regulations in Any Other States?

Not a California resident? You may want to make yourself aware of the following split-shift regulations from other states:

1. The District of Columbia

Employees who work split shifts in Washington, DC, have the right to an extra hour of compensation at minimum wage, much like in California. Employees who reside on-site are exempt from the requirement that the breaks between each shift be longer than an hour.

2. Illinois

Illinois does not have any legislation pertaining to split shifts. However, employers ought to be aware that if employees haven’t taken a 10-hour or more break since their previous shift, they cannot be scheduled to work under the Chicago Fair Workweek Ordinance.

3. New York

There are laws in New York that nonexempt, hourly workers in the service sector need to be aware of regarding split shift compensation.

A split shift is when a worker’s schedule is broken up into at least two halves with a break of over an hour. In New York, workers who work split shifts are entitled to an additional hour of compensation at the minimum wage rate, over their daily regular salary.

Workers are entitled to spread-out compensation if their workday begins and ends more than ten hours apart. In this instance, an additional hour at the minimum wage in New York is due.

This premium can be deducted by employers from the salary that they pay over the minimum wage. For instance, if a worker’s hourly rate exceeds the wage required by law, the premium for split shifts may be offset by the difference.

4. Oregon

Additionally, Oregon mandates that workers take a minimum of ten hours off between shifts. These teammates must be compensated at time and a half for the following shift if they must report for duty earlier than this.

Each region varies, so knowing the split shift meaning and local laws is essential to stay compliant.

What Advantages Do Split Shifts Offer?

You might need to work a bit harder (and use some math) to set up your work schedule by shift. Even so, it’s worth looking at the positive points these kinds of changes have.

More free time: It makes it easier for workers to run personal tasks or meet other obligations during the day. Handling childcare schedules can be difficult when you’re working full-time, but splitting your time into different shifts helps make everything easier at daycare or school.
Reduced labor costs: It is unnecessary to have too many workers at work during quiet hours. Rather, split shifts let you plan your budget on your busiest periods so that your labor expenses are kept to a minimum during the slower parts of the day.
Increased productivity of workers: Giving the employees a longer break during the day ensures that they return to their shift feeling fresh and prepared to do their best again.

Are There Certain Legal Obligations for Scheduling Split Shifts?

It is usually necessary to plan ahead for split shifts. If an employee approaches you to request an additional hour for meals that day, it cannot be regarded as a split shift.

They can also offer to work an extra hour or a second shift later in the workweek if they have to depart early due to an unforeseen circumstance.

As a supervisor, you have the authority to determine whether or not it is permitted, but you are not permitted to record that time as a split shift. Rather, you will pay the worker their regular wage for any time they are on the clock.

Rethink the Workdays of Your Employees

There are already many logistics involved in running a firm. Split shifts may seem like yet another hassle, but they can save you both money and time if you put in a bit more effort upfront.

There might also be some unanticipated advantages. You may be able to hire one or two more workers for the busier hours at the end of the day with the money you save by allowing your staff to take some time off in the midst of their job.

Clearly, once you grasp split shift meaning, you’ll see how it balances business needs with employee well-being.

Have a quick question? We answered nearly 2000 FAQs.

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Split Shift Meaning Explained: How It Works, Benefits, Laws, and Real-World Examples

Introduction

A split shift schedule: What is it?

How Do Split Shifts Operate?

Is Employee Pay Affected by Split Shifts?

You might have to pay extra for split shifts according to state laws

Split shift laws in California

Are There Split Shift Regulations in Any Other States?

What Advantages Do Split Shifts Offer?

Are There Certain Legal Obligations for Scheduling Split Shifts?

Rethink the Workdays of Your Employees

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