A 9/80 schedule fits 80 hours into nine working days over two weeks, so employees get every other Friday off. For non-exempt staff it only avoids overtime if the FLSA workweek is set to start in the middle of the shared Friday.
In shortA 9/80 work schedule is a compressed schedule where employees work 80 hours over nine days in a two-week period. The usual pattern is four 9-hour days and one 8-hour Friday in the first week, then four 9-hour days and a Friday off in the second. Counted Monday to Sunday, that is 44 hours in the first week and 36 in the second, and because the FLSA looks at each workweek separately and does not allow averaging across two weeks, the 4 extra hours in the first week would be overtime for a non-exempt employee. The solution is in the definition of the workweek. Under 29 CFR 778.105, a workweek is a fixed and regularly recurring period of 168 hours, it may begin on any day and at any hour, and it can be changed if the change is meant to be permanent and is not designed to evade overtime. Employers set the workweek to start halfway through the 8-hour Friday, so 4 hours of that Friday fall in each workweek and every workweek has exactly 40 hours. State law can still apply. In California, work over 8 hours in a workday is overtime unless an alternative workweek schedule has been adopted under the state’s procedure, so 9-hour days need that step first.
Starting the workweek halfway through the shared Friday gives every workweek exactly 40 hours.
Worked example: setting the workweek
An engineering firm moves to 9/80
An engineering firm moves its drafting team, who are non-exempt and earn $30 an hour, to a 9/80 schedule. Shared Fridays run 8:00 to 12:00 and 1:00 to 5:00.
If the firm kept a Monday to Sunday workweek, each drafter would work 44 hours in the first week, and the 4 extra hours would cost 4 x $15 = $60 in overtime premium per person every two weeks. For 12 drafters, that is $720 per cycle, or $18,720 over 26 cycles a year.
Instead, the firm changes its workweek, permanently and in writing, to start on Friday at 12:00 noon. The morning of the shared Friday falls in one workweek and the afternoon in the next, so every workweek is exactly 40 hours and no overtime is owed. The change is made for good, not switched back and forth. The firm also has no California employees, so no daily overtime question arises.
Mistakes that are specific to 9/80 schedules
Keeping a Monday to Sunday workweek, so the 44-hour week creates overtime.
Averaging the two weeks to 40 hours, which the FLSA does not allow.
Changing the workweek start back and forth to avoid overtime in particular weeks.
Starting 9-hour days in California without an alternative workweek schedule.
Not adjusting holiday pay and PTO rules for 9-hour days and the Friday off.
Running a 9/80 schedule day to day
Publish the calendar of Fridays off for the whole year, split into two groups if the office must stay open every Friday.
Write the rule for holidays that fall on a 9-hour day or a Friday off.
Write the rule for sick days and PTO, such as 9 hours used for a 9-hour day.
Keep the workweek start fixed at midday Friday, and record it in payroll.
Review weekly hours for each non-exempt employee, since a missed Friday off or a long day can still create overtime.
Second example: a holiday on a 9-hour day
A drafter on a 9/80 schedule has a paid holiday on a Monday that would have been a 9-hour day. The firm’s holiday policy pays 8 hours.
To keep the week at 40 hours, the firm’s policy lets her either use 1 hour of PTO or work 1 extra hour on another day in the same workweek, with her manager’s approval. She works one extra hour on Wednesday, so her pay for the workweek still covers 40 hours, including the 8 holiday hours.
Draw the workweek line on the scheduleMark the moment the workweek starts on the posted schedule itself, for example Friday 12:00. Supervisors who see the line will not schedule an extra Friday morning hour into the wrong week.
Questions people ask
How does a 9/80 schedule work?
Employees work eight 9-hour days and one 8-hour day over two weeks, for 80 hours, and get the second Friday off.
Is a 9/80 schedule overtime for hourly employees?
Not if the FLSA workweek is set to start in the middle of the 8-hour Friday, so each workweek has 40 hours. State daily overtime rules may still apply.
What happens to holidays on a 9/80 schedule?
It depends on the policy. If holiday pay is 8 hours and the holiday falls on a 9-hour day, the employee needs 1 hour of PTO or an adjusted schedule.
Can exempt employees work a 9/80?
Yes. Exempt employees are not owed overtime, so the workweek setup matters less for them.
What happens if an employee is sick on a 9-hour day?
Most policies deduct 9 hours of sick time or PTO for a 9-hour day, so the balance matches the hours missed. Write the rule down.
Can a 9/80 schedule be used for part of a team?
Yes. Many employers split the team into two groups with different Fridays off, so the office is covered every Friday.
Disclaimer: This explanation of 9/80 work schedule is general information, not legal, payroll or tax advice; rules differ by state and city and change over time, and the examples are fictional.
