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Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997 (Act No. 75 of 1997)

Codes of Good Practice

Code of Good Practice on the Arrangement of Working Time

5. Arrangement of Shifts

 

The following recommendations apply to the arrangement of shift work:

 

5.1 Overtime should be avoided, especially in occupations involving special hazards or heavy physical or mental strain.

 

5.2 The changeover from one shift to another during the working day should, where appropriate, include a brief period of overlap of the two crews in order to pass on any information that is needed by the subsequent crew.

 

5.3 If appropriate and if it is possible within legal requirements, workers whose skills are interchangeable should be allowed to exchange a shift with another worker.

 

5.4 The shift schedule should be displayed or distributed for easy access by all workers, and should be presented in a readily understandable form.

 

5.5 Workers should receive reasonable notice in advance of scheduled hours of work and of any foreseeable changes to the schedule.

 

5.6 Arrangements should be considered to accommodate the special needs of workers such as pregnant and breast-feeding workers, workers with family responsibilities, older workers, disabled workers or workers with health problems, and also workers' personal preferences for the scheduling of their own free time.