How a 9/80 schedule works
Over a two-week period you work eight 9-hour days, one 8-hour day, and get one weekday off — your regular day off (RDO). That is 80 hours in 9 workdays instead of 10.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 44 h |
| Week 2 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | Off | 36 h |
A 9-hour day is often 7:00 AM to 4:30 PM, or 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, with a 30-minute unpaid lunch. The 8-hour Friday ends an hour earlier. Some employers stagger teams so half are off on alternate Fridays (or Mondays) and the office is always covered.
The overtime trick: splitting the workweek
Under federal law, overtime is counted per workweek — a fixed 7-day period chosen by the employer. With a normal Sunday-to-Saturday workweek, week 1 above is 44 hours (4 hours of overtime) and week 2 is 36.
To keep both weeks at 40 hours, employers start the workweek in the middle of the 8-hour Friday — for example at noon. The first 4 hours of that Friday belong to one workweek and the last 4 hours to the next, so each workweek totals exactly 40 hours and no overtime is owed. The workweek has to be set up in advance and kept the same; it can't be changed week to week to avoid overtime. California also has daily overtime after 8 hours, so a 9/80 there needs an alternative workweek schedule adopted by an employee vote.
9/80 vs 4/10
| 9/80 | 4/10 | Standard 5/8 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workday length | 9 h (one 8 h) | 10 h | 8 h |
| Extra days off a year | 26 | 52 | 0 |
| Three-day weekends | Every other week | Every week | Holidays only |
| Commutes a year | ~234 | ~208 | ~260 |
Holidays and PTO on a 9/80
Because days are 9 hours, an 8-hour holiday or PTO day leaves an hour to cover. Common approaches: use an extra hour of PTO, work the hour on another day that week, or treat holidays as 9 hours. If a holiday lands on your day off, many employers give a floating day off in the same pay period. Track your balance with the PTO calculator.
Who uses the 9/80?
It is especially common in engineering, aerospace and defense, local government, utilities and oil and gas offices. Shift-based operations more often use rotations like the 4 on 2 off or 12-hour rotations.
Frequently asked questions
What is a 9/80 work schedule?
You work 80 hours in two weeks over 9 days instead of 10: eight 9-hour days and one 8-hour day, and you get every other Friday (or Monday) off. It is also called a 5/4/9 schedule.
How does a 9/80 schedule avoid overtime?
One week has 44 hours and the other 36, which would mean 4 hours of overtime. Employers avoid it by starting the official FLSA workweek halfway through the 8-hour Friday, so 4 of its hours count in each week — making both workweeks exactly 40 hours.
Is 9/80 or 4/10 better?
A 4/10 gives a three-day weekend every week but means 10-hour days. A 9/80 gives a three-day weekend every other week with shorter 9-hour days. People who find 10-hour days tiring often prefer the 9/80.
How do paid holidays work on a 9/80 schedule?
Policies vary. Commonly, a holiday on a 9-hour day is paid as 8 hours, so you use 1 hour of PTO or make it up; if a holiday falls on your day off, many employers give another day off in the same pay period. Check your employer's 9/80 policy.
How many days off do you get on a 9/80?
26 extra days off a year (sometimes 27), on top of weekends — one every two weeks.
Is a 9/80 schedule legal in California?
Yes, but California has daily overtime after 8 hours, so employers must adopt an alternative workweek schedule through a secret-ballot employee vote, or pay overtime for the 9th hour.
General information, not legal advice. Overtime rules depend on your state, employer and contract.