The right work schedule and job for you

A good job doesn’t necessarily mean the hours are nine to five, or that you have to be at work at the crack of dawn. In today’s world, people shop on Sundays and also expect businesses to be open later at night. As a result, there are a variety of work schedules people now have.

Have you ever considered what type of job you should have based on the schedule? The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides the four most common types of schedules workers have. Learn more about the workdays different workers have and learn if one of these schedules or jobs could be right for you.

Fixed work schedules
Fixed work schedules are for employees who work the same schedule on an ongoing basis. For example, employees who work from 9:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. each day, with 30 minutes unpaid lunch, and who work Monday through Friday each week are on a fixed schedule. Their schedule is eight hours per day, 40 hours per week and 52 weeks per year. Although the schedule is determined by the individual employer, some examples of jobs with fixed work schedules include:

• Finance manager
• Insurance agent
• Real estate agent

Flexible
Flexible work schedules are very similar to fixed work schedules. Under a flexible work schedule, employees set their own hours, generally within guidelines and with a fixed number of total hours. For example, an individual worker might be permitted to arrive and leave work at various times provided she or he works 40 hours between Monday and Friday and is at work during certain core hours. An individual might work nine hours one day, seven hours one day, and eight hours the other three days. Flexible work schedules are often decided by individual employers, but some examples of jobs with flexible work schedules are:

• Graphic designer
• Property, real estate and community association manager
• Writer

Rotating
Rotating work schedules have a fixed number of hours and time off over a period of more than 1 week but not a set weekly schedule. Rotating schedules are most common among occupations in establishments that operate 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Scheduling can be different by each employer, but some examples of jobs with rotating work schedules include:

• Firefighter
• Nurse
• Police officer

Nonfixed
Nonfixed work schedules are found in situations in which one job has multiple work schedules. In such cases, the varying schedules are often due to particular traits of individual workers or because the work required varies by individual. Work schedules are determined by each employer, though some examples of jobs with nonfixed schedules include:

• Flight attendant
• Retail sales worker
• Truck driver