{"id":5866,"date":"2026-04-29T08:01:36","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T06:01:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/plano-wfm.com\/en\/?p=5866"},"modified":"2026-04-29T08:01:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T06:01:36","slug":"why-an-11-hour-rest-period-can-reduce-sick-leave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plano-wfm.com\/en\/why-an-11-hour-rest-period-can-reduce-sick-leave\/","title":{"rendered":"Why an 11-Hour Rest Period Can Reduce Sick Leave"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shift scheduling <\/a>in hospitals and care facilities is a demanding task. Staff must respond to absences, emergencies, and special requests to ensure operations run smoothly. In the process, one important aspect often falls by the wayside: employees\u2019 rest and recovery periods.<\/p>\n

In many teams, stepping in at short notice is taken for granted. However, this willingness comes at a price: If rest is consistently lacking, the body enters a state of constant stress. What was intended as a quick fix for staffing shortages gradually leads to exhaustion, difficulty concentrating, and ultimately to the very absences due to illness that tight schedules were meant to prevent. This creates a vicious cycle that burdens not only the employees but the entire system.<\/p>\n

Content:<\/h2>\n

\u2193 How Risky Is Switching From a Late Shift to an Early Shift, Really? <\/a>
\n\u2193 How Can Modern Workforce-Management Software Manage the Balancing Act Between Staffing Shortages and Legally Mandated Rest Periods?<\/a><\/p>\n

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How Risky Is Switching From a Late Shift to an Early Shift, Really?<\/h2>\n

Many people know what it\u2019s like to go from a late shift straight into an early shift. On paper there are several hours in between, but after the trip home, dinner and the necessary \u201cwinding down,\u201d there\u2019s often very little time left for real sleep. That this can\u2019t be healthy in the long run is obvious.<\/p>\n

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A recent clinical study from Norway (Shift Schedule With Fewer Short Daily Rest Periods and Sickness Absence Among Health Care Workers: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial – PubMed)<\/a> now backs up this observation with solid data and clearly shows that such shift changes can have health consequences. In short: the impression that this is problematic over time is confirmed by scientific findings.<\/p>\n

The Study: Less Stress, Measurable ROI<\/h3>\n

At Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, researchers took a close look at the issue. The problem: short daily rest periods of less than 11 hours. The goal: to find out what happens when these short turnarounds in shift schedules are deliberately reduced.<\/p>\n

Over a period of six months, an intervention group received schedules with significantly fewer short rest periods, while a control group continued working under the previous pattern. The result is a real wake-up call for anyone involved in workforce scheduling: sickness-related absences dropped noticeably in the intervention group. And that\u2019s not all – longer stretches of absence also declined, such as cases where someone is out for an entire week. The researchers even translated the findings into euros and cents and found that the financial return from avoided sick days far outweighed the effort involved in rescheduling. Healthy shift schedules save real money.<\/p>\n

The legally required minimum rest period of 11 hours under Section of the German Working Hours Act (ArbZG) protects employees\u2019 health and thus helps reduce sickness-related absences. Recovery periods that are too short after the workday increase the risk of becoming unable to work over the long term.<\/p>\n

In healthcare,<\/a> compliance with rest periods is especially important because it directly affects both patient safety and employees\u2019 health. Under Section of the German Working Hours Act, the daily minimum rest period in hospitals and in nursing and care facilities may be reduced on a one-time basis from 11 to 10 hours, provided that this reduction is compensated within the same calendar month by another rest period of at least 12 hours. In the case of on-call duty, it is also permissible for actual call-outs to shorten the rest period further, if an uninterrupted recovery period of at least 5.5 hours remains afterward. These allowances serve to maintain continuity of care, but they also require precise planning and complete documentation to prevent staff from being placed under permanent excessive strain.<\/p>\n

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How Can Modern Workforce-Management Software Manage the Balancing Act Between Staffing Shortages and Legally Mandated Rest Periods?<\/h2>\n

At first glance, the idea of simply extending rest periods sounds plausible. In practice, however, staff shortages and rigid scheduling processes quickly lead to bottlenecks and stress on the wards. This is exactly where professional workforce management (WFM) comes in: a solution that balances legal requirements, employee well-being, and patient safety. The following features are crucial:<\/p>\n