Flexible Working Arrangements in Continuous Shift Production

The application of flexibility to shift systems of working has generally been limited to individual arrangements between 'opposite numbers' on other shifts. This article describes a successful experiment to design and implement a flexible system that greatly extends the discretion accorded to operatives on shiftwork in their overall use of time. The scheme appears to be unique in that over 1,500 production workers are involved in operating a scheme that was largely designed by themselves.