24/7 shift schedules: how many operators you need to answer calls round the clock
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
Keeping one seat staffed for all 168 hours of the week takes at least 4.2 people on a 40-hour week, and about five once holidays and sick days are counted. The most common patterns are three 8-hour shifts and the 12-hour “2/2”. Build the schedule from calls per hour: more people by day, fewer at night. Night calls are few while the operator gets a full salary, so those hours can go to an AI operator.
The maths: how many people 24/7 takes
A week has 168 hours. If an operator works, for example, 40 hours a week: 168 ÷ 40 = 4.2 people, for one seat only. Add holidays, sick days and training and you usually get close to five. If you need three people by day and one at night, the team passes ten.
Weekly hours and days off are set by labour law, and night work and overtime have their own rules. Check the schedule with your accountant or a lawyer before you finalise it.
Shift patterns: which one fits
| Pattern | How it works | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three 8-hour shifts | 08–16, 16–24, 00–08 | Short shifts, less fatigue | Many handovers; night staff are hard to find |
| 12-hour “2/2” | Two days on, two days off, day and night shifts | Few handovers, easy to follow | 12 hours on the phone is tiring; quality drops late in the shift |
| 24 on, 72 off | One full day on, three days off | Covered with fewer people | Too hard for phone work; attention fades at night |
| Mixed | 8-hour shifts by day, one person on duty at night | People follow the workload | Harder to plan |
How to build the schedule
- Split a month of calls by hour: take the number of calls in each hour from your phone system or telecom provider’s report.
- Work out how many operators each hour needs. For example, 40 calls an hour between 10:00 and 13:00, 4 minutes each: 160 minutes of work. Nobody talks more than 40–45 minutes an hour, so you need four operators.
- Shift start times towards the peaks. If the wave comes after 10, start one shift at 10:00, not 9:00.
- Stagger lunches and breaks so that not everyone leaves during a busy hour.
- Name the cover in advance: who steps in for someone sick or on holiday.
- Publish the schedule a month ahead with a swap rule: with whom, by when, and who must be told.
Night hours: the most expensive calls
Many businesses get few calls at night, but they do get some: deliveries, urgent orders, customers in another city. For example, if 6 calls come in between 00:00 and 08:00, the operator on duty is paid for the whole night. One night call costs several times more than a daytime one.
Not answering at night is no fix either: the customer calls another company and doesn’t come back in the morning. More on this: missed calls.
People by day, an AI operator at night
Sado’s AI operator works the hours you set: for example, only 20:00 to 09:00, plus weekends and holidays. It answers each call in about a second, with no queue, in Uzbek and Russian. It takes down orders and requests, which are waiting in the portal and the CRM in the morning. If a callback is needed, it creates a task.
You pay only for talked minutes. For example, 6 two-minute night calls: 12 minutes × 800 = 9,600 so‘m. More: AI operator for incoming calls and call centre vs AI operator. Compare your own schedule in the calculator or try it live.
Questions
Is a 12-hour shift all right for an operator?
The “2/2” pattern is common, but 12 hours on the phone is tiring. Give a short break every two hours and listen separately to calls from the last hours of the shift.
How many people does a night shift need?
At least one person on duty, but one person can’t work every night of the week. So even one night seat needs several people plus cover.
Can I use the AI operator only at night?
Yes. You set Sado’s working hours, and you pay only for talked minutes. Your staff keep taking calls during the day.