

Some projects may even contain more than one shift timings where the project members divide among themselves. Abnormal timings – Some projects may demand working outside the general hours.This also affects the physical and mental health of the employees. Change of habits – Due to working in shifts, some habits of the employees’ change such as sleeping habits, eating habits, etc.It sometimes becomes mandatory to work according to the client’s timings. Not much freedom – IBM has many projects whose clients belong to different time zones.Employees who want to maintain work-life balance prefer general shifts. The employees who like nightlife generally opt for any other shift except for the night shift. Lifestyle benefits – Employees who are health conscious and want to spend some time on their fitness in the morning, normally avoid the morning shifts.Shifts make it easier to reach the office on time. Many employees opt for shifts due avoid the general peak hours of traffic. Avoid traffic – There are many cities when IBM offices are located far from the residential areas.This makes their working hours flexible and manageable. Convenience – Many employees choose the working shift according to their schedule.There are many advantages of working in shifts and some disadvantages as well. Pros and Cons of working in shifts at IBM 1 2x2x7 On Call – This is a type of 24×7 On-Call shift pattern where the shift is split into two shifts in a day.Follow the Sun – In this shift pattern, employees are engaged in 24/7 duty in correspondence to the projects related to the different western and eastern time zones.Generally, the employees who are much needed during the time of critical issues opt for this type of shift. 24×7 On Call – In this type of shift pattern, employees are needed to be available at any time of the day and any day of the week.Similar to the morning shifts, shift allowances are provided based on the number of night shifts being done by the employees per month. Night Shifts – This type of shift starts at around 9 p.m.Allowances are provided every month, depending on the number of morning shifts being done by the employee. Morning shift – This type of shift pattern starts between 5 a.m.Employees generally prefer this shift to maintain a proper work-life balance. No allowances are available for this type of shift pattern. This shift is done from Monday to Friday every week. General shift – It normally starts between 7 a.m.The details of various shift patterns are listed below. IBM has a provision of managing schedules by sending out alert notifications on the working hours of the employees so that the right staff is informed. Shift PatternsĪ shift pattern determines the working time of an employee. IBM includes various shift patterns to coordinate among themselves and with the clients. Due to the differences in time zones, IBM employees work in a shift system for carrying out the needs of various projects. Almost 70% of the employees are based outside the United States. IBM is one of the largest employers, having 350,000 employees all over the world. Working hours are categorized into various shift patterns like general shift, morning shift, night shift, follow the sun shift, etc. In general, shift hours at IBM should be 8 to 9 working hours. Shift hours determine the working time of an employee. To provide 24/7 availability, IBM has a work-in-shifts system. Apart from producing and selling high-quality computer infrastructure, it provides consulting services to its clients. It manufactures computer hardware, middleware, and software.

It operates in nearly more than 160 countries. It is an American-based multinational company, having headquarters at Armonk, New York. When incorporated back in 1911, it was named as Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company, which, later in 1924, was renamed as International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). IBM is one of the world’s biggest leading IT firms.
