The shift pattern that’s best for your organization depends on your organization’s needs. A 5-4/9 work schedule — a compressed schedule in which someone works four nine-hour days and one eight-hour day one week, followed by four nine-hour days the following week — might be perfect for one workplace but impractical for another. If you’re meeting your operational needs without payroll waste, and your team members are reporting good experiences with your schedule, congratulations: You’ve found the shift pattern that works for you.