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The Daily Insight

Are 24 hour shifts possible?

Author

Sarah Duran

Published Mar 19, 2026

According to the United States Department of Labor, working a 24-hour shift can cause employees emotional, mental and physical stress. At the time of publication, no comprehensive federal law prevents employers from requiring workers over age 16 to complete shifts of 24 hours or even more.

How long is an EMS shift?

EMTs and Paramedics typically work either 8, 10, or 12 hour day or night shifts. They will usually work an average of 36 to 48 hours per week, plus overtime. There are less common schedules that use 24-hour or even 48-hour long workdays. The schedule will depend on the agency they work for.

What does a 24 hour shift mean?

The 24-hour shift provides you with employees who typically work between 46 and 50 hours per week with minimal shift exchanges while providing continuous coverage throughout the year.

Is it illegal to make someone work 24 hours straight?

In most cases, there aren’t any restrictions or laws that would prevent an employer from requiring someone to work for 24 hours straight as long as the employee is over the age of 16. There are, however, laws in place that may require employees to receive overtime pay or limit the hours for teenage workers.

How do you cover a 24-hour shift?

24-48 Shift Schedule | 24/7 Shift Coverage The 24-48 shift pattern uses three teams (i.e. platoons) and three shifts to provide 24/7 coverage. It consists of a 3-day cycle where each team works one 24-hour shift followed by 2 consecutive days (48 hours) off duty.

Why do doctors have 24-hour shifts?

There is an enormous amount of work to be done in today’s hospital, and so much of it is clerical. Services need to be covered with residents, call schedules, back up call schedules, vacations, clinic hours, etc. Those 24 or more hour shifts allow residents to have some precious days off once in a while.

What’s the 48-96 work schedule for emergency medical services?

The 48-96 work schedule has been gaining acceptance from fire departments and emergency medical services in the United States as a way to reduce the number of work days and the associated long commutes. This work schedule uses three teams (i.e. platoons) and three shifts to provide 24/7 coverage.

How many 24 hour shifts do you work?

This work schedule uses three teams (i.e. platoons) and three shifts to provide 24/7 coverage. It consists of a 6-day cycle where each team works two consecutive 24-hour shifts, followed by 4 consecutive days off duty.

What’s the 48-96 fire department shift schedule?

48-96 Shift Schedule | 24/7 Shift Coverage. The 48-96 work schedule has been gaining acceptance from fire departments and emergency medical services in the United States as a way to reduce the number of work days and the associated long commutes. This work schedule uses three teams (i.e. platoons) and three shifts to provide 24/7 coverage.

What are the health risks of shift work?

A recent study in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that shift work at a young age is associated with elevated long-term cortisol levels and increased body mass index (BMI). 10 Long-term elevated cortisol levels lead to increased abdominal obesity, hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular risk.