IFATCA Policy is:

The duty roster should be based on at least 2 consecutive days off in every 7 days. Duty rosters should be agreed with the air traffic controllers involved.

SPO shall be avoided.

An optimal roster should be promulgated, based on the maximum allowed number of working hours per week and per shift, a minimum number of break periods of an agreed minimum length, both during a shift and between shifts and on an optimal night/day switch number per week or per month as appropriate. This roster should require definition of personnel strength based on the number of sectors and traffic density. It shall allow for attribution of a minimum number of days paid leave, sick leave, extraordinary leave and unpaid leave. It shall be such that a minimum number of weekends per month and of public holidays per year can be taken as they occur and not later. Conditions for overtime and night work (e.g. rest facilities) shall be defined and the regulations governing the various kinds of leave be clearly stated.

Duty rosters including night shifts should be of a rapidly rotating shift system in a morning, evening, night cycle. Consecutive night shifts are not recommended.

Shift systems should not include night shifts that commence on the same day that a morning shift ends.

Change-over times between night shift and the following morning shift should not take place before 6 am local time, to ensure that sleep duration for the morning shift is adequate before commencement of their duty time.

Shift systems should include preferably single night duties only but where consecutive nights are required they should be restricted to the minimum.

In respect of the nature of night shift duties Member Associations should pursue additional time off for night shifts worked as compensation.

After a night shift, an off-duty period of a minimum of 30 hours is recommended.

The number of consecutive early starts (shifts starting in the period between 0600 and 0659) should be limited to a maximum of two in a period of 144 hours (6 days).