Work and Rest
The work and rest module is meant to meet the requirements for vessel departments (not landbased). The requirements are based on Norwegian legislation, according to the rules and regulations described and referenced by the Norwegian Maritime Authority: Regelverket om hviletid - Sjøfartsdirektoratet The intention is that personnel on board shall log their work and rest hours, including filling in and signing mandatory W&R reports, in a logical and efficient manner. We have strived to make automatic solutions realistic and feasible, and we allow paperless processes where nobody needs to print anything.
The archives will be within the same module, thus there should never be necessary to search for documents elsewhere. We have one archive for the individual seafarer, and another archive for vessel administrative personnel, that must see and follow up all personnel on board.
Difference Between Work Schedules and Work Plans
1. Work Schedules (WS)
Purpose: Define the normal and repeating work/rest pattern for a position or person on board.
Structure: Shows a watch pattern (e.g., 6–6, day shift, night shift).
Time handling: Based on hours from the first watch, not real clock times.
Usage: Assigned when crew join the vessel; generated automatically each day.
👉 Think of a Work Schedule as the baseline pattern for daily operatio
ns.
2. Work Plans (WP)
Purpose: Handle temporary deviations from the normal Work Schedule.
Structure: Date-specific plan with exact start and end times.
Time handling: Follows the actual clock hours on board.
Usage: Created when the normal pattern does not apply (e.g., overtime, travel day, crew change).
👉 Think of a Work Plan as the exception handling tool that ensures compliance.
Why Work Plans Are Important
Compliance with Regulations
Sometimes crew need to work longer hours than their Work Schedule allows.
A Work Plan makes it possible to adjust patterns so that rest requirements are respected in the following days.
Flexibility for Real-Life Situations
Crew changes, travel home days, port calls, or emergencies often break the normal rhythm.
Work Plans allow these situations to be logged without breaking the integrity of the main schedule.
Accuracy in Reporting
Since Work Plans follow actual hours of the day, they provide a precise record for audits and inspections.
This ensures that W&R reports remain valid and trustworthy.
Why We Implemented Work Plans
- To give administrators and officers a safe way to temporarily override schedules without editing the baseline.
- To ensure that exceptions are documented clearly, keeping a clean audit trail.
- To help vessels return to compliance quickly after a breach risk (e.g., by adjusting rest/work on the following day).
- To support paperless processes where crew and admins can manage both normal and exceptional cases within the same system.
⚓ In short:
Work Schedules = the standard pattern (predictable, repeating).
Work Plans = the exception handler (temporary, real-time adjustments).