交代制(こうたいせい)

こうたいせい
noun
shift system; rotation system
work
1. shift system; rotation system; shift work
A work schedule system where employees take turns working different time periods, ensuring continuous coverage. Common in factories, hospitals, and service industries.
This factory operates on a shift system.
看護師(かんごし)は三(さん)交代制(こうたいせい)で働(はたら)いている。
The nurses work on a three-shift rotation.
The drawback of shift work is that it tends to disrupt your daily rhythm.

Common types: 二(に)交代制(こうたいせい) (two-shift system, typically day and night), 三(さん)交代制(こうたいせい) (three-shift system, 8 hours each). Common collocations: 交代制(こうたいせい)勤務(きんむ) (shift work), 交代制(こうたいせい)で働(はたら)く (to work in shifts). The suffix ~制(せい) indicates a system or structure: 会員制(かいいんせい) (membership system), 予約制(よやくせい) (reservation-only system). Related: シフト制(せい) (shift system — using the English loanword), 当番制(とうばんせい) (duty rotation system).