cross-hour

The cross-hour is the overlap between the day and night population shifts on Galtern. It occurs twice a day and is two hours in length, consisting of the hour before and after both sunrise and sunset. During that time members of both shifts can mingle, but at the end of the cross-hour the inactive shift must be at home and remain there until the next cross-hour. The shift's work is expected to be done before the cross-hour begins. Certain occupations, such as emergency medical work, are allowed to follow an offset schedule in which some workers take cross-hour early or late, so that there are personnel on duty at all times of day or night.