Night shift
Who is on the desk between 13:00 and 23:30 — roles, handovers, and reply windows.
Shift structure
The night shift splits into three blocks: afternoon intake (13:00–17:00), evening publish (17:00–21:00), and late close (21:00–23:30). At least two editors are present during publish blocks; one senior editor signs the final file.
Photo Desk staff may arrive earlier for equipment checks but do not publish frames until the section editor assigns a beat. Reader mail is answered during all open hours unless volume requires next-day reply — see Reader Mail for policy.
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13:00
Opening editor
Opens wire, assigns beats, confirms portal systems. Greets hawker and municipal clerks who call before peak hours.
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15:00
Beat editors ×4
Pairs cover beats 01–06 with overlap on transport and schools during exam seasons.
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18:00
Section editor
Signs first file, escalates holds, coordinates Photo Desk captions.
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21:00
Late editor
Manages late pull and second proof pass with fresh eyes.
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23:15
Closing editor
Publishes final file, drafts handover note for morning archive team.
Handovers
Handover notes summarise holds, expected morning documents, and any fix notices pending clerk confirmation. They are internal by default; public handover lines on each page are summaries only.
Editors named on Who Sits Here rotate monthly. Contact details for the LLP remain constant on Write to the Desk.
During exam seasons or festival weeks, the late block may add a third proof reader without changing published times — the Run Sheet records the exception in its handover line.
Opening editors confirm cookie banner behaviour on the portal at shift start — maps remain blocked until readers consent, consistent with our Cookie policy. No editor enables analytics toggles on behalf of visitors.
Reply windows for telephone calls narrow after 22:30 when the closing editor prioritises final file sign-off; email received before 23:30 is queued for the same night when volume allows.
Staffing minimums
Publish blocks require two editors present — one signing, one reading. Solo staffing is permitted only during intake blocks for document pull and equipment checks, not for publication.
Photo Desk may work solo on capture but not on publication; beat editors may not attach frames without Photo Desk caption confirmation logged on the contact sheet.
External callers
Municipal clerks and hawker office staff sometimes call before 17:00 with document updates. Opening editors log calls on the clipboard; publication still waits for ladder completion.
Breaks and coverage
Editors take staggered meal breaks during intake blocks; publish blocks maintain dual coverage. Break timing is not listed publicly but is recorded on internal roster to ensure sign-off continuity.
Late block editors do not accept new tip attachments after 23:15 unless safety-related — attachments queue for next desk open at 13:00.
Section editor role
Claudia Tan or designated substitute signs both first and final files. Substitutes are named in handover when section editor is on leave — roster on Who Sits Here updates monthly.
Transport beat may hold second proof on road closures when Arif Hassan is closing editor — dual sign-off prevents single-editor error on safety wording.
Night shift page times align with Run Sheet publish windows; staffing page does not introduce alternate deadlines.
Opening editor confirms fire exit briefing for any visiting clerk — safety briefing is not published but is mandatory for floor access after 13:00.
Substitute editors from prior months remain on internal contact sheet for handover continuity — public roster shows current month only.
Beat editors rotate desks physically counter-clockwise around the wire room weekly to cross-train on printer and wire terminal quirks.
Relief editors from the morning archive team may observe night publish blocks twice monthly for cross-training; observers do not sign files unless rostered as beat editors for that block.
Closing editors post a one-line public handover on the Run Sheet when night staffing differs from the roster shown on Who Sits Here; the line names roles, not personal schedules beyond the published monthly list.
When Balestier Road building management schedules lift maintenance, night shift adjusts intake timing but keeps published desk hours unchanged; delays are noted on the internal handover only.
2 Balestier Road, #04-01 — office location
2 Balestier Road, #04-01, Singapore 320002
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