They stay in their place of work for 28 days; can they shorten their prayers?
Question

                We are a group of men working far away from our homes and families, in a place where there are no people living, and no buildings or mosques. The time we spend at work is equal to the time we spend in our homes, i.e., we work for 28 days in return for 28 days off. This continues all year round, and we work for 12 hours each day. 

Is it permissible for us to shorten and join our prayers when we are at work?.
Praise be to Allah.
    It is only permissible for travellers to shorten their 
    prayers. If a traveller intends to stay for more than four days he is no 
    longer allowed the concession granted for travellers. 

    Based on this, you are not allowed to shorten or join your 
    prayers, rather you have to offer the prayers in full, each prayer at its 
    proper time, because you know that you are going to stay in your place of 
    work for 28 days. 

    It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (8/95): 

    The traveller who intends to stay in a place for more than 
    four days cannot shorten his prayers. If he is going to stay for less than 
    that, he may shorten his prayers. 

    Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: 
    What is your opinion about shortening the prayers when travelling a distance 
    that makes shortening the prayers allowable – is that defined by a certain 
    distance? What do you think about one who intends to stay someone for more 
    than four days during his journey – is he allowed the concession of 
    shortening his prayers? 

    He replied: 

    The majority of scholars are of the view that it is defined 
    by the distance of a day and a night’s travel by camel or on foot at a 
    regular pace, which is approximately 80 kilometers, because this distance is 
    customarily regarded as travelling, unlike shorter distances.

     The majority also narrated that whoever resolves to stay for 
    more than four days has to offer the prayers in full, and fast if it is 
    Ramadaan. If the period of stay is less than that, he may shorten and join 
    his prayers, and break his fast, because the basic principle is that one who 
    is settled (not travelling) has to offer the prayers in full, and shortening 
    them is only allowed when he starts travelling. 

    Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 12/270. 

    The Standing Committee was asked about a man who was far from 
    his family because of his work, as a distance at which shortening the 
    prayers becomes permissible – is it permissible for him to shorten the 
    prayers only whilst travelling between his family and his place of work, 
    noting that the first time he had intended to stay there for a month, for 
    example. They replied: 

    He may shorten and join his prayers whilst on the road, so 
    long as the distance between his workplace and his home is a distance at 
    which shortening the prayers becomes permissible. If he intended to stay in 
    his place of work for a month, then he is not allowed the concessions of 
    travel in his workplace, rather he should offer every prayer at its proper 
    time, in full.” 

    Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah 
    wa’l-Ifta’, 8/94, 95 

    The Standing Committee was also asked (8/109) about a person 
    who traveled to another country for two years: could he shorten his 
    prayers? 

    They replied: The basic principle is that the traveller is 
    the one who may shorten the four-rak’ah prayers, because Allaah says 
    (Interpretation of the meaning): 

    “And when you (Muslims) travel in the land, there is no 
    sin on you if you shorten As‑Salaah (the prayer)”

    [al-Nisa’ 4:101]

    And Ya’la ibn Umayyah said: I said to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab 
    (may Allaah be pleased with him): “ ‘there is no sin on you if you 
    shorten As‑Salaah (the prayer) if you fear that the disbelievers may put you 
    in trial (attack you)’ [al-Nisa’ 4:101]; but now the people are safe.” 
    He said: “I wondered the same thing, and I asked the Messenger of Allaah 
     (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about it. He said: ‘This is 
    a favour (lit. charity) that Allaah has granted you, so accept His favour.’” 
    Narrated by Muslim.  

    The one who is regarded as coming under the ruling on 
    travellers is one who stays for four days and nights or less, because it was 
    proven in the hadeeth of Jaabir and Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with 
    them both) that the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) 
    came to Makkah in the morning of the fourth of Dhu’l-Hijjah for the Farewell 
    Pilgrimage, and he stayed for the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh, and he 
    prayed Fajr in al-Abtah on the morning of the eighth. He shortened his 
    prayers during these days and he formed the intention to stay there as is 
    well known. So everyone who is travelling and intends to spend the same 
    length of time as the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon 
    him) did or less may shorten the prayers. Whoever intends to stay longer 
    than that should offer the prayers in full, because he does not come under 
    the ruling on travellers.