12 hour shift work

[cstocks]

I also work twelves. I work 36 and 48 hour alternating weeks with a M,T...F,S,S... W,T rotating schedule. That means I only work two days or nights in a row during the week and three on the weekend with every other weekend off. Seemed like a stange schedule when we started it years ago but it works out pretty good unless they start throwing over time at me like they have the past few months. Then it seems like I never have any time off. Beats the heck out of the eight hour long change schedule any day though.

Chris

 

[rbeitz]

I've got almost 16 years of working 12 hour shifts. Every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and every other Saturday. Alternating days to nights every two weeks. In fact I'm at work right now. I'm a manager for a tech support group with a multi-billion dollar corporation. Our customers are hospitals and we suppot their computer systems and software 24/7/365 days/year.

 

[Hillbilly]

Sounds to me like we are on the exact same 12 hour shift..I have been working it for 20 years and I love it,I could never work an 8 to4 Mon thru Fri.This 12 hour shift along with 248 hours vacation gives me all kinds of time off(not to mention a little sick leave now and then /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif)

 

[Egon]

Hillbilly:

Spent 20 years working 12 hour shifts. Made three or four day Ski trips with no crowds, canoe trips, bicycle trips etc. possible. Do all the shopping etc. when there are no crowds or line ups. Social life didn't fare well but the trips made up for it all.
There was many a day I could ski into lift area with no one in line. It also made the backcountry trips requireing more than a weekend possible.
Egon

 

[cstocks]

I know folks who work the 4 and 4 shift and the seven day long change "DuPont" schedule and each likes his particular schedule. Since I have never worked either of those twelve hour schedules I cannot say how well I would like them. I suspect I would not like a seven day long change because I might not want to go back to work after being off that long!

248 hours of vacation is generous... I currently get 160 hours a year. By the time I add my days off I more than double the amount of "vacation" time I have. As you well know, you can take two days, 24 hours, and make a week's vacation out of it. Works for me!

Chris

 

[cstocks]

You hit the nail on the head, Egon! Missing the crowds is one of the biggest benefits of working shift work. Crowds I can do without. No crowds at the movie theater, no crowds at the restaurants, no crowds at the boat ramp or in the bay, no crowded highways. What else can I say? No crowds.

Chris

 

[Hillbilly]

When we started this 12 hour shift we had 1 of 4 different shifts to choose from and the 7 day break was one of them,we went with the 2 on a 3 off except every other weekend we work 3 days or nights,so guy got in his head here at work that he wanted to circulate a petion to try the 7 day break after working 2 on and 3 off for 20 years....Needless to say he did not get very far.I personally did not like the looks of the 7 day break because too many long stretches of 12 hour days/nights to get that one nice break,where as this schedule we are on the breaks are more frequent and do not have to work as many day/nights. I would not want to work anything else.
Back to the amount of vacation I have,the company gives me 200 hours(20 years of service) and I have the option to buy up to 48 extra which is deducted out of my pay check.

 

[njrqs]

Von

Ditto here too.

Only just before I read this post I sent an email off to a regular client telling them I will have to start cutting back on some work for them.

Hard thing to do in self employment (cutting back on work) but I need more time to spend with the family and around home.

I manage to get some holidays fortunately but of recent times I have decided that the hard work associated with getting work ready to go, the dealing with calls etc. while away and all he catching up when I get back just sin't worth the nice time on the holiday.

Hey, ages ago in the Self Employment post I said it is great. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy what I do and wouldn't change jobs for quids, I just need SOME time off.

Cheers all !!!

 

[cstocks]

The option to buy up to 48 hours is a nice perk. I wish I could do that. I would buy the extra 48 hours every year.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Neil, after over 25 years in business for myself I just this summer decided to close on Saturdays from Memorial Day through Labor Day (essentially the last weekend in May through the first weekend of September, our 'summertime,' if you will). I have to say while I'm not quite used to it yet, it's kind of nice having a two day weekend like everyone else. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif