crazy work hours

[mtnbikaah]

Does anyone else have a crazy work schedule?

I work as a test monitor watching over vacuum chambers at a company that designs/builds pieces for satellite based telescopes. These vacuum chambers have to be monitored by a live body 24/7.

We have a group of 8 guys that do this job. There are three 8 hour shifts Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm, 4pm-midnight, Midnight-8am. On the weekends (and holiday's) there are two 12 hour shifts, 8am-8pm, 8pm-8am.

The crazy part is that our schedules aren't consistent. During the week (mon-fri) I often work at least one of EACH of the three shifts. And then a weekend shift. Averaging 40-ish hours a week.

Since the schedule is all over the place it can be difficult to prepare for a late night shift. For example this past week, I worked 4pm-midnight Thursday evening, then Friday 8am-4pm. Then 8pm Sat.- 8am Sunday (still at work now), then back monday 8am-4pm. by the end of next week I'll be back working midnight-8am....

WTF. At this point i've been awake for about 24 hours. with another 1.5 of work then a 40minute drive home.

Does anyone else have a crazy work schedule?

[GhostAccord]

That is a pretty whacked out schedule, it would take it's toll on the body after a while for sure. I know what lack of sleep is like. My schedule wasn't as messed up as yours. I was working a 10hr night shift, 7:00pm - 5:30am. After working 320 hrs, 32 shifts in 34 days, It took me a few days to recover. I can tell you that during that run there were some things in everyday life that required a bit more attention at the end of a shift. Driving home was one of them. Being continuously tired and easily irritated was another side effect.

All I can say is that if your driving home and you feel your lids getting heavy, pull over into a parking lot, lock the doors and have yourself a nap. It could save yours and possibly someone else life.

[mtnbikaah]

true, true. my worst was working 9 days straight. I've had a couple 52 hour weeks in there too.

(on a side note, I started this job August 1st, I also mow lawns about 10 hours a week too during the warmer months. So, add that to a 52 hour wacked-out-work-week)

[King James]

Im a conductor and I work on a spareboard most of the time.....I dont have a schedule by any definition of the word....I get a 2 hour call prior to being called into work....I shall attempt to explain how it works....but unless you work the job it seems convoluted and confusing

On the board I was on there was 30 guys total on it....but usually theres 8-10 working at any given time so then that leaves 20 guys that arent working....but then you have to take into account that after every shift you can book up to 14 hours of rest (they can not call you) and after 5 shifts you can book up to 48 hours of rest....So then out of that 20 there maybe 10-15 guys that are on rest....After every shift you work you go back down to the bottom of the board

So there were days where Id look at my position on the board and Id be 10 times out at lets say noon (they call first in, first out format so theyd have to call 9 before me) but there would be 5 guys on rest ahead of me then another few guys decide they dont wanna work so they book off sick....then another guy decides hes gonna use a personal leave day.....So I then go from needing 9 guys to get called before me at noon to only needing a couple at 1600....Usually there arent many guys ahead of you on the board on rest.....cuz most people book 12 so theyd all come off rest in order anyways....the only times it comes up is when guys get the 48 hours off....but for me it always seemed that a bunch of guys would get the 48 hours off together so then itd make life just that much more difficult to plan

The best part is say you get called for 1500 shift....Most shifts are supposed to be 8 hours....so that would mean youd be done at 2300.....but the company has the option of holding you for a manditory hour of overtime if so needed....the problem isnt so much that you have to work an extra hour....its that the company very rarely, if ever, tells you in advance that they want to keep you for overtime....Its very disheartening to think your done work to only be told ya you gotta stick around for another hour.....that hour feels like 8

Very hard to plan a life around this type of work plan.....Especially when they really dont have a consistent time slot for most of the jobs they call....Its usually hey we need a guy now so lets call him....You have no idea how big of a piss off it is to be called at 2am on a saturday after being up for 20 some odd hours.....They do have a few regular jobs but in the last few years theyve had massive cutbacks and they (meaning mangement/the company) wants everyone to work off a spareboard so they will only have to have the absolute minimum number of guys working thats needed.

Ive since transfered from the bigger terminal (where life is more hectic) to a smaller one....I am technically on a spareboard but Ive since been forced to work a regular job.....So now for the first time in 3 years I do have a legit schedule.....but even those hours are not the best....2030 fri-sat....2130 sun-mon and then 2359 tues....days off wed-thurs.....but its hard to complain when you can finally say to someone.....YES I will be there.

The only shitty thing is the job Im filling in for is for a guy thats on vacation so before long Ill be back on a spareboard....and the even shittier thing is its looking like Im gonna be forced back to the shitty big terminal.

Also this is for terminal yard work.....Dont even get me started on the long haul trains haha....but I will say I love my job apart from the bullshit managment throws at you and the lack of sleep/life.....they do compensate me well for my troubles.

Sorry for the long post but when you speak of work hours its hard not to go off a bit haha.....and sorry if its not that well explained.....I just worked one of those mandatory overtime shifts so Im ready for bed.

[deevergote]

[JaberCB7]

wow and i thought my hours where rough....i work as a customer accound advisor/collections doing 50+ a week, usually from 8am to 9pm mon -sat and only get a 30mins lunch break

[Night Wolf]

Im self employed, so I work from the time that I wake up (like at 8am) till about midnight

[mtnbikaah]

Im self employed, so I work from the time that I wake up (like at 8am) till about midnight

just curious, what do you do?

[Gemini]

I just changed for schedule and i love it. i was doing the regular M-F 8:30a - 5pm schedule but now i was 10 hours Tues-Fri (8:30 - 7pm) and get Mondays off

3 day weekends every week FTW!!!

[Gemini]

just curious, what do you do?

he's a glorified bum with mechanic skills

[drummersteve7]

wacked out schedules suck, but you fall into your own riff.
When I was in the Navy deployed sometimes 20 hour days and 5 hours of sleep, then back to it, with the help of GO/NO GO pills given to the crew.

But when you have a crappy schedule think of the troops overseas.
I know when I was there both times, schedules sucked, on top of being on
the ready at all times.

So yah schedules suck, but also look at the unemployment rates! Be happy!

[mtnbikaah]

oh i love the job (sorta)! I am very grateful to be working! just dislike the hours... /rant.

[Night Wolf]

he's a glorified bum with mechanic skills

lol yup. no social life. just work sleep & meets

[crazymikey]

I work 7-4:30 Mon-Thu and 7-3 on Fridays. I drive a truck and deliver custom cabinetry. I get up at 5:30 every morning, get ready, 25 min drive to work, work all day, 25 min drive home.

Usually after a day of hauling cabinets in and out of the truck, up stairs, into basements and all through construction sites that are more like obstacle courses, it takes it's toll on my body and I'm usually pretty exhausted by the end of the day.

We move stuff that is big enough for a grown man to fit into, things that weigh as much as small cars and it's expected that my partner and I can do the work of robots to manouver the stuff into houses without damage to property or goods.

Then there's the whole lack of appreciation (and pay) for what we do.

[buzz11]

i have a semi crazy work week. i work weekends 6:30pm to 630am..starting on friday, work 630 to 630, get home at 7..wake up at 11 to watch my 1yr old daughter til she naps and thats when i nap. then at it again saturday and sunday..my sleep on the weekends..about 4hours a day if my kid lets me lol. o yea as for the gf..she goes to school fulltime, 2 part time jobs, and a full time mommy lol. life gets crazy sometimes but i have my health and im mostly happy so its all good!