WWMD? Rotating shift work.................

[HikeforTurns]

I may have a career opportunity with a company in Denver. Commute would be 30-60 minutes depending on traffic.

Shifts would be 4 12's on, 4 days off, 4 night 12's (ugh), 4 days off, repeat.
(including 8 hours of time and a half OT a week)

6:45-6:45

Anybody work a shift like this? PmcPoser? Do you get used to it? The night shifts would suck, but having 4 days off in a row would not, especially for midweek skiing and climbing in the summer. It would be about a 25% pay raise. Plenty of positives about the job, the major negative being rotating from days to night.

Thoughts?

[Below Zero]

the major negative being rotating from days to night.

I agree. IMO, this would really fuck with your mind and body. I wouldn't do it.

[smmokan]

I think it'll take a while to get used to it, but once you do- sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

[pedalbiker]

Thats a cupcake schedule compared to mine. A combination of all 3 shifts during the same week. Sunday and Monday nights, Tuesday and Wednesday are afternoon shifts followed by days on Thursday and Friday. Twice a week I only have 8 hours between shifts with a 45 minute drive on both ends. Funny thing is I feel better on this shift than when I worked straight night shift.

[MadMatt]

We used to work those hours before they gave us a more reasonable schedule. We still work 12's, but no rotating.

I will never do a rotating shift again. If our company went back to it, I would quit. You can never get into any kind of routine. Vacations are almost impossible to schedule. You body suffers, and you get sick alot. I hated it.

[damn texan]

Not having to call in sick to work for midweek riding makes this all worth it.

[Staggerwing]

My wife, a nurse, did this for a couple of years at the start of her career. There was a slight difference, in that the switch was every three weeks. Just when her body was starting to get used to one cycle, bam, it was inverted. Never got used to anything the whole time.

If you value your health, and sanity, I would skip this arrangement.

[habituallybored]

We tried to work a shift like this at my old job a couple times, didn't work. Is it a job that you could tough it out for a ski season or two and then get back to something more normal.

I can't imagine putting up with a schedule like that for long than a year or two.

[P_McPoser]

I never had any problems with it, all the nancy's above just don't know what real work is. What kind of work was it? Keep in mind I worked underground, so day/night was just a thought, couldn't tell anyways.

I work a 4 days, 7 off, 4 nights, 3 off, 3 days, 1 off, 3 nights, 3 off schedule. The only one that is tough is the 1 day short change, as it really feels like six work days in a row.

For vacations the rotating schedules are fantastic. For me, I take 4 vac days and get 14 days off in a row.

[Tye 1on]

I did rotating nights when i groomed at Big Sky. We tried to be on mids or nights, then switch mid-season, but there was some variability [turnover, picking up extra shifts etc] so we ended up mixing it around a fair bit. I agree with Stagger, it really messes with your system, especially sleep. Some folks i talk to prefer having just nights, at least it's predictable then. Just get ready to get real tired of eating breakfast. [great memory from grooming, going out to eat after work...yeah, gimme the bacon/chedder omelet and a pitcher of Bud]...

[MadMatt]

For vacations the rotating schedules are fantastic. For me, I take 4 vac days and get 14 days off in a row.

So can I (or take 3 days off and get 10 days off), but we don't rotate.

[HikeforTurns]

My wife, a nurse, did this for a couple of years at the start of her career. There was a slight difference, in that the switch was every three weeks. Just when her body was starting to get used to one cycle, bam, it was inverted. Never got used to anything the whole time.

If you value your health, and sanity, I would skip this arrangement.

Yeah, my GF is a nurse too, and she worked nights for awhile and hated it. She tells me I would hate it too. But god damn I hate skiing resorts on weekends. It would be a good resume booster, if I could stick it out for afew years ( and possibly do a transfer to Durango ). Another positive would be if I took off 4 consecutive days, it would really mean 12 days off. But I totally understand the getting sick thing, and the body not getting used to it. I see myself taking tylenol PM and driking more coffee.

Ill probably apply for the job and see what happens, then maybe take the $$$ offer to my current employer, see if I can get a raise out of it if i dont take the job.

job is in the natural gas industry.

[P_McPoser]

^^ I forgot to mention that enegy drinks and coffe are an absolute necessity to do this without feeling like shit

The other thing, likely this job doesn't shut down for the holidays?

Double time and a half baby.....When I was hourly, I'd show up, do pretty much nothing, and get paid 800 bucks for the day

[TomK]

Having a 4-day weekend every 4 days is very very nice. (I worked 3 on/3 off for 3 years.) Burn 4 days of vacation - take a 12 day break is also a good perk.

I'd try to talk them about changing the rotation frequency though.
I worked and set up the scheduled for rotating 7x24 coverage and found that what was best for everyone over the long term (years of it) was 2 month shift rotations. Changing every week makes it impossible to live normally. Every month = never get used to days or nights. 3 months or longer = too much burn out for the night shifters. 2 months was just right.

[HikeforTurns]

Yeah I need to talk to my would be coworkers, and see why they have it this way instead of a month of straight nights, etc. Id be leaving current job on good terms, so I could prob come back if i couldnt handle it. (maybe at a lower wage though )

[smolakian]

I'd go for it...You never know until you try. Plus, not to mention the skiing, but the front range crags are all crowded on the weekends too.

Myabe your body'll take to it maybe it won't. Everyone is different in terms of being able to handle a schedule like that.

[MarsB]

How old are you? I say give it a go. Nothing like having four free days to whatever the hell you want, especially if you are single. You will also save a good bit on gas money with that arrangement, especially given the commute time you describe.
If it burns you out, you can always quit (and you've gained experience and salary levarage for the next move).

[Ireallyliketoski2]

If you're asking what would I do, I wouldn't do it, I had a similiar schedule like that when I was in school, and that sounds hell revisted for for me. But I need a routine to function.

However, if I was you I would do it, like smokingkind says you don't know till you try, then you can do it, come back here and bitch about how much it sucks and then I can say I told you so

[Toby]

Never had a problem with rotating shifts when I was younger. Now, 10 years later, I doubt I could do it but if you're < 25 it's prolly doable. I actually preferred nights to days - it's quieter and more relaxed usually. I used to have 1 1/2 days between shift changes and the way to do it was e.g. if you were working 6am to 6pm and usually in bed by 9-10pm, stay up until 4-6am the night of the change then sleep until just before your new night. Alcohol and other substances helped to stay up and then with a subsequent sound sleep before the next shift.

[MarsB]

Alcohol and other substances helped to stay up and then with a subsequent sound sleep before the next shift.

^^^sound advice

[Crinkle]

It totally can be done, I use to do it every week. Nights, three 12's, then off 4 days, then back to nights. While not swing shift, I would swing myself back to a normal schedule during the days off. If you feel that you have a decent sense of your body, you can tell when you are tired and when you need to sleep, don't have problems with staying up, I would totally do it. I did nights for 3 years and only left due to threats from my wife, then girlfriend. I do one night a week now, along with my 30+ hours from home job. I do it by taking a huge nap right before i go into my shift, say 3-4 hours, ambien does wonders, so do other "chemicals" just in minor amounts if needed. caffinate like crazy after waking, hang in for 12 hours, then right back to bed. At this time your body is so tired all you can do is sleep, make the room very dark, heavy curtains or sleep in the basement. If I had another night, i would sleep as long as i could, then go back in for another shift. If not, then i only sleep a few hours (maybe 5), then hang in till normal bedtime and swing back to normal hours. I would say it makes me a little grumpy for a day, but only because I go right back to working my other job. When it was my only job, I would go surf, bike, whatever and be psyched i was done working.

If you have trouble adjusting or changing your sleep, don't do it, but otherwise it sounds great (to me) where I like to do all my errands and skiing when all the regular joes are working or sleeping. Any questions just ask, sleep is my profession, strangely enough. If it is going to open doors and its your only job and have an understanding GF, do it!!!

[easyrdr]

Anybody work a shift like this? PmcPoser? Do you get used to it? The night shifts would suck, but having 4 days off in a row would not, especially for midweek skiing and climbing in the summer. It would be about a 25% pay raise. Plenty of positives about the job, the major negative being rotating from days to night.

I work gravy's on cat crew, 4 days on 3 days off. And no matter how hard I try I dont' get more then 4-5 hours of sleep on my shift days. And the crossover days I'm usually up for 24 hrs straight. It sucks. It definitley has affected my eating, sleeping, health in general. The problem with the schedule is with the 3-4 days off it never allows you to get into any sort of rythem. I'm pretty much tired all the time. Can't wait to quit, only 4 more weeks

[HikeforTurns]

It totally can be done, I use to do it every week. Nights, three 12's, then off 4 days, then back to nights. While not swing shift, I would swing myself back to a normal schedule during the days off. If you feel that you have a decent sense of your body, you can tell when you are tired and when you need to sleep, don't have problems with staying up, I would totally do it. I did nights for 3 years and only left due to threats from my wife, then girlfriend. I do one night a week now, along with my 30+ hours from home job. I do it by taking a huge nap right before i go into my shift, say 3-4 hours, ambien does wonders, so do other "chemicals" just in minor amounts if needed. caffinate like crazy after waking, hang in for 12 hours, then right back to bed. At this time your body is so tired all you can do is sleep, make the room very dark, heavy curtains or sleep in the basement. If I had another night, i would sleep as long as i could, then go back in for another shift. If not, then i only sleep a few hours (maybe 5), then hang in till normal bedtime and swing back to normal hours. I would say it makes me a little grumpy for a day, but only because I go right back to working my other job. When it was my only job, I would go surf, bike, whatever and be psyched i was done working.

If you have trouble adjusting or changing your sleep, don't do it, but otherwise it sounds great (to me) where I like to do all my errands and skiing when all the regular joes are working or sleeping. Any questions just ask, sleep is my profession, strangely enough. If it is going to open doors and its your only job and have an understanding GF, do it!!!

Do you get dependent on Ambien? As far as sleep, Im used to getting up at all hours for various hikes, climbs etc. so I think I may be able to get a rythym down after a month or two (I also have a dark room in my basement). I think if I get the job offer, Ill probably take it, and at the least, stick it out for a year or two, then quit if I cant handle it anymore.



Thanks for the advice you all. Youll know if Ive taken the job, by middle of the night posts and general erratic behavior. (and mid-week pow TR's)

[Toby]

Re the dark room thing - all the shift workers on minesites I used to work at had black plastic masking taped across their windows to block all light (like bin liner plastic). Even little gaps suck when piercing bright daylight is shining through and you're trying to sleep.

[johngchrist]

allways worth a try either you get used to it or you don't, I never could. Have a back up plan incase it doesn't work for you.