People who work shift jobs please chime in (again)

[jme5343]

I posted this same topic over a year ago and got some good answers, but I can't figure out how to bump it form the archived posts, maybe you can't...

Anywho. Dealing with a force of 17-20 people

Need 7-8 people during the day when the workload is the greatest. Then a second shift perhaps 4 people and a night shift with 2. We're thinking the night shift may be a 12 hour shift, 3 on 4 off and 4 on 3 off type shift. The shift is designed to overlap into the day shift to help w/ work load.

What shift do you work? What shifts have you seen, and what could make the second shift, "hell shift", imo, more appealing to potential workers? Shift premium has been mentioned, but that's a tough slot to fill. Weekend ideas are welcome too.

 

[jme5343]

C'mon worker bees!!! I need input

 

[ViviTheMage]

what is the job. ...

 

[biggestmuff]

24-7 coverage? Rotating shifts?

 

[TallBill]

Yeah, whats the job. 12 hours of boring night shift = suicide.

 

[rivan]

A shift premium's the only way I've ever seen this dealt with, but you could surely come up with other motivators.

For example, years back, when working third shift, if we had our work done, we were free to go - and we'd be paid for the whole shift. Sometimes we didn't leave early, sometimes we worked half days. The shift supervisor had complete discretion on when we left. Very occasionally, I'd get a call before my shift telling me I could skip - though I think that only happened... maybe 4 or 5 times in 6 years of nights.

Straightforward extra vacation would be good too.

The job and the worker's demographic will figure heavily for this.

 

[TangoJuliet]

I work shift work as well. 24/7 operations, we have 52 shifts or so. Some are rotating, some are steady. I was going to ask a similar question when I realized that I'm not going to be working here much longer....so it doesnt matter.

 

[jme5343]

Sorry for the lack of info...

Customer Service in transportation industry, namely rail service... Dispatching crews and working with connecting carriers. 24/7 coverage, definitely set schedules on the day shift so customers can deal with the same person day in and day out for the bulk of their issues.

Along with helping customers, the job will also include data input and the like. Demographics? 95% Caucasian, median income I would guess at 37,000 for the area. This job will pay that if not a tad more.

The company has a strict and uniform vacation policy, so that can't be adjusted, though it would be a good idea...

 

[eakers]

doing four ten hour shifts on second shift seems to be a popular idea (3pm-1a monday-thursday)

one place I worked couldn't get anyone for midnights on the weekend so they had a weekend shift that consisted of 2X12 (11pm-11am) hour shifts but at time and a half (so work for 24 hours get paid for 36). They eventually had to can it because it was costing them way too much money.

 

[akshatp]

I work 7a-7p at an Operations Center... We get 10% shift differential for working nights..

We've got 24/7 coverage... Day shifts have 2 people on 3 days a week from 7a-7p M-F... Sa/Sun have 1 person 7a-7p.. Nights have 1 person on 7p-7a also 3 days a week, with one guy doing Sun-Tue and me doing Wed-Fri.. Saturday night is covered by one of the day or night guys, on a rotating schedule

 

[daveshel]

I don't think a 10% shift differential is worth what working nights does to your circadian rhythms, especially over the long haul. Now that I'm not a kid any more I need to get up/go to bed around the same time every day or I have trouble sleeping but am tired all the time.

 

[akshatp]

Yea I have been doing it for just about 2 years now, and I am getting tired of it. I often get headaches when I wake up, and I find it hard to go to bed at normal times on days I am not working. Plus I recently got married and needless to say, the wife doesn't like it much.

I am working on trying to switch to the day shift...

 

[jme5343]

Same here. I worked the 2-11 for two years. At the end, I would have taken a $3-4/ hr pay cut for a day shift. Luckily it worked out that I didn't have to. I knew going in that it would be tough, and honestly if I didn't have a wife and kids it wouldn't be a big deal. But with my daughter in school, I would have never seen her.

I just don't know if a shift premium will make it worthwhile... I suppose we'll see.

 

[nageov3t]

In the course of moving through the ranks at my current company (well, we don't have ranks, but as I gained seniority and skills, I was better able to negotiate better schedules), I've basically worked every shift there is to work.

I spent the longest on second shift, though, 4 pm - 12 am. it's not as bad as overnights, since you're at least not living like a vampire, but it could get pretty bad, at least personal life wise... my friends would be going to bed right as I was getting home from work and waking up early for anything was a real struggle. it's also rough having to arrange to do things like shopping or appointments before work instead of having the freedom to do them after work. also, you get really screwed if the morning guys were slacking off. I hated coming in at 4 pm to find half a dozen server setups and twice as many tickets sitting there untouched because the afternoon guys mentally punched out sometime around 2.

the best thing I found to help alliviate the bad parts about second shift was working a split schedule, doing a few days/week as a swing shift (usually 11-7 or 12-8, to cover and help out with the transition between 1st/2nd shifts). it at least provides a couple nights a week to feel normal and actually get to watch live tv with your friends also, don't schedule the same people to work both friday night and saturday night... that's just a dick move. lol.

lately some people here have been making buzz about switching to some kind of rotating schedule, but I'll be damned if I give up my M-F, 10-6 schedule. I've paid my dues, working a year of overnights and over two years of second/swing shift, there's no way I'm giving that up so some punk who's been here for a month can work a couple mornings

 

[Summitdrinker]

well I work from 10 pm to 6 am sunday thru thursday nights
I often work by myself, often never see anybody or talk to anybody (phone or in person) for 8 hours
I had this job for 2 years now, always get laid off in early summer in june sometime
I am layed off right now, but it's looks like i will be back to work october 15 or november 5

advantages:
I don't have to answer to anybody, I often don't see or talk to my boss for weeks at a time.
nobody to fight with about which TV show were going to watch ( this was a big issue with the last guy that worked with me part of the time).
I had the pc to myself, so the internet is mine, no it's my turn (well till they pulled the plug on the net last May, long story about that one, no not from over use or abuse).
I can take a nab when i want to during slow times.
I can talk to myself in peace.
I can smoke on the job somewhat.
I get a extra 30 cent per hour (big deal thou).
I have weekends off usually so party time is great.
I don't have listen too or put up with co-workers personnel problems ( like the last guy that worked with me for a while)

bad things:
well it's cold and dark all winter up here in the northland, I never see day light it seems becuase I sleep all day long, when I get up at 5pm the sun is going down, this can cause depression.
isolation, I don't know what the heck is going on at work sometimes (better off sometime not knowing thou).
the women i live with is very noisey during the day when i sleep, this makes me more tired at times becuase she wakes me up every day like 10 times it seems. it seems like I am in bed for 12 hours sometimes

 

[jme5343]

bump for the day shifters...

 

[Megatomic]

I work in a power plant and we work a modified dupont schedule. 12 hour shifts, 28 day cycle.

4 nights ( wed, thurs, fri, sat)

3 days off

3 days on (wed, thurs, fri)

1 day off

3 nights on (sun, mon, tues)

3 days off

4 days on (sat, sun, mon, tues)

7 days off

later, rinse, repeat

The 7 day break is sweet but my plant is always broken and I work a ton of OT as a result.

 

[jme5343]

Anyone else?

 

[Malfeas]

I work pretty much the same shift as Megatomic(I'm a power dispatcher), except my shift starts on Monday nights, and there is an extra 5th week of four eight hour shifts thrown in(35 day cycle). We have a 10% shift differential for the night shift and sundays, paid holiday with double time if working on holidays. OT is 1.5x or 2.0x depending upon the day, first day after a scheduled shift is 1.5x and all others are 2.0x, why? I don't really know.