Shift Work

[arranandy]

I used to work shifts until about 4 years ago. My shift pattern was 4 days (12 hours), 2 days off, 4 12 hour nights then 4 days off and repeat. I did this for about 10 years. It had its advantages and disadvantages. I liked the fact that if I did an extra night I got an extra day off which could be added to my annual holiday entitlement. Shift allowance was good as well.
Now I've moved up the tree a bit I'm on constant days 6.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Thursday which a 2.30 finish on a Friday

 

[col]

Here is an example taken from my duty rosta,these are going to be changed again it seems,as usual.

starting monday
7 am till 4pm tues 7 till 4 wed5am till 2pm off thurs fri5am till 3pm sat930am till5pm off sun. mon10am till8pm tue2pm tillmidnight off wed thurs 2pm till midnight fri4pm till midnight sat10am till 8pm sun7am till330pm mon630am till1430pmtue 530am till4pm

Other times we have 10am till 950pm,and middles too,ie 9am till8pm ect,And they wonder why we are all sick as parrots.

 

[spesh]

I'm on a 5 on, 2 off, 8 hour pattern, alternating between 6am-2pm and 2-10pm. Fortunately, work is just 15 minutes from home, so on early shift weeks, I set the alarm for 5am, and it gives me just enough time for breakfast before leaving the house.

Can't say I'm too keen on the 4 on, 4 off 12 hour pattern. That's largely from doing stupid working hours in the past, when 12 hours was a short working day...

 

[Alan Frame]

I've worked shifts for the last 13 years, and they do not get easier with age !
A typical routine is 3xEarlies, 3xLates, 3 days off, 3xEarlies,3xNights 3 days off etc. Thankfully we no longer have to work 7 nights on the trot thanks to the Working Time Directive.

Things I have tried are blackout blinds [essential in my view], earplugs [essential with my kids], Nytol or similar [made me feel ill], alcohol [ended having to get up to go to the loo] and "power napping" at every opportunity.

I have now reconciled myself to the fact that I will feel crap whatever I try. The problem is you cannot fool your body clock even with years of training....even with blackout blinds and earplugs I invariably wake up after 3 hours sleep when I have been working Nights and then have to grab another couple of hours in the afternoon before going in for the next night.

That said, I could never go back to working 9-5.

 

[simonali]

Mine goes 4 days, 2 off, 3 nights, 2 off, 3 days, 2 off, 4 nights, 8 off and then repeats. My wife works away from home which is why I've adopted the sleep anywhere anytime thing. Does annoy her when she's home at the weekends, though!

 

[longers]

I used to do conti's and can't remember the exact pattern but it had its benefits.

Did splits and found them the worst of all.

Wouldn't mind being on a late tomorrow. Or off.

 

[yorkshiregoth]

As with Paulus I also work for the railways ( London underground) hence the crap shifts. But it can be fun cycling to and from work when the traffic is much lighter although this time of year i am cycling in the dark both directions.

 

[Cyclista]

Another shift worker here, the shifts I work are nowhere near as bad as some of the one's here, I've never had a problem sleeping during the day, don't know why but I can finish at 7am, ride home, in bed by 8.30 wake up and it's 4pm

this time of year i am cycling in the dark both directions.

Ahhh, vampire syndrome! This is one of the few things I hate about shift work, not seeing the sun except for weekends!

 

[yorkshiregoth]

You see the sun at weekends??? Honestly kids these day don't know they're born etc etc ....

 

[Ashtrayhead]

My shifts are:-

2 earlies followed by 3 nights (which I've just finished)
4 days off
3 earlies followed by 2 nights
5 days off
2 earlies followed by 2 nights
5 days off....
then start all over again, all 12 hour shifts.
Fortunately I only have 160 work days left till I retire! (Feb 12th 2009)

 

[Fnaar]

I do Mon-Fri, that's it, have done for 20 yrs. I did shifts for a few yrs before that though, when I worked (in various guises) in hospitals.
Dunno how my parents managed.... mum did 17yrs of night shifts (7 on 7 off, later changed to 3 on, 4 off) while bringing up 4 kids My dad did one week of earlys, then one week of lates. They both died quite young....

 

[mondobongo]

Coming up to 22 years of vampire living for me, normally do 4 shifts a week of 10pm till 6am and just to make life interesting one dayshift when I go back in at 1.30pm till 10.00pm. Great in the summer when I benefit with lots of time to ride crap in the Winter when my riding can suffer.
After this long have no problems sleeping during the day can actually sleep with the curtains open, but it meams on my days off not normally interested in going to bed much before 3.00am so not a good early riser.
Try not to get involved in too much after a night shift as going to bed at 11.00am and getting up at 7.00pm does not go down well with the missus.

 

[red_tom]

3 shifts
7am - 3pm
8am - 4pm
11.30am - 7.30pm

Not too bad when compared with some of yours...

 

[MrGrumpy]

Well i work a 5 week rota at the moment although boss wants to change it all

I work

1 week Mon-Fri spare week could be any shift
2 week Sun-Sat Earlys 6:45-14:45
3 Week Sun Night-Sat morning Nights 22:15-07:00
4 Week Mon-Fri Lates 13:30-22:30
5 Week Off for 9 days the best bit

Used to love it but now I`m not so keen I have a young family and see them alot but wife now hates my shift pattern, she does virgin vie and finds it hard to arrange parties ate peoples houses due to the shifts. So not ideal now.