Alternative Work Schedules

Junction-Guy

I currently work a typical work week, 40 hours a week, 2 days off.

My department is thinking about going to an alternative work schedule, where we work 4-12 hour days and then off 4 days. 4 days off, 4 days on, over and over.

Also with this new schedule you would still have one paid holiday a month. so one of those 4 day weekends would be a 5 day weekend every month.

In addition to this in order to use vacation time you would have to use 1 1/2 vacation days for every day you wanted off. The big bonus about this is that I would have 3,12 day vacations every year, in addition to having a 5 day weekend every month and the 4 days off every week.

If this goes into effect, then I basically would be working only about 1/2 of the year. It sounds good to me right now.

I wonder what the drawbacks would be?

I imagine for some that work a 2nd job or go to school that this could be a problem, other than that I don't know.

One more bonus is that I would save gas, since I only work 4 days a week instead of 5.

sir82

I don't know, will your salary increase if you go to the new schedule?

If not, it sounds like a sucker bet.

Current schedule: 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year, 2080 hours per year (less vacation, holidays, etc.)

Proposed schedule: 48 hours per [8 day period]. 365 days in a year, divided by 8, yields about 45.6 [8 day periods] in the year.

45.6 [8 day periods] times 48 hours per [8 day period] equals 2190 hours per year (less vacations, holidays, etc.)

They're making you work 110 more hours per year and not paying you extra!

All this discounts vacation time, holidays, etc., but it sounds like that remains the same whichever schedule you use.

WTWizard

Depending on your commute, even working 110 more hours per year, you might still come out ahead in several ways. You save about one commute per week (or more). Every commute you save could save you as much as an hour each way (and sometimes more). That could add up to more than the 110 extra hours you work, plus the gas you save. Of course, if your commute is very short, it will be significantly less.

And preparation to go to work is another factor. In some professions, it can take significant time to get ready to work, drive there, and then report before you are on the clock. Then, once you punch out, you have to exit the place, drive back, and get back in regular clothes. This time and potential expense can also have a bearing on whether you come out ahead or not.

Finally, some people value having long weekends of contiguous time off, even if they end up working longer hours for the year. Here, personal preferences are everything, since there is no way to put a price on having all your time off contiguously instead of having longer evenings.

Of course, be thankful you are not a Jehovah's Witless. If one of them were given that schedule, it would mean 4 days of continuous field circus followed by 4 days of having to scramble to make all the boasting sessions to avoid being hounded. They would expect you to pioneer, thus negating any benefit of having 4 or 5 contiguous days off.

FlyingHighNow

Four and five days off? You could make more trips to Ohio.

How grueling are your shifts? Can you take four more hours?

Happy Harvester

I worked 12-hour shifts a few years back, on the week-ends. It seemed okay at first, but when it's night shift, it can be grueling. Also, I had a second job on the weekends; I had to give it up. Eventually, I had to go back to being self-employed. A graveyard shift can just about kill you if you have trouble sleeping a full 8 hours during the day. It can literally drive you mad. It's not for every body, and I definitely don't recommend a 12-hour shift unless you've already tried it and found it to be wonderful. You don't get much down-time after your shift ends . . . good luck, either way.

hillbilly

Our SO went to 3-12's and pay for 40 hours... they are rolling back and forth from days to nights on a 30 day rotation ... the days off work about the same as your plan.

Of course ... having a union and all our guys GOT TO VOTE ON this plan as part of a union contract so what the got was what they negotiated for. Plus the senior folks got to stay on 5 day 40 for certain duties

It all tied with the raises and some better pension rules too

~Hill