4 on 4 off or 9-5

[briantherobot]

Hi All,

Hoping for a bit of advice.

I Currently work a standard Monday-Friday 9-5 role plus 1 weekend a month and also a couple of evenings on-call per week.

Have the chance to potentially move departments into a role that is a 4 on 4 off shift roster, 2 days and 2 nights.
I have worked a similar shift before so know what to expect in terms of anti-social hours, body clock , sleep etc..

The attraction of this role is that I am actually more suited and qualified to do this job over my current position and the shift pattern would allow me to use the extra days off to study as looking to retrain for a future career change.

How much extra cash would you want to go onto this shift?
How realistic is it to study and retrain on the days off, anyone been in a similar position?

Are the shifts really that bad..? Its been a while


Thanks in advance!

[Brads67]

9 to 5 Mon to Fri is a slow painful death as far as I`m concerned .

[TotalControl]

I did 4 on 4 off for a little while and found it fine. It equates to actually only working half the month so was even better for me. Usually only takes a day to get back into a normal routine so studying shouldn't be too hard. Depends on how you found your previous stint. It might also give you some time to plan days ahead too.

[Flooble]

Bonus of four on four off is that you are either at work or not. No staying late to finish off nor being called in. Plus the people who push bits of paper around, book meetings and generally get in the way are not going to be around on a night or weekend shift

[djc206]

I love shift work. You could not get me to work 9-5. Night shifts aren't ideal but I've learnt to cope and they have the added bonus of the day times being yours to do with as you please. 4 on 4 off also means you're not bound by weekends. Being able to go to the shops, banks, post office etc when they're not heaving with screaming children and stressed parents is fantastic.

You have to look at how many fewer days a year you'll be working and how beneficial it is in terms of leave.

4 on 4 off you take 4 days leave you get 12 days off, 5 on 2 off you take 5 and only get 9. Your leave allowance will go a lot further. I work 6 on 4 off and my leave allowance if used carefully buys me 6 fortnights off a year with change. 4 days off is also plenty to go on a short city break no leave required.

In summary jump at the opportunity

[DMN]

I did 4 on, 4 off for just over two years. Its great in that you get loads of time off, ok you lose a bit recovering from nights, but our rotation was 4 days followed by 4 nights. So after the last day shift you had in effect 5 days off.

On the other hand it can be hard if your partner/spouse/mates work during the week and then your on shift during the weekend.

[Fozziebear]

I've done a few different patterns, 4 on 4 off, 3 days 3 nights 3 off (agony!) also did 7 on 7 off which was great! I hate 9-5 mon-fri working, it's unnatural for me. I'm waiting to start a new job next month, 90 on 30 off, it's 24hr on call, but after the 1s rotation it'll calm down

[WolfAir]

I'm currently on a 4 on 4 off deal and studying at University, (not open). The days are hectic, sometimes you can go all day without a break, the nights are more relaxed, this was obviously the time I got any uni work done.

The best thing though is my 4 days off. technically 3 if you tend to spend that first "day" catching up on sleep. Personally I don't. After finishing work I stay awake all day doing odd jobs, gym, taxing the mrs around for her stuff and then get to bed when we put the kids to sleep around 8pm. Then I'm fresh for the next 3 days in a normal routine.
Got a sh*t load of white hairs now though and I'm only 31

[Gareth1974]

Are these 12 hour shifts on the 4 on 4 off job? How many hours are you doing in your '9-5' job?

[rb5er]

I used to do 2days, 2nights, 4 off. 12 hr shifts. It was an absolute nightmare, avoid at all costs.

Your 1st day on fine, 2nd day on fine, 1st night, you can't do much in the day as you have to go to work later, then you are knackered during the shift, bed at 7am, can't sleep (especially in summer). Then the next night comes and if you managed to sleep at all in the day (day wasted either knackered or asleep) you are lucky and can do another night shift. Then your 1st day off is wasted as you are either sleeping or knackered all day.

Vicious cycle of hell. fk that ever again.

[Gallons Per Mile]

In contrast to the post above, I'm currently on my last night of the shift. I do two days, two nights, four off, (12 hour shifts) and absolutely love it. Used to do 9-5 and could feel my will to live slowly eating itself. This means I work around 158 days per year. Half are day shifts and half are nights, but if I do an overtime shift then I make sure it's a day and take a night off in lieu so I bias myself towards days as I personally find a 4am wake-up and home sometime after 6pm easier than staying awake all night. Split shifts are great for me personally too. After the 2nd day shift I don't have to be up early the next day so stay up as late as I feel like knowing I've got a 24 hour gap from leaving work until I need to be in again. Ok, I lose slightly on my first rest day. Right now is technically classed as my first rest day but I'm here at work and I'll be asleep in the morning once I'm home. I'll be up before lunch and treat the rest of the day as normal, so I'll still get a reasonable amount of time from the day and my body clock will be sorted out by tomorrow evening as well. Then another 3 days to do what ever I want. As mentioned above somewhere, spacing annual leave works out very well - book a shift off and you get a run of 12 days for the cost of 4 annual leave days. As far as I'm concerned it's a no brainer. I get lots of time to play with my hobbies, a whole day off in the middle of my shifts and don't have to worry about shops being shut or jam packed at weekends.

[geopetrolhead]

Shift work the only way forward! I have been working 2 week off 2 on or 3 on 3 off for years, means I can enjoy my time off properly and go on holiday and things like that.

Mon-Friday 9 to 5. Sod that!

[briantherobot]

Thanks for responses all, appreciated!
Really leaning towards the 4 on 4 off after these responses, suits me to only work half the year. Just got to manage the sleep after that last night shift

[briantherobot]

Gareth1974 said:

Are these 12 hour shifts on the 4 on 4 off job? How many hours are you doing in your '9-5' job?

Yes will be 12 hour shifts, 4 on 4 off.
Currently 45 per week plus any calls I get in an evening when on call, could be none or could be working up to 10 / 11pm!

[Gareth1974]

briantherobot said:

Gareth1974 said:

Are these 12 hour shifts on the 4 on 4 off job? How many hours are you doing in your '9-5' job?

Yes will be 12 hour shifts, 4 on 4 off.
Currently 45 per week plus any calls I get in an evening when on call, could be none or could be working up to 10 / 11pm!

So in the 'new' job you'd be paid 48 hours, and are you paid for the 45 you do now, or is it a salaried job with a notional 37 hours or similar, but you're just expected to do what's necessary?

I was in a job where I was salaried for a 36 hour week, but was expected to do a lot more in unpaid overtime. I moved within the company to the 'blue collar' side of things, on shifts, but this time anything above 35 hours is considered overtime. I do 9 x 8 hour shifts per fortnight. Some colleagues do 12 hours and overage just less than a 3 day week.

Overall I prefer doing shifts, I seem to have more free time.

Edited by Gareth1974 on Wednesday 7th September 12:12

[Register1]

DMN said:

I did 4 on, 4 off for just over two years. Its great in that you get loads of time off, ok you lose a bit recovering from nights, but our rotation was 4 days followed by 4 nights. So after the last day shift you had in effect 5 days off.

On the other hand it can be hard if your partner/spouse/mates work during the week and then your on shift during the weekend.

4 days, followed by 4 nights, then followed by 4 off is not the normal pattern.

Generally, 4 days, then 4 off, then 4 nights, then 4 off.
Or 2 days, followed by 2 nights, followed by 4 off

So your saying 8 shifts, followed by 4 off.
That's just crazy

[DMN]

Register1 said:

DMN said:

I did 4 on, 4 off for just over two years. Its great in that you get loads of time off, ok you lose a bit recovering from nights, but our rotation was 4 days followed by 4 nights. So after the last day shift you had in effect 5 days off.

On the other hand it can be hard if your partner/spouse/mates work during the week and then your on shift during the weekend.

4 days, followed by 4 nights, then followed by 4 off is not the normal pattern.

Generally, 4 days, then 4 off, then 4 nights, then 4 off.
Or 2 days, followed by 2 nights, followed by 4 off

So your saying 8 shifts, followed by 4 off.
That's just crazy

Re-read it. I did 4 on 4 off.

[Flooble]

Gareth1974 said:

So in the 'new' job you'd be paid 48 hours, and are you paid for the 45 you do know, or is it a salaried job with a notional 37 hours or similar, but you're just expected to do what's necessary?

I was in a job where I was salaried for a 36 hour week, but was expected to do a lot more in unpaid overtime. I moved within the company to the 'blue collar' side of things, on shifts, but this time anything above 35 hours is considered overtime. I do 9 x 8 hour shifts per fortnight. Some colleagues do 12 hours and overage just less than a 3 day week.

Overall I prefer doing shifts, I seem to have more free time.

Bear in mind current job is 45 over seven days, new one is 48 over 8 days.

[benjijames28]

I do 4 on 4 off 12 hour day shifts. I love it. Everyone gets the same treatment, its a beautifully simple way of doing things.

[HOGEPH]

I do 4 on 4 on, 12 hour shifts, 4 days off is useful, 2 days off wouldn't be enough now.