Discussion
I worked 4 on 4 off for about 30 years. Mostly 2D/2N 4 off, but also 4D 4 off 4N & only nights.
The upside as mentioned is the time off & being able to do things during the week.
The downsides are numerous:
You'll work all or part of the weekend 5 times out of 8.
If you're young you'll lose touch with your non shift worker friends as you'll never be around when they want to do things.
If you've got kids you'll miss a lot of time with them.
You'll be shattered & grumpy after the nights - this only gets worse with age.
You'll put on weight when working nights, regardless of how well you try to eat
If you're older, working nights will massively increase the risk of type 2 diabetes - even if you don't put on weight.
Working nights will shorten your life & increase your risk of serious illness.
I don't think I ever slept properly when I was working shifts, it would take me at least a week off to get into a "normal" sleep pattern.
The upside as mentioned is the time off & being able to do things during the week.
The downsides are numerous:
You'll work all or part of the weekend 5 times out of 8.
If you're young you'll lose touch with your non shift worker friends as you'll never be around when they want to do things.
If you've got kids you'll miss a lot of time with them.
You'll be shattered & grumpy after the nights - this only gets worse with age.
You'll put on weight when working nights, regardless of how well you try to eat
If you're older, working nights will massively increase the risk of type 2 diabetes - even if you don't put on weight.
Working nights will shorten your life & increase your risk of serious illness.
I don't think I ever slept properly when I was working shifts, it would take me at least a week off to get into a "normal" sleep pattern.
I done this a few years ago... getting Ambulances ready.
10pm - 10am & sometimes an extra shift.
Pay wasn’t great & definitely didn’t get extra for ANY bank holidays.
(Even Christmas & New Year which couldn’t be booked off)...But I had left by then.
It takes some getting used to & you will have to adapt your family & social life.
Trying to sleep at odd hours can be awkward, & it’s weird to be going to work when people are out & about enjoying themselves.
Life isn’t going to stop for you... especially during School holidays, which may get a bit noisy.
The money may be tempting... but it’s not for everybody.
10pm - 10am & sometimes an extra shift.
Pay wasn’t great & definitely didn’t get extra for ANY bank holidays.
(Even Christmas & New Year which couldn’t be booked off)...But I had left by then.
It takes some getting used to & you will have to adapt your family & social life.
Trying to sleep at odd hours can be awkward, & it’s weird to be going to work when people are out & about enjoying themselves.
Life isn’t going to stop for you... especially during School holidays, which may get a bit noisy.
The money may be tempting... but it’s not for everybody.
Edited by Milkyway on Thursday 23 June 13:45
I've done for 27 years 2D/2N with 6 off and a 20 off every 9 weeks, till retirements or resignations made it difficult or impossible. So an alternate pattern was brought in of 2D/2N 5off, 2D/3N 4off then 3D/2N 12 off. This will finish at the end of September when we go back to the original pattern thankfully, we hate it at the moment.
Do you get any holidays? You you get any overtime (if someone if off on holiday, ill or extra work load?
In my old company I use to work the day shift but a couple of of time worked shift for 6 months at a time (shift was m & t day, t & f nights, w, t & f day and then m, t & w night). I found the shift did work for me at time and not at others times. The nights were difficult with not seeing the other half for 4 days. I was lucky I had a quiet home in the day to sleep but could see others on shift weren’t so lucky with kids or very demanding other half’s. The operators at site did a 4 on/ 4off, 4 nights on/ 8 days off which they did like but was still demanding.
Do save money on flue as going in less, can live further away as traveling out of rush hour but if I was doing it long term would needed a second car for the other half to use
Forgot to say, need a hobby that you can easily do by yourself mid week or project car to keep you busy
In my old company I use to work the day shift but a couple of of time worked shift for 6 months at a time (shift was m & t day, t & f nights, w, t & f day and then m, t & w night). I found the shift did work for me at time and not at others times. The nights were difficult with not seeing the other half for 4 days. I was lucky I had a quiet home in the day to sleep but could see others on shift weren’t so lucky with kids or very demanding other half’s. The operators at site did a 4 on/ 4off, 4 nights on/ 8 days off which they did like but was still demanding.
Do save money on flue as going in less, can live further away as traveling out of rush hour but if I was doing it long term would needed a second car for the other half to use
Forgot to say, need a hobby that you can easily do by yourself mid week or project car to keep you busy
I did 4x4 on and off for years whilst on the tools and thought it was great. You find you stop thinking of weekends as weekends as days of the week just become on or off shift.
You do miss 3 whole weekends and 2 half weekends in 8 so it depends how much you normally do on a Saturday and Sunday.
If you have kids, depending on age you may see more or less of them.
I would go back on in a flash but wife & daughter would not be happy about it.
You do miss 3 whole weekends and 2 half weekends in 8 so it depends how much you normally do on a Saturday and Sunday.
If you have kids, depending on age you may see more or less of them.
I would go back on in a flash but wife & daughter would not be happy about it.
Thanks for the reply’s so far been great. My only concern is the nights with sleeping. I have a wee one nearly 2 and another one on the way.
They is overtime there if u want it. This job would be better paid and get extra allowance for doing the shifts.
My wife works mon-Friday only 9-5
They is overtime there if u want it. This job would be better paid and get extra allowance for doing the shifts.
My wife works mon-Friday only 9-5
Hugo Stiglitz said:
The last 6-6am falls in that first day off doesn't it? Meaning your asleep that first day off, well most of it. So it's 3.5 days off.
Plus 12 hour nights? I've done 10hour nights. Those were hideous alone. Plus as mentioned you'll end up spending alot of your days off alone.
Your current is much preferable.
If you've switched from a set of 4 days to 4 nights the previous period would be 4.5 days off though.Plus 12 hour nights? I've done 10hour nights. Those were hideous alone. Plus as mentioned you'll end up spending alot of your days off alone.
Your current is much preferable.
And if its 2d2n then you get the extra half day in the middle.
I do 2d2n and like it, can't imagine only having 2 days off a week when it's super busy everywhere. Would prefer 4d4off which I did previously, but nature of the Job means nights needed
colin86 said:
Thanks for the reply’s so far been great. My only concern is the nights with sleeping. I have a wee one nearly 2 and another one on the way.
They is overtime there if u want it. This job would be better paid and get extra allowance for doing the shifts.
My wife works mon-Friday only 9-5
a few tips, get blackout blinds, don't eat or drink coffee after 1am on night. Eat healthy and try and do excercise. on your last nights try and stay up as late as possible to switch back onto days,They is overtime there if u want it. This job would be better paid and get extra allowance for doing the shifts.
My wife works mon-Friday only 9-5
Retired now , but last set of shifts I did were the best .,... All 11.25 hrs
Thursday to Sunday days
Monday off
Tues to Thurs nights
Fri to Sunday off
Mon to wed days
Thurs off
Friday to Monday nights
9 days off
Rinse and repeat
Every other weekend off and 14 shifts a month
4 on 4 off was installed at other depots, and they mooted it for ours, but was never instigated,and never wanted .
Thursday to Sunday days
Monday off
Tues to Thurs nights
Fri to Sunday off
Mon to wed days
Thurs off
Friday to Monday nights
9 days off
Rinse and repeat
Every other weekend off and 14 shifts a month
4 on 4 off was installed at other depots, and they mooted it for ours, but was never instigated,and never wanted .
I've been doing 4 on 4 off for the last two years, but day shifts 8am x 8am working fro home and have loved them. Brilliant for time off work, and with normal shifts being 10hrs it's only an extra 2hrs per shift. In fact it's less as it means I would be working more hours than is legislated so the last two shifts are 11hrs.
I've just been moved back to my original shift pattern where I now work 6 on 4 off, on 10hr shifts, but would happily go back to 12hr shifts at the drop of a hat.
Many years ago I did do 12hr shifts comprising of 2 day shifts 7am x 7am, followed by two night shifts 7pm x 7pm, and liked those for the same reasons, but I prefer just doing day shifts so im not sleeping into my first day off. Doing 4 x 12hr shifts in my job meant I was owed 16hrs every 8 weeks which soon built up so I could take extra leave, but they have done away with that now making the last two shifts 11hrs instead.
I've just been moved back to my original shift pattern where I now work 6 on 4 off, on 10hr shifts, but would happily go back to 12hr shifts at the drop of a hat.
Many years ago I did do 12hr shifts comprising of 2 day shifts 7am x 7am, followed by two night shifts 7pm x 7pm, and liked those for the same reasons, but I prefer just doing day shifts so im not sleeping into my first day off. Doing 4 x 12hr shifts in my job meant I was owed 16hrs every 8 weeks which soon built up so I could take extra leave, but they have done away with that now making the last two shifts 11hrs instead.
We do a really odd shift pattern, mon Tues night - Fri sat sun day - wed Thurs night - Mon Tues day - fri sat sun night - wed Thurs day then off for 10 days and start again. So we work 14 shifts in 5 weeks. We don't get any holiday as it's all built into the pattern including 17 days off in the summer, but it means we only work 144 shifts a year. The transition from nights back onto days is a ball ache it has to be said, but I like the 12 hours, means you work less days. Although I miss a fair few weekends of the year, I'm around a lot to pick the kids up from school/nursery, I'm sure the other parents think I don't work. Plus it gives me a decent amount of time to get jobs done when nobody else is around, I do have the advantage of liking my own company so I'm perfectly happy to be on my own. If you were somebody that gets lonely it probably wouldn't be too good.
4 on 4 off on the other hand sounds pretty horrendous and those doing 2 days 2 nights 4 off have my sympathy.
4 on 4 off on the other hand sounds pretty horrendous and those doing 2 days 2 nights 4 off have my sympathy.
When I was younger I jumped around jobs a fair bit and 4 on 4 off was by far my favourite shift pattern.
2days, 2 nights 7-7.
4 days holiday gets you 12 days off, manage it properly and you work less than half the year.
Not sure I could be bothered with the nights now, but I used to love them shifts.
2days, 2 nights 7-7.
4 days holiday gets you 12 days off, manage it properly and you work less than half the year.
Not sure I could be bothered with the nights now, but I used to love them shifts.
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