Anyone work shifts- 2 days, 2 nights, 4 off?
Discussion
I do some work in a factory that does a 5 shift continental pattern and in summer, when each shift is off for 2 weeks, they revert to this 4 day pattern of 12hr shifts. 8am-8pm for two days then 8pm-8am for two nights, then off for 4 days.
It seems almost universally disliked. Folk tend to lose half of their first day off by catching up on sleep following the 12hr night shift and then resign themselves to a fairly quiet last day off knowing that they wake up to four 12 hr shifts on the trot.
It seems almost universally disliked. Folk tend to lose half of their first day off by catching up on sleep following the 12hr night shift and then resign themselves to a fairly quiet last day off knowing that they wake up to four 12 hr shifts on the trot.
Dead easy shifts them 4 on / 4 off
2 x 12 hour days, followed by 2 x 12 hour nights
Monday and Tuesday day
Wednesday and Thursday night
Next week start Tuesday and Wednesday day,
Then Thursday Friday night
Just moves on one day each time your starting the next rota.
After the 2nd night, just get a couple of hours sleep, and up for lunch time.
All them off days make it quite easy.
Also,
Just book 2 days off and 2 nights off, and you get a almost 2 weeks off
ie, the previous 4 off, the rota days (holiday) off, and the next 4 off.
I am trying to push for 3 days on, followed by 3 nights on, followed by 6 says off.
Now that's what I call a good break !
2 x 12 hour days, followed by 2 x 12 hour nights
Monday and Tuesday day
Wednesday and Thursday night
Next week start Tuesday and Wednesday day,
Then Thursday Friday night
Just moves on one day each time your starting the next rota.
After the 2nd night, just get a couple of hours sleep, and up for lunch time.
All them off days make it quite easy.
Also,
Just book 2 days off and 2 nights off, and you get a almost 2 weeks off
ie, the previous 4 off, the rota days (holiday) off, and the next 4 off.
I am trying to push for 3 days on, followed by 3 nights on, followed by 6 says off.
Now that's what I call a good break !
Edited by uk_vette on Wednesday 16th March 21:43
I once worked alternating shifts, it really did not suit me at all, most of the time I was in a haze of weariness both at work and home, the extra time off was wasted due to being knackered. We had two young children at the time, this, combined with noisy neighbours meant sleep was hard to find.
It took me a long while to return to normal and my sleep pattern was disrupted for years afterwards, it might work for a single person living in a quiet location but personally I would need a huge salary to contemplate returning to shift work.
It took me a long while to return to normal and my sleep pattern was disrupted for years afterwards, it might work for a single person living in a quiet location but personally I would need a huge salary to contemplate returning to shift work.
I used to do 2x 12 hours days then 2x 12 hour nights then 4 off.
It was an absolute nightmare.
After the 2nd night getting home at 7:30am you need to sleep for most of your 1st day off, so thats a big portion of 1 day wasted. Then you struggle to sleep later on that day. Then on your last day off you have to get an early night as if it was a Sunday ready for the next shift hell to begin.
It also seems to have you working lots of Friday and Saturday nights.
It really used to do me in.
It was an absolute nightmare.
After the 2nd night getting home at 7:30am you need to sleep for most of your 1st day off, so thats a big portion of 1 day wasted. Then you struggle to sleep later on that day. Then on your last day off you have to get an early night as if it was a Sunday ready for the next shift hell to begin.
It also seems to have you working lots of Friday and Saturday nights.
It really used to do me in.
I used to work 06:00-14:00/14:00-22:00 and I hated it!
Early mornings in winter were horrible and Friday afternoons in a hot factory during the summer were too depressing for words.
I spent 10 years on nights 22:00-06:00 and loved it, regular hours, regular sleep patterns, hardly saw the management and an extra 1/3 in my pay packet
Early mornings in winter were horrible and Friday afternoons in a hot factory during the summer were too depressing for words.
I spent 10 years on nights 22:00-06:00 and loved it, regular hours, regular sleep patterns, hardly saw the management and an extra 1/3 in my pay packet

rb5er said:
I used to do 2x 12 hours days then 2x 12 hour nights then 4 off.
It was an absolute nightmare.
After the 2nd night getting home at 7:30am you need to sleep for most of your 1st day off, so thats a big portion of 1 day wasted. Then you struggle to sleep later on that day. Then on your last day off you have to get an early night as if it was a Sunday ready for the next shift hell to begin.
It also seems to have you working lots of Friday and Saturday nights.
It really used to do me in.
^ ^This. Over the years, I've worked all sorts of shift patterns and anything which ends with a nightshift and begins with an early shift doesn't really give you much time off in-between. It was an absolute nightmare.
After the 2nd night getting home at 7:30am you need to sleep for most of your 1st day off, so thats a big portion of 1 day wasted. Then you struggle to sleep later on that day. Then on your last day off you have to get an early night as if it was a Sunday ready for the next shift hell to begin.
It also seems to have you working lots of Friday and Saturday nights.
It really used to do me in.
The best shifts I worked were either permanent nights (4 x 10 hour shifts) or fortnight-about (2 weeks days, 2 weeks nights).
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t. Or was that not the advice you were looking for?