BaltACDRotating shifts are easy!....Be subject to 24 hour call like most railroad T&E personel that hold Pool or Extra Board assignments or Operating Management that has to respond whenever there is a 'incident' that involves one of their employees.
Your point is well taken, Balt.
The 24 hour call you describe reminds us that even Hell can be made worse!
I worked for a power plant for over 41 years, 28 of it shift work. We started off with an 8 hour schedule that had us work 6 days, a day off, 4 nights, 2 days off, 5 afternoons, 3 days off then 3 days, 2 days off, 4 nights, 2 days off then 4 afternoons and 2 days off. Then we changed to working 5 days, 1 day off, 5 nights, 2 days, off 5 afternoons, 2 days off then either another 5 days off or back to the days again depending on time balance. I almost quit over that one. Then we got a 12 hour schedule where we did a 5 week repeat with 3 weekends out of 5 off. Only the 3 nights or 3 days were weekends. Starting with 2 nightshifts (8-8) followed by 72 hours off then 3 day shifts (8-8) followed by 48 hours off followed by 2 night followed by 72 hours off then 2 days followed by 84 hours off then 3 nights followed by 72 hours off then 2 day shifts. The weekend was off and depending on time balance you either had a 10 day break or you worked M-F 8-4. Sick time went way down with this schedule and when you were off, you were off. People who had problems always tried to do lots of stuff when they went home after work like they do on an 8 hour shift and you can't do that. Yes, you miss some your family affairs but you also get 70 more days off in a year to make up for that, plus you have your holidays on top of that. The other thing that was proven in studies was that to turn into a night shift took 3+ days and to get back was the same. With only one set of 3 nights in 5 weeks you didn't get as much jet lag as when you work 5+ nights.
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