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Forced to change my work schedule (need advice)

by pickoshe
7 replies
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Hello,

I work a regular 9-5 salaried job Monday - Friday (weekends off)

Now I am being forced to work a couple of night shifts during the week (Tuesday and Thursday) for the next 4 months. The shifts will be from 9pm-2am.

I have a few options:

1) I can work 9-5 (regular) then drive home (40 mins) drive back (40 mins) and start another shift at 9pm - 2am and not get paid anything extra (I'm on salary). This is the worst option.

2) I can work Monday during the day only, Tuesday during night only, Wednesday during the day only, Thursday during night only, Friday during day only. This is a better option but I will be working swing shift which totally screws my sleep schedule. Also keep in mind that when I work these 'night only' days I still have to be into work at 9am the next morning.

3) I can work my regular shifts Monday - Thursday along with the night shifts, tough it out through the week and have Friday off through the rest of the weekend.

I pretty much can organize this anyway I want as long as I'm working the night shifts and getting at least 40 hours per week, that's basically the only things that aren't negotiable.

Thoughts?
  • Profile picture of the author Stephen @ ClickMonkey
    Hi! If it were me, I'd likely take Monday off.

    I'd then go in for my regular 9-5 shift on Tuesday, but I wouldn't come back home.

    You mentioned it's a 40 minute drive(!) -- maybe you can take a bagged diner and find a cafe or a mall or someplace where you can get away from work and just relax.

    (If you have a laptop, maybe even spend some of that downtime working on an Internet marketing project that could eventually enable you to quit the job altogether!)

    I'd then go in for the Tuesday night (9pm-2am) shift. Honestly? I'd then see about just sleeping in my car or (depending on your work environment) someplace at work.

    Let's say you leave at exactly 2am... you wouldn't get home until around 2:40am.

    Realistically, it'll be hard to instantly go straight to bed. So you might actually be awake until around 3:30am until you finally fall asleep. But then your alarm would have to go off at around 8am so that you could grab some breakfast, perhaps take a shower, and hit the road to make it in time for your 9am shift the next morning. That's around 4 1/2 hours of being at home trying to get some sleep.

    At the end of Wednesday's 5pm shift, I'd go home.

    Thursday morning, I'd go to work carrying my bagged dinner and a sleeping bag and repeat the process of just hanging out near work between 5pm and 9pm (and having dinner there), and then once again, I'd sleep in the car or somewhere at work to then be there on Friday morning for the start of my final 9 to 5 day shift.

    Once you're done with work on Friday, you're free until Tuesday morning.

    The reason I don't like the idea of taking Friday off is because the day is kinda screwed up... you're getting out of work at 2am on Friday morning, getting home by around 2:40am... probably not falling asleep until 3:30am. If it were me, I'd rather come home Friday by around 6pm, radically unwind, get a good nights sleep, and then have 3 full fresh days of rest and relaxation (Saturday, Sunday, Monday...)

    Hopefully this helps? I don't know, there aren't many good options!
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    • Profile picture of the author pickoshe
      Awesome Idea. I didn't even think of that. I'm at work now actually so I don't have a lot of time to respond, but I will once I get home.
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      • Profile picture of the author Kay King
        I'd say you have some poor management making these changes. Working two night and three days would be ok - it's the staggering that is the problem.

        I'm confused - how do you get 40 hours if the late shift is only three hours?

        If the 9 pm - 2 am hours are correct as you wrote them - I'd work two long days.

        Tuesday - 9-5 - stay there for dinner and perhaps walk or exercise for some energy - then do the 9-2 and go home (or get a cheap room in the area for more sleep.

        Wednesday - 9-5

        Thursday - I'd do same as Tuesday and then work the 9-5 friday

        It condenses the hours into the smallest possible time frame - and that's what you need to do.

        BUT - if you do Tuesday-Friday on that schedule it's only 38 hours.

        If you need two more - I'd slide those in on the big days - one more hour won't be that much more. What's important over the long haul is getting enough rest before each long day.

        To do that schedule for 4 months means you need 3 days off to have a life and get some rest for the week to come.

        Where I live the law wouldn't allow that as you can't schedule someone for a shift that starts less than 12 hours after the previous shift ended.

        kay


        Just saw two of us were thinking along the same lines!
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    Many states don't allow a company to work you longer than 12 hour days either. Is your company trying to kill it's workers? What gives that they would torture you like this and find it in any way acceptable practice. If you start making mistakes are they ready to take the blame for it? If you have some sort of accident due to sleep deprivation are they going to take the blame for it?

    Frankly - I'd check my state laws if I were you. This whole situation seems very unorthodox and more than a little dangerous in some situations.
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    Sal
    When the Roads and Paths end, learn to guide yourself through the wilderness
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    • Profile picture of the author pickoshe
      Guys,

      Thank you very much for your input. I've taken the near double shifts on Tuesday and Thursday and off on Friday (my wife is off Friday - Sunday) so this really pushed me to this route so I can have more time with her.

      As far as the laws go, I live in Tennessee and I've called the labor board. They said, basically my bosses can work me as much as they want. It's the not getting enough hours that is the illegal, not the getting too many.

      As long as they give me a 30 min break per 8 hours, it's up to my bosses how long I work (according to the labor board). In my line of work, I've pulled several 30+ hour shifts.

      I don't have any objection to the hours btw, I just wanted some advice. I think I'll enjoy having a three day weekend.

      Thanks,
      Pickoshe
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      • Profile picture of the author Kay King
        I used to choose to work 10 hr days during summer months in exchange for Fri-Sun off every week. Made the perfect camping weekend when my sons were young.

        Glad you worked it out.

        kay
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        Live life like someone left the gate open
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  • Profile picture of the author stephie614
    Nasty work schedual. You must be under terrible stress. Why don't you start looking for work that you can do from your home? I know you don't have much time and money, but if you don't do something soon, you will have a heart attack. I have a manual that lists over 900 reliable sources to check out for work to do at home. Check out my website and see if something can help you there.
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