Awful Shift Work

sgc86

My husband works in the field of maintenance/technician/fitter, and works shift work (always has) but for the last 4yrs he has worked for a company where the shift pattern is AWFUL. It's not sustainable at all...the shift pattern is a 4wk rotation; 2days in, 2days off, 3nights in, 2days off, 2days in, 3days off, 2nights in, 2days off, 3days in, 2 days off, 2nights in, 3days off...

It's really starting to really affect his general & mental well being, he isn't able to get into a regular sleep pattern, cannot join any kind of social team or club or even benefit form a basic gym membership...

Like I said, he's not opposed to shift, he has just had better shift patterns before now (doing both days and nights) but they were more sustainable and manageable. He's raised it with his employer several times, but it falls on deaf ears.

I'm not sure if this is the kind of thing you post on here, but I guess I'm asking, has anyone experienced this or have any advice, or even know of any companies in and around Dublin/Kildare/Wicklow/Carlow that have a better shift system...He has almost 20yrs experience and loves his job but he cannot keep this up... I genuinely fear for his mental health and what it's doing to him :(

Facthunt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058321214/awful-shift-work

Are all his colleagues working a similar shift? No point going to a manager on his own. He would need to go as part of a unit. Is he in a union by any chance?

sgc86

No union unfortunately... The company is great in many other ways, pension, health care... but doesn't seem to have enough staff to make the shift pattern more conducive to normal factory shift patterns. Yes his colleagues aren't happy either and several have also raised it as an issue. I have told him there is strength in numbers but it's not looking likely to change any time soon

jippo nolan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121332914#Comment_121332914

Tell him to check out the working time directive, it sets out minimum resting times between shifts & it’s also an EU directive set out in law!

Speak Now

Looks like a standard 4 shift pattern (12 hour shifts) where you average a 42 hour working week. Only a small few work it in our company but those that do would have volunteered for it (Most on 2/3 shift pattern). Was this the shift pattern he started with the company or was it foisted on him at a later date?

eoo1

As speak now posted, I'm also reading that your husband is working a four cycle shift pattern. I spent the best part of 15 years working 4 cycle, it's taken it's toll on me, I gave up shift work about 5 years ago, and am still not fully recovered. There are a couple of variations of 4 cycle, but they're all poor. Other shift patterns never bothered me, but 4 cycle is uniquely bad, it's the quick turnaround from nights to day shifts that were the hardest aspect.

A large number of Pharma companies and the likes of Intel all work 4 cycle (IIRC). The 33% shift rate can be enticing, but it's not worth it. I would suggest your husband start applying to companies, or inquiring on the like of Linkedin as to what the shift pattern is at a given company. Being five years out of manufacturing I'm not overly familiar on what companies are not working 4 cycle.

There is a lot of demand for Maintenance / fitters out there, outside of the manufacturing industry. Facilites is one industry, there is demand for the likes of Fabric Techs/Maintenance., the money can be decent, but won't compare to a high end manufacturing job, especially with the shift pattern in mind, the hours are good though, rarely shift based. I've spent time in the Facilites industry, the soft services side can be nonsensical at times, but the hard services side can be interesting, hard services being maintenance and such, it's really not a difficult job.

mode1990

American tech companies have gotten away with it too , paying salaries of €18 k to kids (including myself) to work Thursday to Sunday 11pm to 10am shifts , I'm guessing it's now Indian kids being abused !

jippo nolan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121334278#Comment_121334278

As I’ve said many times before, join a union!

mode1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121335402#Comment_121335402

100% on unions ! This was back in the early 90's when most of us where just happy to be employed , especially when youth unemployment was running at 30% !