4 Days on 4 Days off, 12 hour shifts - Opinions!

[Lewbie 10]

Hi. I have recently seen a job advertised working 12 hour shifts, 4 days on then 4 days off. The shift is at night from 8pm till 8am.

 

Does anyone have any experience of this kind of shift pattern, I have never worked nights before and wondering whether I would be able to cope!

[cbr900 10]

nights are for cats and burglers . If you get used to the shift it may work out , however if you have to alternate between days and nights I'd wouldn't even consider it. Been there done that , I aged about 20 years in 6 month.

[the chazter 10]

Hi. I have recently seen a job advertised working 12 hour shifts, 4 days on then 4 days off. The shift is at night from 8pm till 8am.

 

Does anyone have any experience of this kind of shift pattern, I have never worked nights before and wondering whether I would be able to cope!

 

ive been doing this kind of shift pattern for years its ok but your body clock goes daft for a while eating in the middle of the night ' sleeping through the day .

then getting up & having your tea for breakfast

[claire1976 10]

My hubby used to do this shift pattern in the police, 2x 12 hour days then 2x12 hour nights followed by 4 off. Now they do 2 days, 2 afters and 2 nights then 4 off. He'd give his eye teeth to go back to 4 on 4 off, says it was much easier and the 4 days off came around much quicker!

[kate1984 10]

ive done it in nursing homes, it is hard work and come 4am i felt like i was going to throw up! but a job is a job at the moment and you could always get some red bull!

[Grandad.Malky 11]

ive been doing this kind of shift pattern for years its ok but your body clock goes daft for a while eating in the middle of the night ' sleeping through the day .

then getting up & having your tea for breakfast

 

Don’t let anyone tell you it’s good, I worked shifts of every description for 30 years and didn’t find a good one.

 

You forgot to mention antisocial hours and sitting around waiting to go to work, they don’t call it the graveyard shift for nothing, don’t forget you will be working part of virtually every weekend, as I remember it you fall for one full weekend off in 8, WOW:roll:

 

Sleeping through the day in the winter is not a problem , try it in the summer, its hot, the kids are playing footy outside your house and the neighbours are cutting the grass at 9am when you have had a couple of hours sleep, oh the memories they are flooding back.

[koikeeper 10]

been there never again it was bloody bad when it was warm and all yer mates went out on a friday night

[Snow-White 10]

my other half did 4 on 4 off for 5 years he loved it.if you can get used to it its great he worked nights only. how many people get 4 days off every week.Also if you put in 4 days holidays you get 12 off . he only used to work around 16 days a month

[Grandad.Malky 11]

been there never again it was bloody bad when it was warm and all yer mates went out on a friday night

 

Yep, going to work on a Friday night and all your mates are in the beer garden………great.

[Grandad.Malky 11]

he only used to work around 16 days a month

 

Don’t kid yourself; every day worked is one and a half of everyone else’s day, and as for the 4 days off every week that assumes an 8 day week

[simonj 10]

I too worked this shift pattern for 2 years except it started with two 14 hour night shifts then two 10 hour day shifts. The best thing about it though was that after 7 full cycles we got 18 days off instead of 4. I didn't have to suffer the daytime sleep disturbance either as I had digs right next to my workplace in the middle of nowhere (well just a few miles west of Harrogate).

 

I've also worked many other killer shift patterns onboard ships. 6 hours on, 6 hours off for 6 straight weeks springs to mind

[Nemex 10]

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Edited October 26, 2009 by Nemex