I have been looking for manufacturing, assembly, production positions all over the Midwest. It’s absolutely shocking how many of them want you to work rotating shifts.
Look at the image I submitted. That company wants you to work 3rd shift one week, then 2nd shift the next, then 1st shift the next, and then repeat it over and over. How in the hell is that healthy?
And this requirement for rotating shifts is prevalent in so many job ads now. WTF is going on with the world?
Full job ad here:
Wow, that’s nuts. At least the manufacturing jobs I see around me are just 4on 4off 12hr shifts, which still sucks IMO, but isn’t abusive to employee’s mental well being.
30 years ago I did 12 hour shifts at a factory, and it really wasn’t too bad. It was 4 on 3 off one week, and 3 on 4 off the other week. The OT on week one made up for the lost hours on week two, and having 3 or 4 days off was pretty sweet. But it was a QC job, for a European company in the US, sitting all night inspecting small parts, and was pretty chill.
My brother in law worked at the BMW factory in SC, and they did 4 10 hour shifts, with the days off rotating each week. They only ran 6 days a week, so you’d end up with 5 days off every 4 weeks whenever the days off from two weeks lined up. He liked the 5 days off when they happened, but the rotating days off didn’t line up with my sisters schedule, so that was tough.
This worries me 3 ways:
Worst of all would be a 2-2-4 day/night/off schedule, as that combines a too-long shift, a wake-sleep change, and then a too-long shift in darkness.
This kind of job spec, unless they specify it’s only mildly damaging, could be the most toxic format of all!
P.s. I can’t believe I’m wishing for it to be the minimally-toxic-but-still-fucking-toxic 4x12 daytime slog.
I am sad that we live in an age where 4 12 hour shifts in a row is now considered the norm.
Its really only the norm for certain industries. I’m just an IT drone, so I still get my 5 8s, but I’ve heard some of the factory floor guys say they like it so /shrug.
I wouldn’t be opposed to doing 4 10s just to have an extra day off, but support gigs don’t generally get that kind of leeway with staffing and coverage issues. But I get to work from home, so I’ll take the extra day a week of work.
Eh, I just think 12 is too much no matter how you slice it. I’m in security and after the 8th hour, my brain is fried.
In CA you get overtime after 8 hours a day, so 4/12s are quite lucrative. I just plan to do literally nothing but work on those days. Work, sleep, work, sleep. Live life on your 3 day weekends.
I find I’m just as frazzled after 8 hours as I am after 12, might as well get a ton of money and an extra day off.