Shift work (love it or hate it?)

[ukcop2]

I take into account the most recent posts. I know it is hard on the body (even harder when, like me, you eat double size, extra chilli pizzas at 0500 hours).
As for family, well I've got a wife and 14 months old baby.
Doing the day shift only hours at the moment I feel I am able to give more to my kid when on shift.
At present I get home (usually at 1700, sometimes later) after another hard day. I'm knackered and have two hours with my son before he goes to bed. No matter how hard I try I am never going to be able to give him my full attention. Food needs cooking, shopping needs to be done, things around the house etc etc.
When I was on shift things were better;
On day shift I finish at 1500 and have from then until he goes to bed. When I'm on lates I can give him my whole morning before getting in for 1500. When I'm on nights I see him morning and evening.
Ok, weekends are an ar$e and thats the downside.

Even my wife says it's beter when I'm on shift, as I'm not charging around in the morning every day and not crashing through the door wiped out tired every evening. She also says it's much better when I'm on nights as the bed is empty.
(must ask her about that )


Stay safe

Uk

[ 07-01-2003, 04:31 PM: Message edited by: ukcop2 ]

[Sgt Lobster]

I've worked shifts for over 20 years and they have long since lost their novelty. These days I find nights particularly hard on the body in short they make me feel ill !

Days off in the week do have advantages, and it is nice to get to the gymn during off-peak periods. Like most UK officers I work a rotating shift pattern which involves working earlies, lates and night shift over a fixed period in our case 5 weeks. Fixed shifts are very unusual here and seniority has no bearing on what you work. Some people with next to no service manage to get themselves on days with weekends off, and at the other extreme you get 30 year officers on full shifts.

Lobster.

[tcsd1236]

I prefer working evenings, but the wife and kids need me at home now that the kids are getting older, so I put up with the politics involved with working day shift.

[Cptwolf127]

Absolutely LOVE my shift. Work a month of days, a month of nights. Every other weekend off with days off during the week. Sure, a little harder to get up some days now that I am older, but I worked 8-5 monday - friday for 4 years and absolutley HATED them.

[Dysentery Bob]

With Savannah PD, Our patrol is on a 3 watch system. Both A and B watch are the swing shift and C watch is our afternoon watch. Now the only thing I dislike with working the swings is double back night. The way that works is that which ever watch is on day work at the end of the month must also come in that night at 2230 hours for rollcall. To give you a better idea, morning watch rollcall is at 0630 hours. You work 10 hours and get off at 1630 hours. Hopefully you get home before 1700 hours to get 4 hours sleep and be back up at 2100 hours to get ready for rollcall at 2230 hours for another 10 hour shift. This is the only thing that truly sucks with the swings. I forgot to mention that ol' Mr. Murphy always has you schelduled for court both that next morning and the ever lovable Juvie court that never seems to start on time and last forever.
Though even with this down side, you have more freedom to police your style rather than just respond to call that you have to on day work. Did I mention that traffic is nice at night, not many dumn *** drivers at this time.

[spd4162]

I love shift work. My PD works 12 hrs shifts and it works so that we get every other weekend off. It gives some of the guys enough time off to have their own construction businesses. Some of the things I like about the graveyard is I work maybe one accident a month, no parking compliants, not too many big investigations, most of my radio calls are fights, domestics, DUI's etc. Makes the night go by faster and allows us time to assist the Patrol and Deputies more often. My brother and father work for an agency in CT, where my brother loves his 4-2 work week. My father though, being a Captain, hates shift work. I guess guys with 30 or more years on work themselves smarter than us 5 year vets.

[wonderwoman]

I haven't worked shift work for over 10 years, although the evenings and weekends I have had to work make up for it.... but I didn't seem to mind it to much as it was great going to the bank and grocery shopping during the week. However, it did hurt when it came to taking extra university courses or joining sporting teams.

I wouldn't go back to it now though.... unless I had no choice.

[packpolice]

SHIFT CHANGE

wE ARE ON PERMANENT DAYS AND NIGHTS, BUT THE HEALTHIEST WOULD BE A PERMANENT EARL CALL CAR MID-SHIFT FOR EACH QUAD. tHAT OF GO TO 10 HOURS AND MAKE UP TIME WITH EXTREA PATROL OR TRAINING.

SHIFT

[jakflak]

My department works 12 hour shifts; you work 4 days on with 3 days off, then 3 days on and 4 days off. I love it; you have as many days off as days you work.

[packpolice]

I work 12 hour shifts. We work 2 on, 2 off, 3 on, 3 off. We never work more then 3 days in a row. It long and hot, but I feel like I've really accomplished something when I leave. Before this I really didn't know how to relax. I think it helps that we don't rotate because you can keep your body somewhat regulated. Rotating is VERY unhealthy.

If I had a choice I think 10 hours would be better.

[OfcMikey10mm]

Hate it.
We quit shift work almost a decade ago.
We bid annually for our shift for the following year, which is a much better system for me.

[PeteBroccolo]

Hate it, but what's a guy going to do?

At least now, with a 6-4, 5-4, 5-4 rotation and 10 hour shifts, the time off is great.

If you people in big departments, with round-the-clock coverage, think shift work is bad, those of us that work for Agencies that do not have such coverage and "volunteer" to be on-call would feel for you, but our arms aren't long enough !

[germancop39]

Here in germany i do shift work since 15 years now. On one hand its true, you will never get as much free time for yourself again in your working life. But on the other hand it is very bad for your body. In only five years shift work you will get 10 years older.
I think I'll carry on doing shift work for about 2 or 3 years.

[BlueBlood]

My 12 hour shifts has its ups and downs with me, i like the days off, thats it. I like the few days off, but i hate getting schedualed to come in to court on my off days or when im on night shift... The rest of the world dosent operate with grave yard shift workers.... I would probabily rather work a shorter shift though dureing the day... Eitherway, your going to work the same hours a month as an 8am-5pm 5 day a week employee. But shift work dosent feel healthy at all. I can hardly go workout like i like to do, i get deprived of sleep alot especially if a jury trail will pop on at a very bad time for me, ive had to work from 7pm-7am and then be at court at 8am-4pm quiet a few times. i hate it with a passion. One time after having to do that my s hift was short and i after getting out of court at 4 i had to come to work and be a zombie for 12 hours... (i actually slept and got a buddy to listen to the radio for me for about 2 hours) Re-adjusting from days to nights always takes its toll to...

[Sgt Lobster]

BlueBlood,

How much notice do you get of a court appearance ? Normally in England & Wales you would expect several weeks or even months notice of a court case. The court is provided with officers court availability and sometimes they even take notice ! Officer do get short notice requirements to attend court especially jury trials.

There is no way a UK officer should be allowed to work the hours you describe to attend court, as we are protected by Police Regulations and Working Time Regs. What would happen if you had an accident or a critical incident ?




Lobster.