12 Hour Shifts

[jeaster]

Our Dept. is looking into going to 12 hour shifts. Just wanted to hear from other agencies that have them the pro's and con's. We have a pretty high turnover rate here and alot of overtime.

[JSD73]

Every other weekend off...sucks the energy out of you pretty fast....long time to be in a patrol car or in a chair...every other weekend off .. woo hoo!! sucks on court days if you're night shift...harder to work extra jobs after shift, especially if you have to work the next night. Less time to yourself after shift...but still, every other weekend off makes it really good.

[ISPCAPT]

Contact NUTI. They have a prof there who has done extensive research into the various shifts. He's looked at them from about every angle, including hours worked, productivity, job satisfaction, coverage, etc.
Sorry, can't recall his name right now. If you call NUTI and talk to the academic coordinator they'll probably know who it is. It's a course taught in every NUTI class.

[pf217]

Every other weekend off...sucks the energy out of you pretty fast....long time to be in a patrol car or in a chair...every other weekend off .. woo hoo!! sucks on court days if you're night shift...harder to work extra jobs after shift, especially if you have to work the next night. Less time to yourself after shift...but still, every other weekend off makes it really good.

I don't think it sucks the energy out of "you" at all. Most of our guys are happy to go home after their 12 hour shift, but no more happy or tired than guys in other towns getting off of 8 hour shifts. At hour 17 you start to feel it.

12 hours can be a long time to be in a squad, that's why you learn to manage your time. One could argue that working 5 days in a row is too long to be working in a week. If someone told you that you could get an extra week off every month, and all you had to do was hang over 4 hours each day that you work, you'd jump on it. That's what 12 hour shifts are.

Court does suck when you're on nights. No argument there.

There's plenty more time for side jobs because you're only working half the month. On days, a guy my age can fit twice as many side job hours in as someone on 8's because more of my days are completely free.

There is less "you time" after a shift, but there's only 2 times in a month where on back-to-back days you can say "I have to work again tomorrow." Every other work period is work a day, sleep for 7-10 hours, work again and then you're off for 2 days (at least). So in a 4 week period, there's only 8 days where you have to work "tomorrow." You can't be that.

[GCPD0171]

I've been doing 12 hour shifts for 9 years now. On the days I work it just seems I have no energy left after shift. I like the every other weekend off and time off during the week. It just doesn't leave much time to do things after work.

[deputy x 2]

12 hour shifts are great! We work 3 on 4 off, 4 on 3 off. It works out to 14 days of work a month.

As long as you don't commute to far. The long week can be a "bear". I love the hours. We have a choice(senority) of 0500-1700 or 0700-1900 for days and 1700-0500 and 1900-0700 for mids.

The work week is S-M-T every other Wed off or every other Wed- Th-Fri and Sat off.

[Smurfette_76]

LOVE 12s. LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

[JSD73]

I don't think it sucks the energy out of "you" at all. Most of our guys are happy to go home after their 12 hour shift, but no more happy or tired than guys in other towns getting off of 8 hour shifts. At hour 17 you start to feel it.

I guess we can respectfully agree to disagree. Everyone is happy to go home after their shift is over but I worked pretty much eights over the last ten years and being on days, 6-2, I have much more time and energy after work than after a 12, especially during the long week

Court does suck when you're on nights. No argument there.
Sho nuff

There's plenty more time for side jobs because you're only working half the month. On days, a guy my age can fit twice as many side job hours in as someone on 8's because more of my days are completely free.

There is less "you time" after a shift, but there's only 2 times in a month where on back-to-back days you can say "I have to work again tomorrow." Every other work period is work a day, sleep for 7-10 hours, work again and then you're off for 2 days (at least). So in a 4 week period, there's only 8 days where you have to work "tomorrow." You can't be that.

I'll work Mon Tue, be off Wed and Thur, then work Fri Sat Sun...then be off Mon Tue, Off Wed Thur, then work Fri Sat Sun...and so forth, I don't want to spend all my off time working an extra job, I'd prefer to work OT but it doesn't work the same way for patrol as it did in the corrections division, especially since we have to have an 8 hour period between our next work day....don't get me wrong, I like the twelves, and I like tens, but day shift 8s aren't bad either.

[pyxie]

I personally liked working 12 hour shifts on patrol I had more time for my family and now I work 8 hours 5 days a week it kind of gets tiring by friday and the the weekend blows by too fast.

[Chiller]

http://forums.officer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61953&highlight=hour+shifts

[topcoper22]

I also have been on 12 hour shifts (Nights) for 9 years and I would much rather work 12 hour shifts then 8's because you work less days that way.

[Seventy2002]

Our patrol division is composed of two teams working 4 days on, 4 days off. Shifts are 11 hours, with starting times staggered to adjust staffing to call load. It works pretty well. Most abscences can be covered by calling someone in early.

[jcrous]

RSA System

We work 4 shifts in a cycle of 8 days:
Monday - 07h00 - 19h00
Tuesday - 07h00 - 19h00
Wednesday - 19h00 - 07h00
Thursday - 19h00 - 07h00
Friday -
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Rest
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 07h00.......Cycle begins again.

You are actually of 4 days and work 6 8 hour shifts in 4 days.

You get a little bit tired some times but your off days feel longer than the working days because you are so busy and the turn-over is so quick that time flies.

I prefer this above the 8 hour system and you spend less on travel expenses.

[PFL]

12's rule. Make sure you try to get a steady shift though.

We rotated days/nights every two weeks for a while. It was f-ing horrible. After a few months, I didn;t know if I was coming or going. We then tried a month long tour. It was FAR better, as you could actually adjust and get used to it.

Currently we have steady shifts, which 99% of my department is in favor of, even if they get stuck on a shift they didn;t want. It's far better for your body to be on some sort of schedule.

The time off is outstanding. I work nights, so I get to spend a few hours with the kids every day, and do whatever I need to around town or the house before I go to work. Days aren't as lucky, BUT their bonus is they get a full weekend and full days off. By the time my day off starts, it's 2-3pm, and the whole day is usually wasted.

If you can get 12's do it. Make SURE your contract states that you will be given a "day for a day" time off. So if you get 15 eight hour vacation days now, make sure they are changed to 15 DAYS, or else you'll be losing time.

Also, with the 12's you work 84/hrs every 2 weeks instead of 80. Be sure to get that 4 hours back in some sort of vacation time or be given 1 eight hour shift every two weeks instead of the 12 hr shift.

[canadiancop]

Like them

Two days, two night....FOUR OFF.
all shifts are 7am/pm-7pm/am.

Four days off is great when its the weekend Thur, Fr, Sat, Sun.

You start your set knowing it will be a long 48 hours, but then you have those four days off.

I still go to the gym/dinner/movies when my 12 hour shift is done. It's all about lifestyle choice---plus the drive home is 5 min.