The agreement was effective on the Georgia Railrod Banking & Trust property that CSX inherited and operates as their Georgia Subdivision. Work on the sub consists of through runs between Augusta and Atlanta, GA. There is a active stone qurry at Lithonia, GA and coal trains destined to Plant Harrlee outside of Milledgeville, GA. While this agreement was in effect Georgia Sub crews would operate the “New Gorgia Railroad” dinner trains form ‘Underground Atlanta’ to Stone Mountain and return. The crew’s Home Terminal is Augusta.
Our state police, and I think our sheriff’s department work a similar schedule. Some fire departments have gone to 48 on - 72 off schedules, or similar non-typical formats. That’s OK for a department that’s not too busy, but could be a problem if they’re out the door 10-12 times a day or more.
In the early 1970’s I worked in a UK power station where the operations department worked the following shifts: 7 hour days (starting at 0700 hours), 8 hour afternoons and 9 hour graveyards.There were also a number of days during which you could be called in to work as a relief on any of the regular shifts, but if not required as a relief you worked an 8 hour morning shift.
I was told that the reason for these shift times was that when the station went into operation in the mid 1960’s, the original workers wanted to ensure that those working on the afternoon shift could get to the pub after work before closing time.
This is a typical schedule for a 24/7 operation. Four shifts, three working and one off. Rotating schedules are tough; I worked one for several months right out of college. Some of the long time employees worked them for 35 years. Once a month, I had a “5 day weekend” (off at 8 AM Wednesday, back at 3 PM Monday). It took at least two days to recover, so the weekend was never 5 days.
Any business that can’t shut down on Friday night (steel mills, chemical plants & refineries, generating stations, etc.) operates with rotating shifts, it’s a fact of life and has nothing to do with cruel management. These jobs typically are among the highest paying in the area.
My own experiences with 12 hour shifts began with noon to midnight 3 days one week and 4 days the next–and it was not bad. With different responsibilities, I worked fromseven in the morning to seven in the evening, again 3 day one week and 4 days the next. what I did not like was working from seven in the evening to seven the next morning.
I just can’t wrap my ahead around the idea that it makes sense to rotate shifts. Why not simply have 3 shifts? Maybe every six months or a year the workers could be rotated onto a different shift, but until then, it’s every day at the same time. That being said, even I have to admit that covering weekends might take some imagination or flexibility.
Only single men find rotating shifts easy. Proof? Ask ANY wife or daughter or son what they think of dad never knowing if he can “be there” for anything, since he never knows what shift he’ll be working.
Rotating shifts are easy!..Be subject to 24 hour call like most railroad T&E personel that hold Pool or Extra Board assignments or Operating Management that has to respond whenever there is a ‘incident’ that involves one of their employees.
When I last did shift work, it was a six week thing.
As noted, the weekends were tough - we only needed two people then, but six or seven on the weekdays. Trying to “share the wealth” was hard.
I interviewed for a customs broker job once that rotated weekly. That had to be a pain. I think it was a security thing, though - couldn’t have the same people on the same shift week after week 'cause they might make arrangements to do something nefarious with the truckers.
An uncle who was a sheriff’s deputy rotated monthly, and when they rotated, their days off also moved forward one day.
On the other hand, I had another uncle who always worked the mid shift at a paper mill. Any visits to their house included a very sleepy-eyed fellow.
At least most places that change shifts do so in a forward manner. Research has apparently shown that going backwards (days to mids, eves to days, mids to eves) is bad all around.
I worked for a power plant for over 41 years, 28 of it shift work. We started off with an 8 hour schedule that had us work 6 days, a day off, 4 nights, 2 days off, 5 afternoons, 3 days off then 3 days, 2 days off, 4 nights, 2 days off then 4 afternoons and 2 days off. Then we changed to working 5 days, 1 day off, 5 nights, 2 days, off 5 afternoons, 2 days off then either another 5 days off or back to the days again depending on time balance. I almost quit over that one. Then we got a 12 hour schedule where we did a 5 week repeat with 3 weekends out of 5 off. Only the 3 nights or 3 days were weekends. Starting with 2 nightshifts (8-8) followed by 72 hours off then 3 day shifts (8-8) followed by 48 hours off followed by 2 night followed by 72 hours off then 2 days followed by 84 hours off then 3 nights followed by 72 hours off then 2 day shifts. The weekend was off and depending on time balance you either had a 10 day break or you worked M-F 8-4. Sick time went way down with this schedule and when you were off, you were off. People who had problems always tried to do lots of stuff when they went home after work like they do on an 8 hour shift and you can’t do that. Yes, you miss some your family affairs but you also get 70 more days off in a year to make up for that, plus you have your holidays on top of that. The other thing that was proven in studies was that to turn into a night shift took 3+ days and to get back was the same. With only one set of 3 nights in 5 weeks you didn’t get as much jet lag as when you work 5+ nights.