2-shift system suck. 3-shift systems are where it’s at.

You only need shifts if you are operating 24/7 plant, such as production lines, drilling rigs and spacecraft. You wouldn’t work shifts by choice.

Another side to this is the fact that we are having to work longer due to our “projected life exspecancy”, 82 years according to my pension statement.
As mentioned earlier I work 12hour shifts which I started nearly 20years ago. I find that i am not quick in getting up of nights not able to fit in what I used to around work then how will I and industry cope with the majority of the workforce over 65.

I don’t think we as humans should work such long hours. It is detrimental to family life and mental wellbeing. I run my own business in a physical role and generally work 0730-1700 plus 2 hours admin a day, but the ideal would be 8-3 plus 1 hour, which I am aiming for next year (call it streamlining if you like). I don’t consider an office vs physical job a class issue. I know I may be considered middle working class if income alone is the basis of deciding such factors, but it’s not. It comes down to your choices in life, the way you spend, think and carry yourself.

I have had enough of the earning phase and want to relax into the ‘enjoy life’ phase, because I can, and because I want to. I’d like to see unpaid office overtime become a thing of the past and thus improve the health and happiness of the working population.

You only need shifts if you are operating 24/7 plant, such as production lines, drilling rigs and spacecraft.

Markets are 24/7 too though – between Sydney, London and New York, between my colleagues and me we’re always working. It’s crap. 🙁

I could never stand the Office Heroes when I was working, you know the types who come in early and stay late for no extra money. Idiots.

There’s another thing they do, that I’m never sure whether to laugh or cry… If you ask them why they do it, they say “Everyone does it”. I used to work in an office where everyone else from management to temps worked at most 30 minutes or so overtime a day, usually none, and claimed back every second. Except for one person who came in 30 minutes early, left 30 minutes late, took short lunches, never claimed a second, and said “Everyone else does it”. Mad, frankly.

how will I and industry cope with the majority of the workforce over 65.

Well you probably will not be doing the same type of job at 65+. Working past 65 does not mean doing hte same thing you did at 40 years of age.

Well some intresting answers and as per usual office workers appear to work longer hours than theyre paid for, but probably spend more time on internet forums than manual workers who dont have access to computers,

But still nobody from the desk comunity has explained why they dont work 12 hour shifts instead of 8 hour ones but keep reiterating the point they work over to keep their job, or to just keep ahead of the pile of work that appears.

But still nobody from the desk comunity has explained why they dont work 12 hour shifts instead of 8

There have been several reasons given.

A 12hr shift implies there is someone doing the opposite shift.

As far as I know there isn’t anyone taking over my desk when I’m not there.

12hr shift wouldn’t be bad though. I’d have done my 30 hrs by weds lunchtime.

I do adhoc,

8-4.30 most days but if im assigned to a project , offshore goes 24/7 im on call 24 hours when operational if im not already offshore..

But then i a get paid more for it and b get time back for it.

I used to do a really good shift of 08:00 – 20:30 Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.

Then a week off, start again the following Thursday. Work 3 days, get Sunday off, work 3 days, get a week off.

Got 18 days a year annual leave which doesn’t sound much but when you work out that taking 6 days holiday meant a full 3 weeks off, it was great.

Manual labour job (working in a chemistry lab). Knackering at first but soon got used to it. I miss that shift pattern… 🙁

9-5 Desk Pilot here, as well as all the valid reasons above think about this one; if my office wants people to work longer hours but the company across the road is advertising shorter hours, you can guess which job people will choose.

Call centres have exceptionally high attrition and where I live, there are loads. They have to be competitive to retain the best staff. Without belittling the role, you don’t need experience, qualifications or a minimum fitness level to do a lot of those jobs. You don’t need to have been an apprentice or have been to Uni. As you can imagine, anyone can apply for these jobs. That’s what makes it such a competitive sector.

Also you schedule to meet your predicted call volumes. These aren’t a machine that runs constantly 24 hours a day, there are peak times and lulls. If you have people sat on their hands doing nothing, you’re losing money. It’s easier to cover this with shorter shifts. Have the people in when you need them. Also look at what your product it. If it’s customer service, it’s difficult to deliver the best you can after you’ve been doing it for 10 hours. From a management view, it doesn’t make sense for people to work longer hours.

Rant over.

I think the best office shift I can remember was 23 hours for quite a team. Ref the Americans, we were taken over by a combine, half of which was an American outfit, who told us that if we were working beyond hours then we were either inefficient or overloaded. Didn’t stop them overloading us though.

But still nobody from the desk comunity has explained why they dont work 12 hour shifts instead of 8 hour ones but keep reiterating the point they work over to keep their job, or to just keep ahead of the pile of work that appears.

Eh? Haven’t you just described two reasons right there?

I’m not sure many “office workers” worked a fixed number of hours as many state above, persoanlly I think that’s a myth. It naturally expands to fill an increasing workload. I don’t think of myself of starting at x and finishing at y. It tends to end up as a 12+ hour day though. It is increasing at present as well as there aren’t exactly a lot of alternatives to go to.

Without wanting to get too involved I can say having worked on both sides of the argument that it is far easier to do 12 hour shifts in non desk jobs.

I work in construction. I’m shattered after my 9 – 10hour days chained to a desk.

12 hours on site makes me feel more physically tired but not nearly as mentally tired.

12 hours in an office would burn you out. 12 hours on a site would not.

I have read all the above and I’m sorry but it’s a class thing. A hang over from the time of the Mills when machinery had to run for as long as possible and manual labour was required to run it. Ever since then it’s been the same..

Like it or not.

…and another thing!

As I work in rail its the more mnaual jobs, maintenenace, train drivers / crew, station staff etc that have the 7.5hr shifts. Simply because of the unionisation.

As a construction proffessional I do whatever it takes to get the job done. Some days its 8 hours, mostly its 9-10 hours and sometime 12+.

So I work longer ….(and probably get paid less as well!)

I’ve worked in the power industry for 39 years, I’m not sure that many would like it if the electricity only flowed from 9 til 5. For the past 10+ years I’ve been working 12hr shifts (two days two nights five days off) it’s the best shift pattern I’ve ever worked, evening shifts (14:00 til 22:00) used to be a PITA.

Shop workers are upper class now then? #Worraloadofbollox

It’s all just that “get someone else to work long hours” mentality thats still here I’m afraid.

I don’t agree nor condone it, but thats the way it is.

Ok, so I work within the Banking Industry. You can call us slakers if you like but 9-5 it ain’t, not in back office anyhoo’s. There are folk here that are here when I come in and they’re here when I go home. I too work 12hrs at least 3 days a week and thats just the way life is.

I’m classless and I think you lot are too.

i’m self-employed so work the hours i want.

have already clocked up 45 hours this week so i’ve taken the day off. money isn’t everything, you know….

The Brick

Out of interest, as the job market seems to be contracting at alarming rate and have spent all my working life in manufacturing I DO think I will be in the same job 65+, the organisation will not create jobs based on age and ability.
I suppose there is a possibility of moving with the job to the far East when we become to expensive compared to our competitors