I’ve worked 2nd (afternoon), swing (evening), and 3rd (overnight) shifts for the majority of my life. I recently moved into a training position where I’m Monday through Friday, 8am to ~5:30pm (I get OT while I’m cleaning up and writing reports).
As much as the 2nd/swing/3rd shifts screw with your life in other ways, the difficulty in scheduling any kind of life services outside of working hours is maddening. Doctor’s appointment? Nope. DMV? Maybe Saturday, if you’re lucky. Chaperone your kids field trip? Hahahhah no.
I don’t want to burn sick time for a doctor’s appointment (I need to save those for when my kid is actually sick), and I sure as hell don’t want to use up a “vacation” day for it. How tf are you supposed to get anything done?
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As someone who had to take tomorrow off to visit the vehicle inspection place, I’m getting a kick…
I haven’t got a fucking clue. I always hated normal jobs, but I do enjoy having both food and shelter (how decadent of me, I know), so I did what I could to scrape by. And what I “could” usually translated to “could find”.
Then my proper career started in 2008, and it was an offshore rotation. Give weeks offshore in various corners of the world, followed by five weeks at home. It paid well, and I got to see the world.
Then came 2011: The company wasn’t doing too well, and I had contracted a family. I wanted to spend more time at home, and while I wasn’t completely prepared to change careers just yet, I was mentally toying with the idea.
In spring 2012 I decided it was time to find a “normal” job, so I could spend more time with my family. M through F, 0800-1600, mostly at a technical workshop, sometimes at clients’ places, and once in a blue moon at an office.
It. Was. Miserable. But having a normal job was what I was supposed to do, right? Well, the money wasn’t bad per se, but it was nowhere near what I used to earn. Plus, when I got home from work I was so exhausted I rarely had energy left over. The family life I was aiming for was severely limited by my stamina.
In 2019 I concluded that nor.al jobs are for normal people, so I reached out to some old colleagues of mine, and suddenly I found myself in a job interview. Got back offshore, and never regretted my change of heart.
It’s worth noting that I don’t really go offshore any.ore, as I have since ended up in a supporting role, where 90% of my job is done via email or VPN, from home, saving up energy for when my kids (now plural) get home.
Same question. I just recently started an 8-6 job and I have NO time. I’m out the house by 6:45 AM every morning and end up getting home close to 7:30PM every day. I used to work a far more “unorthodox “ schedule for 1/2 the pay, but this “normal” work schedule ain’t worth it, even at almost double the pay. I won’t be doing this forever, just long enough to find something more flexible that pays at least similar.
I’m fortunate enough that my last and current jobs have been accommodating if I need to duck out for an appointment. In general the expectation is to make up the time, but that’s flexible depending on how much time is missed.
Other than that, I decided to not have children, so it’s just my wife, me, and our dogs. My wife is 100% wfh, and I’m wfh 3 days a week, so we always have someone here when needed.
Before that when I worked retail and there was no leeway, I neglected things I need to do like going to the DMV, doctor and dentist appointments, and other things that technically could wait, but shouldn’t. In emergency situations, I was expected to find coverage, and one time when I couldn’t, I turned in my two weeks because they weren’t budging.
Jobs paid enough so one person could stay home is how it worked. Growing up, dad made all the money and mom stayed home to do chores and whatnot. It’s just how things worked. These days mom’s living off of dad’s retirement fund since he died early and she’s always surprised when I have to ask her for money even though its her generation that made the world what it is. Even when I am able to find work my wife and I are check to check. It’s stupid.
Yep we could have kept taxing the wealthy like we did pre Regan and things would have been good still but both parties became neoliberal shit
I say “X day I come in late” and that’s it
Honestly? It’s hard. I’d literally kill for a 4 day work week. It’s become ridiculous.
My gf and I don’t even have kids. I can’t even imagine having kids to manage on top.
My weekends I barely have time to socialize or engage in my hobbies or leisure. When I do, my weekend chores overflow on my Monday evening. I’m tired all the fucking time.
It feels like a god damn cage.
I’m too European to get it
I think there was a time, maybe a few decades ago, when it was entirely acceptable and expected for a full time employee to say “I’m taking off early today, I’ve got a few errands to run.” from time to time. I’m very lucky to be able to do that, but it sounds like it’s getting less common.
This is exactly why I’ve stayed working for the same company for the last 6 years. I could definitely go elsewhere and get paid more (job hopping for higher salary is pretty common in my field), but I seriously doubt they’d be as cool with my senior dog’s frequent vet appointments.
You’re not supposed to do anything other than generate value. Society doesn’t care about your DMV needs. Just work and consume.
This. If I take another 1st shift job, I will make sure it’s 10hr shifts with the same week day off weekly.
4-day work weeks are great, especially if you have a significant commute, because you’re cutting 20% of that right out. the adding 2 hours to every work day, not so much; but the longer hours can mean that traffic is a bit lighter. the guaranteed week day off is huge when you have ‘stuff’ to do.
I absolutely hate commuting. If there’s one thing I learned in the spring/summer of 2020, it’s that not driving to work is awesome.
You don’t you have to be constantly exhausted and have no time for everything because you have no choice in capitalism.
Most appointments get handled with sick time or talking to the manager to see if they will let you adjust your schedule to accommodate your appointment.
that’s the point. the capitalists want every minute of your life they can get to work for them, then make you scramble to fit the rest of your life in the gaps. they make more profit and you have less time and energy to educate yourself, think, and organize
A tired worker is an obedient one
That’s why we need strong communities, solidarity and mutual aid. Get the burden off of individual shoulders and make space to organize.
It’s as easy as asking your neighbours if you wanna take turns cooking dinner for each other or something like that so you have an hour to spare.
When I tell people I work 3 days, 12 hour shifts. They say something like “That’s way too long I could never do that.”
They don’t think about the fact that I get a 4 day long weekend… EVERY WEEK!
I could never go back to a 5 day schedule.
