Which work shift is better?

[daughtersrus]

DH has been at the same employer for about 26 years. The business is in the process of being sold. The new owner is wanting to make a lot of changes. They are union and some of the changes are allowed and some are not according to the contract. The guys are really trying hard to pick which battles to fight. They know that with the economy as it is right now, they don't have a lot of power.

The techs currently work M-F 7:30-5:30 and Sat 7:30-3:00 (but a service writer is there later for customers to pickup/drop off)

The new owner wants at least one tech to work until 7pm.

DH is right in the middle of the 5 guys with seniority. He has always worked 7:30-4:30 M-F. The two guys with the lowest seniority have worked Tu-Sat.

Now with the new shift, DH is being given the option of working Tu-Sat with his normal hours or going to a M-F shift of 10:00-7:00pm.

He asked me today which shift he should take. I told him to take the one that he thinks would be best for him.

I know that he will not be happy with either but he has too many years into the union to leave now.

I have had a home daycare for over 17 years and I know that he would not be happy having to deal with my business on his day off. Getting off at 7:00 means that he won't be home until close to 8 every night. He would never be able to eat with the family or we would be eating very late.

I think that we're both leaning towards the late shift but I thought that I'd see what my friends here think.

 

[HM]

I definitely choose the Tue-Sat schedule. It would be sad to have Monday as a weekend day, especially with you having your daycare in your home. But, I'd hate working 10-7 myself. So much better to get your day going early and have afternoons-evenings free to spend with family.

 

[FredinFL]

M-F, it'll suck not getting out till 7, but you still have your weekends, without the kids. What are you going to do together on a Monday? Nothing, right?

Plus he can sleep a little later if he wants too.

 

[Acklander]

If it were me, I'd lean towards the late shift, that way I could have weekends together with the family. We tend to eat later though, so it wouldn't really affect our dinner time. It might work differently for you.

 

[RitaE]

I vote M-F also.

My husband pretty much works 6:30 to 7:00pm or later so he misses dinner most nights. It sucks, but you learn to deal. I think you'd miss him much more on the weekends than you will at dinner.

 

[Kellydelly]

What a sucky choice . I would pick m-f with the later hours.

 

[blanq]

I would pick M-F too. You have to work on Monday's with your business, and this schedule would give you weekends together. I know it isn't a great situation, but you'll get into a new routine. My DH works a 5 week rotating shift that includes 7:00 am-7:00, 7:00 pm-7:00 am and 7:00am-3:00 pm. He works some weekends, holidays, but we have gotten used to it and have adapted. We often cannot eat dinner together as a family, so I can relate to your feelings there. On the days that DH gets home at 7:00 pm, I have made dinner earlier, but fix him a plate and we sit down together to talk while he eats and we just make the best of it.

 

[shortbun]

If it were me, I'd lean towards the late shift, that way I could have weekends together with the family. We tend to eat later though, so it wouldn't really affect our dinner time. It might work differently for you.

Defintely, this would be what I'd choose. I wouldn't want to lose family weekends. You can eat late on Fridays and maybe one other week night, or just have things that can be reheated or kept warm on the other nights. The kids can sit at the table with him even if they've eaten. Also, he can have a little time with them in the morning, read to them or feed them while you get your daycare stuff ready.

I think you may be in for more changes so for now, take it easy and be somewhat flexible. I know, easy for me to say! I hope the transition is fairly easy.

 

[sam_gordon]

I need some more facts... do you have kids that do after school sports/activities? That would be one reason to work Tu-Sat., get off at 4:30, grab some dinner and then watch the activities. However, if they're doing weekend activities, that will mess that up.

If no kids, I'd keep the m-f

 

[jen0610]

DH has been at the same employer for about 26 years. The business is in the process of being sold. The new owner is wanting to make a lot of changes. They are union and some of the changes are allowed and some are not according to the contract. The guys are really trying hard to pick which battles to fight. They know that with the economy as it is right now, they don't have a lot of power.

The techs currently work M-F 7:30-5:30 and Sat 7:30-3:00 (but a service writer is there later for customers to pickup/drop off)

The new owner wants at least one tech to work until 7pm.

DH is right in the middle of the 5 guys with seniority. He has always worked 7:30-4:30 M-F. The two guys with the lowest seniority have worked Tu-Sat.

Now with the new shift, DH is being given the option of working Tu-Sat with his normal hours or going to a M-F shift of 10:00-7:00pm.

He asked me today which shift he should take. I told him to take the one that he thinks would be best for him.

I know that he will not be happy with either but he has too many years into the union to leave now.

I have had a home daycare for over 17 years and I know that he would not be happy having to deal with my business on his day off. Getting off at 7:00 means that he won't be home until close to 8 every night. He would never be able to eat with the family or we would be eating very late.

I think that we're both leaning towards the late shift but I thought that I'd see what my friends here think.

Without a shadow of a doubt, I know my DH would pick the M-F. DH has worked some really wonkie shifts, but the one thing that he always disliked was having to work on the weekend. It threw everything outta wack for us.

 

[debf]

My DH just started working 8:00-6:30 M-Thurs. WHile it is nice for him to have a three day weekend, the schedule kind of sucks. He is not usually home for dinner.He had to give up coaching DS baseball team and doesn't get to go to DD softball games. DH has been at his company for over 20 years. They had some layoffs and he "volunteered" to work later since there was no longer a night time supervisor. I guess it could always be worse. We are very thankful he still has his job.

 

[dimimi]

M-F, it'll suck not getting out till 7, but you still have your weekends, without the kids. What are you going to do together on a Monday? Nothing, right?

Plus he can sleep a little later if he wants too.

This one

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Another vote for M-F.

Yes you will have to give up "family dinner" for him, however you will have a childcare free weekend, so the trade off is worth it.

 

[daughtersrus]

Thanks everyone for your comments. Thankfully, we're way beyond after school and sports activities. My oldest DD(24) still lives at home. She comes and goes as she wants but eats dinner with us about 5 times a week. DD#2 (21) is at college now but will be home next month. DD#3(16) is disabled both physically and cognitively. She is dependent on an adult for everything. (That is part of the reason that DD#1 still is at home. So she can help with her care). She's very much a daddy's girl and it will be hard for her not to really see him during the week. She goes to school from 7:40-3:10 and is in bed around 8pm.

We do enjoy going up to the family lake house for a weekend in the summer. It would be difficult with getting such a late start on Friday night but it would be impossible with the Tu-Sat shift.

I talked to DH earlier today. So far, the late shift isn't set (still need to work things out with the union) but he's decided that if he's given the choice, he will take the late shift M-F.

We never really thought that it would come to this after having 26 years of seniority but we are so grateful for him to still have a job ~at least for now.

Thanks again for the comments. It made the decision a bit clearer.

 

[golfgal]

Is there any chance the new boss would have everyone work at least one 7:00 shift? Say one guy works M-F but Mon he works 10-7 but 7:30-4:30 the rest of the week. The next guy works the 7 shift on Tue but still works M-F, your DH works to 7 on Wed-still working M-F and the two other guys keep their T-S shifts working F/S to 7. Then for the Friday shift rotate that so everyone works that once every 5 weeks . That keeps someone there but makes home life a lot easier, I think anyway.

Neither shift presented is all that great but I think I would take the M-F shift so you two would have the same days off.

 

[kaytieeldr]

10 - 7. Full time at my job is 30 hours, and I work 2 - 8. It's great. The best thing about it is no rush hour traffic.

 

[tvguy]

I've been out of college and in the working world for 32 years, including 25 years of M-F of graveyard, and currently work M-F 3 am to 11:30 am.
I worked 18 months of weekends, 3 pm to 1130 pm on Saturday, 9 am to 6 pm on Sunday. Working weekends was the WORST schedule I ever had.

 

[dakcp2001]

10-7 is a nice shift. I used to work it, no traffic! You can sleep a little later, take your time and get coffee. And after everyone else leaves it should mostly be no stress.

Is he allowed to do shift swaps? That would help too. Or maybe they could do a rotation? Like everyone does late shift for one week?