TheDecameron
Unicorns fart glitter.
Oh Frankie.
Respect to him!Mid 80s a pal took up a baker apprenticeship with a national chain.
His hours weren't too long, but brutal shift times (2:30am - 9.30am) and only Sundays off.
who really want s to work 80 hrs a week ouch
who really want s to work 80 hrs a week ouch
You must have got really tired. You showed great hendurance. Did you need an alarm cluck?To be honest you can work long hours for short periods. I did a Bernard Matthews Christmas season. 2 million birds were killed and processed in 6 weeks. I had a weekend off on the 20th Nov and then in the month to Christmas I had 1 day off. I was generally working 10-12 hours a day, sometimes coming in at night. It was hard but not desperate, and after a month I stopped. The time it's impossible is if you work like that for months on end. That's why the Working Time regs are over 3 months. Something the EU got more or less right, at least.
I did many years on shifts. I'd argue that shift working is more acceptable for 'routine' work. To keep the level of intellectual functioning required for more 'cerebral' tasks, over very long hours, is IMHO, less likely, although safe working, even on routine stuff, is likely to be severely compromised by long hours.
12 hour shifts are idiotic, by definition. There are only 24 hours in a day. 12 hours at work, maybe an hour either side for 'to and fro' ing', leaves 10. 8 hours sleep., leaves 2. It's not sustainable.
The worst pattern I ever worked was 2 days, 2 nights, 2 off. With this, your '2 off' only coincide with a weekend every 13 weeks. Also, your first 'off'.. follows a night shift, so you're in bed for much of it, and your 2nd 'off', precedes a day shift/early start. Lunacy. I worked more complex but far better 12 hour systems.
The most intense period I did was around 1995. I was 46 years old. I was working a minimum 40 hours as a careers adviser.. ( I know.. but more demanding than you'd think...) Add in 4 evenings per week youth work. Add being a member and chair of Parish council, meaning at least two meetings and often many more, per week. Add in being a Nalgo/Unison rep at local and regional level, with numerous meetings, plus travel commitments. And finally, Mrs Mull being away studying..meaning I was also running a house and two school age daughters of 7 and 12.
I thought I as doing very well.. until I was flattened by an MI, which changed my life.
It's not worth it.
I did many years on shifts. I'd argue that shift working is more acceptable for 'routine' work. To keep the level of intellectual functioning required for more 'cerebral' tasks, over very long hours, is IMHO, less likely, although safe working, even on routine stuff, is likely to be severely compromised by long hours.
12 hour shifts are idiotic, by definition. There are only 24 hours in a day. 12 hours at work, maybe an hour either side for 'to and fro' ing', leaves 10. 8 hours sleep., leaves 2. It's not sustainable.
I think us Brits are just shit full stop when it comes to working hours and work/life balance. Doesn't seem to matter what career or line of work your in, they all have shit hours. . . . working is for mugs.
Agreed. It's a shame, but I think you're right. Not surprising given the toothlessness of the unions and the sheepishness of the people.
It's like, there's a new proletariat. Not made up this time of manual workers in cotton mills but made up of service providers in offices. And just as the factory owners knew that maximising returns and minimising pay meant that their profits increase, so the modern day businesses know that the secret of shareholders getting more is getting the employees to work more.
What astonishes me is that history repeats itself like this, the people don't learn the lesson. But the bosses learn quick enough!
I used to think this, I'm now self employed. I could probably stop tomorrow, buy a small house, but I like my work. I work when I want, where I want, within reason. It's not about the money, which I would have laughed at 10 years ago.I'd love to come into some money...so I could sack off work altogether, working is for mugs.
I used to think this, I'm now self employed. I could probably stop tomorrow, buy a small house, but I like my work. I work when I want, where I want, within reason. It's not about the money, which I would have laughed at 10 years ago.
Count your blessings, sadly I reckon you're in the less than 1%.