4 -10 hour work days

[gearpump]

Ok I need some input, before my wife commits me. The shop where we work are going to 4-10 hour days instead of the 5- 8 hour days. I am a machinist and work with fast moving machines and I am making the stand that it is unsafe and I feel production will go down also. I have given my notice of quiting and well..I don't have a new job yet. So should I suck it up and stay with the company?, or stand by my morals. I do agree having friday off will be nice, But going to work at 6:00am and getting out at 4:30 is going to make one long day. We also have tenants so this means getting up at 4:00am to plow out and then getting home and plowing in the dark. I am beside myself with what to do!!

Marty

[maplecrest]

i see it as a great move. the two extra hours for four days will take some getting adjusted too. but 3 days in a row to work on sugaring. you have the r/o so boiling wont be too bad at nite. just that lost 2 hours four days will need some thinking. more storage or some one to start the r/o before you get home

[Russell Lampron]

Marty,

Try it for a while and see if you like it. In the mean time you can look for another job and leave if you can't get used to it. Three day weekends are nice for getting things done at home. Those will turn into 4 day weekends when there is a Monday holiday. That will be like a mini vacation.

[maple flats]

I'd take it in a heartbeat. You will like the 3 days in a row off. Just be sure you get enough rest to be alert at the machines during the 10 hr days. I am 61 yrs old and would love that schedule. Of course I now work a total of about 14 hrs daily during much of the year, but not on the same job. You will quickly adjust and get to like it.

[lpakiz]

I work for the County Highway Dept and we work 4-10s in the summer and LOVE IT!! I had yesterday (Friday) and today and tomorrow and Monday off with no reduction in pay. It is great and I would love to do it all year. Unfortunately, daylight does not cooperate and we need light to work, so it ends in mid-Oct. You will be amazed at what you can get done on this schedule and when you go back to 5-8s you will not believe how short the work day is and how long the work week is. Also, it seems that 10 hours is not much longer than 8. Saves me 20% in transportation costs also.
My 2 cents...

[Dennis H.]

Down here there is alot of talk for different companies going to 4 10's. It sounds like alot of workers are happy to see that they are thinking of going to 4 10's.
If I was you I would give it a try and see how it goes. Hey if you don't like it and you have to quite wait till the sap starts to run and say good-bye. Then wait a few weeks to look for another job.
Me personally 8 hours is enough for a day at work, I would rather work an extra day a week then to stay longer than 8 hours. How I see it is that for those 4 days you wouldn't have much time for anything else but work and sleep. Then when fall and winter comes there would be no day light to anything outside.
Just my 2 cents.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

My dad went to the exact same shift as you and he likes it a lot and everyone else I have ever talked to like it a lot too.

Who said you can't teach and old dog new tricks!

[Father & Son]

I have been working 4 10's in the healthcare field for over 15 years now and think it is great. My situation is a little different though, I work every other weekend and start at 5:00am. I only work two or three days then have two off with alternating weekends. The thought of Monday through Thursday with a three day weekend every weekend is an unanswered dream! Give your new schedule a fair try and see how it works for you.

Jim

[RileySugarbush]

I worked that schedule for 25 years and would have kept it but my employer changed to five 8's a few years ago.

Four day work weeks are great. You can get lots done with an extra day, particularly a week day where everything is open.

I suggest you give it a try. Our machinists liked it too.

[HHM-07]

studies have shown that there is no extra saftey risk in a 10hour shift , however when you go to 12 hrs theen saftey becomes a concern. i have done it , think you might like it after you get into it good luck. consider this good jobs are hard to find , if you like what you are doing i would at least give it a fair try

[brookledge]

Will the employer ajust the benifit package accordingly? Such as paying all the employees 10 hrs for each holiday and adding hours to your sick time so that you still get the same amount of days per year? I know some employers will go to 10 hr days but will only pay 8 hrs of holiday so on a holiday week you end up with 38 hrs. And the sick time can be an issue. If your sick for 3 days during the week with the flue you have used 30 hrs instead of 24hrs. So like I said if the employer is willing to compensate the employees the difference then I say give it a try.
I know there is a difference between the employees wanting 10 hr days and the employer wanting 10 hr days. Lately more and more employers are looking to reduce operating cost so if they can turn down the heat one extra day it will save them money but they should also be willing to compensate the employee for 10 hrs. of holiday instead of 8.
Just my thoughts on the topic.

[Clan Delaney]

I worked a 4 day work week for at least 5 years, doing physical labor and operating heavy machinery. Any thoughts of safety were, at the time, outweighed by the pay. There's nothing quite like that 3 day weekend (and by that I mean, your "weekend" is whenever you get those 3 days off in a row. Nuts to what the rest of the world is doing!) During the last year I was at that job, I worked three 13 hour days: Tues- Thurs. It was worth having the 4 days off, though. And a great conversation starter to be able to say that you only worked 12 days last month.

[Father & Son]

I work ten hour days and my sick hours are based on hours worked and I still work 40 hours a week so there is no difference. Holiday hours we can carry from holiday to holiday and we can apply 10 hours if we have accumulated enough. I work a 10 hour day so I can use 10 hours of sick time if sick and 10 hours of benifit time per benifit day. Hope this isn't confusing.

Jim