What's your favorite shift?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What's your favorite shift?

Posted: 2/2/2020 8:20:41 AM EDT

Greetings brothers,

As I start my third day of 12s on a 2 on, 2 off, 3 on 28 day pay cycle on Superbowl Sunday, I was just wondering what others thought.

My Dept used to work 10s and I had the golden shift, 6a - 4p Mon - Thur. But, new chief, new schedule. I really liked that shift

Now it's 2 on 2 off 3 on 2 off 2 on 3 off. Rinse, lather, repeat. Also OT is based on a 128 hour cycle. The extra days off are nice and every other weekend off is cool. (Except the fact that I used to have every weekend off)

One positive is that we don't rotate days and nights.

What are y'all working or what do you prefer?

Joat

Posted: 2/2/2020 8:30:02 AM EDT

[#1]

I t took me 20 years to (securely) hold Day Shift: 6:30 am to 3:30 pm, M-F.. Day shift is the most healthy, IMO.

Posted: 2/2/2020 9:16:35 AM EDT

[#2]

I've worked them all.

The best shift is when you wake up and realize that it's Saturday again. You look at the calendar, and every day is Saturday. It's nothing but Saturdays and Sundays as far as you can see.

I haven't have those two days off in twelve years. My last vacation the schedule was back to work on Sunday then two more days off.

Retail sucks.

Christians have abandoned the working man and sold out to material goods and wealth on a salaried basis. Work for thee but not for me, the 9-5 life is only for the elite. Organized religion was the first to stop the non stop work week, by command of God, but no, now his disciples will be celebrating a quick service and a long afternoon buying an oil change and prepping for some carnal game where the entertainment has wardrobe failures.

And shop shop shopping for a gluttonuous feast while the real Americans clock in for another day of abuse. And so will the people who schedule non stop work weeks which never end. They will be dancing on the lawn today celebrating a faux win while their subordinates will be punching in the grind on God's day of rest.

Because Christians don't worship God anymore, they worship money. And dental plans.

Posted: 2/2/2020 9:20:03 AM EDT

[#3]

Spent the last 3 years 1000 to 1800 sat sun off. The three before that 1200 to 2000 sat and sun but I am a dinosaur.

Posted: 2/2/2020 9:22:36 AM EDT

[#4]

6-430 Monday thru Thursday.

Posted: 2/2/2020 9:32:45 AM EDT

[#5]

When I did shift work I preferred swing shift. When I worked four 12s I preferred day shift. For the last 15 years I've been on four 10s Tue-Fri. Best work shift EVER.

Not sure how I ended up in this forum. It's been 15 years since I wore a badge?

Posted: 2/2/2020 9:55:34 AM EDT

[#6]

Mornings, without a doubt.

Midnight sucked for me, but I was going home and taking care of a young child while my wife went to work.
Evenings were better but I missed out on being part of my family.

The only downside to mornings is having to get up at 4 to hit the clock by 5:30.

Posted: 2/2/2020 12:10:25 PM EDT

[#7]

I enjoyed working nights the most.... but nearly hated my days off because my schedule was so screwed up. Waking up at 1-2pm the first day off, constantly going to bars and drinking because I didn’t know what to do with myself being wide awake at 1am.

Days is much healthier, days off are more productive in every aspect. But I deal with more BS and calls in general on days.

Posted: 2/2/2020 3:15:08 PM EDT

[#8]

I'm on 4/10s now. Wednesday through Saturday.

Day work. 0530 to 1600.

I'm not a morning person, but wife dictates it :-(

Evenings was easy, except for court in the morning.

Midnights was just bizzare, but in some ways, relaxing....

I'm convinced that the best shift is retired ??

Posted: 2/2/2020 4:03:46 PM EDT

[#9]

I work 1500-0100 and really enjoy it. But I'm still young and have no kids, so I'm sure that would change things.

Posted: 2/2/2020 4:22:27 PM EDT

[#10]

We run a 28 day schedule with 10hr shifts. Officers bid the shift by seniority. Every other year you have city-wide bid for both precinct (5 precincts) and shift. During our monthly(28 day) bidding process, you bid in the middle of the cycle you days for the next upcoming cycle. 28 days, you have to work 16 days. Less if there are holidays. Days are awarded by seniority, and every officer is guaranteed two weekends off per cycle if they elect to schedule them off. Just no guarantee they’ll get the weekends they want if they’re bottom of the totem pole.

Currently work mids from 1530-0130.
Used to work in the downtown precinct around all the bars on a power shift from 1800-0400. Mids is way better for OT. Also, I’m in a much busier precinct (ghetto) so the shift is a different dynamic and the day goes by very quickly.

Posted: 2/2/2020 8:14:46 PM EDT

[#11]

Quote History

Quoted:
I've worked them all.

The best shift is when you wake up and realize that it's Saturday again. You look at the calendar, and every day is Saturday. It's nothing but Saturdays and Sundays as far as you can see.

I haven't have those two days off in twelve years. My last vacation the schedule was back to work on Sunday then two more days off.

Retail sucks.

Christians have abandoned the working man and sold out to material goods and wealth on a salaried basis. Work for thee but not for me, the 9-5 life is only for the elite. Organized religion was the first to stop the non stop work week, by command of God, but no, now his disciples will be celebrating a quick service and a long afternoon buying an oil change and prepping for some carnal game where the entertainment has wardrobe failures.

And shop shop shopping for a gluttonuous feast while the real Americans clock in for another day of abuse. And so will the people who schedule non stop work weeks which never end. They will be dancing on the lawn today celebrating a faux win while their subordinates will be punching in the grind on God's day of rest.

Because Christians don't worship God anymore, they worship money. And dental plans.

View Quote

Attached File

LE works 24/7/365.

Posted: 2/3/2020 4:54:23 AM EDT

[#12]

I used to enjoy what we used to call our flex position. Two day shifts, two evening shifts and your fifth day they'd put me on whatever shift needed coverage

Posted: 2/3/2020 9:59:31 AM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
I used to enjoy what we used to call our flex position. Two day shifts, two evening shifts and your fifth day they'd put me on whatever shift needed coverage

View Quote

That sounds terrible.

How often would you end up working midnights?

Posted: 2/3/2020 10:20:56 AM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
That sounds terrible.

How often would you end up working midnights?

View Quote

Almost never.
It was great because it allowed me to work on follow-ups at different times of the day, and with each shift having it's different vibe, things never got dull.
I only gave up the position when I had a CLEO who used me being in that position to mess with my schedule because of my military service in the Guard

Posted: 2/3/2020 11:54:07 PM EDT

[#15]

We do you same schedule but rotate between day shift and night shift every 4 weeks. As far as the schedule goes I love it. Take two days off during your short week and your off 7 days. Day shift is better on my home life, but I like night shift better when it comes to working.

Posted: 2/5/2020 7:20:44 AM EDT

[#16]

Midnights. No traffic, way less brass working, more OT, and night diff pay.
Second place would be when I worked 6am-2:30pm Monday-Friday.

Posted: 2/5/2020 9:35:00 AM EDT

[#17]

We work the pitman schedule too, and once you get used to the 12-14 hour days it isnt so bad. Its nice that on your short week you only have to burn 20-24 hours of vacation and you've got 7 days off.

We are short handed (like everyone else) and the OT is plentiful even as a Lieutenant, so my favorite shift is the one where I'm making time and a half.

Posted: 2/5/2020 9:56:27 PM EDT

[#18]

3 on 4 off then 4 on 3 off 12 hour days with one a 8 hour shift every two weeks. I work 0700-1900 and love it.

Posted: 2/6/2020 6:33:14 AM EDT

[#19]

10.5 hours on a rotating 5 on 4 off schedule. Midnights.

No traffic, less people, no brass.

Posted: 2/6/2020 1:36:08 PM EDT

[#20]

I work basically 10 hr shifts 2100-0700, 4 on/3 off (THURS-SAT). "Officially Wednesdays alternate between 12 & 8 hrs, but most use earned time to knock off the extra 2 hrs and keep straight 10s with every other Wednesday an 8 hr shift.

The other end of the week works 12 hr shifts with every other Wed off or 8 hr shift.

I've worked mids for over 20 years. It works for me; no brass; enjoy the work (more pro-active & less reports) and fits my off duty schedule best. My wife has health issues that require at least 1, usually 2 doctor visits a week. She schedules them for about 1500 & I can usually get her there & back home in time to avoid burning sick time.

Man was made to work mids: you close your eyes when you sleep to keep light out, not dark. And have you ever heard of anyone getting skin cancer from the moon? But it may mess with your logical thought process....

Posted: 2/6/2020 5:27:25 PM EDT

[#21]

I've only ever worked 24/48 as a full-time paramedic or firefighter, for right at 15 years now. That's what the vast majority of FDs around use as well.
I like it, because it allows me to get stuff done during the week. If I'm going to spend the day at work, I might as well spend all day there, and get the next two off.

Some of the guys are clamoring for the 48/96 schedule, which will never happen at my department. I don't think I'd like it, because we are busy enough that two busy days in a row would be brutal. I could only see that working long term for rural or otherwise slow departments.
Some FDs still run a 24/72 schedule, but they are few and far between and often have financial issues because of it (looking at you, Houston FD)

Posted: 2/7/2020 9:31:21 PM EDT

[#22]

Midnights 100%. Worked mids since I got hired 7 years ago. Very little brass, and the few brass thats working is recently from patrol(as they dont have enough seniority) so they aren't scumbags and know what its like to run calls all night and won't be shitbags. Little traffic. Extra $ from shift differential. All court is minimum 3 hrs OT. You can be a try hard and save the world or you can just run your calls for service.

Cons are the courts don't give a fuck that you should be sleeping during the circus they call court, they will hold your case till the end of the line. I manage to swap my schedule on days off but some have trouble. Since you don't work when admin is working you get the short end of the stick since you aren't their bois.

Daywork you have to deal with all the clueless admin and traffic. No shift differential and no OT for court.

Evenings you still get boned with traffic but at least most admin are gone. You get a little shift diff and court OT but if you have court your entire work day is fucked.

Posted: 2/8/2020 12:22:19 PM EDT

[#23]

6 on & 3 off, 8.5 hours. My favorite was our old late-tac shift, 1830-0300. It covered the busiest times & added extra manpower to our middle/late shifts but it sucked for home life though. I got to bed when it was still dark & got up at 10-11am & still felt like I had the whole day to do stuff. Now we just have 3 shifts. Days 0530-1400, middle 1330-2200 & late 2130-0600.

Posted: 2/16/2020 6:56:22 PM EDT

[#24]

Quote History

Quoted:
My favorite was our old late-tac shift, 1830-0300.

View Quote

This...

Posted: 2/19/2020 7:38:18 PM EDT

[#25]

when I was a patrol officer and much younger I loved third shift. After a few years I went to 2nd shift and liked that a lot more. Now as a fed I work days predominantly and as I near retirement I prefer that. Nights are a younger mans game.

Posted: 2/20/2020 1:45:22 AM EDT

[#26]

We do three twelve hour shifts a week unless we're running overtime. Typically I work Friday, Saturday and Sunday 07:00 ~ 19:00 Hours and have the rest of the week off. With all that time off during the week, I can do things with my daughter after school and participate in after school activities. I play FFL from home and day trade with all my free time for side gigs.

What we found is there wasn't much difference between working an eight hour shift and a twelve. They all suck and they are all going to fuck up your day. So you might as well get them over with and spend less money commuting to and from work.

Posted: 2/20/2020 9:17:10 PM EDT

[#27]

Quote History

Quoted:
I've worked them all.

The best shift is when you wake up and realize that it's Saturday again. You look at the calendar, and every day is Saturday. It's nothing but Saturdays and Sundays as far as you can see.

I haven't have those two days off in twelve years. My last vacation the schedule was back to work on Sunday then two more days off.

Retail sucks.

Christians have abandoned the working man and sold out to material goods and wealth on a salaried basis. Work for thee but not for me, the 9-5 life is only for the elite. Organized religion was the first to stop the non stop work week, by command of God, but no, now his disciples will be celebrating a quick service and a long afternoon buying an oil change and prepping for some carnal game where the entertainment has wardrobe failures.

And shop shop shopping for a gluttonuous feast while the real Americans clock in for another day of abuse. And so will the people who schedule non stop work weeks which never end. They will be dancing on the lawn today celebrating a faux win while their subordinates will be punching in the grind on God's day of rest.

Because Christians don't worship God anymore, they worship money. And dental plans.

View Quote

Did you just work a 1273 Hr shift? Because your brain appears to have turned to mush.

I loved 2300-0700. Then went to 12s. Nights was ok, days sucked! Now I work M-F 7-3/8-4. Can't say as though I love it....

Most people would kill for my schedule. Weekends and most "holidays" off. But I have to say, I still really liked working 2300-0700.

Posted: 3/5/2020 1:21:49 AM EDT

[#28]

Back in the 1990s

1500 to 0100 Wednesday thru Saturday night at Kansas State Univ in Manhattan Kansas

If you are going to work evenings, you might as well work the fun nights

Plus the Director (great boss) or the Captain (jerk) had to wait til Wednesday to ask you what happened Friday and Saturday night, when they got a complaint Monday morning.

For those of you who don’t think much happens at a college
We averaged 4 to 6 officers getting battered a year in the line of duty

Another officer and myself worked that shift for several years.
The dispatchers referred to it as the B&B Show after our first names.

Posted: 5/5/2020 2:31:18 PM EDT

[#29]

I loved Swing shift I spent nearly my entire career on it. It varied between stations but was usually 1500-0100 or 1600-0200, it was awesome you came in and admin was getting ready to bail for the day so you could still take care of BS if you needed to but then they were gone, dayshift was finishing up all the past calls and frauds then once you got 10-8 it was starting to pop off and the shift flew by with fun in progress calls and felonies. My wife hated it because I wouldn't see her but in passing most of the week (Probably why were still married) every few years I'd cave and rotate to day shift to appease her but I hated it. Graves was the worst though 2200-0800 was miserably boring and drug on forever. We did 6 month shift rotations you would rotate back and supervisors would rotate forward, I got lucky because most people hated swings so I could always trade and have my choice of RDO's. Id end up with fri-sat off and guys would give that up to have tues-thurs off on days.

Posted: 5/5/2020 11:31:24 PM EDT

[#30]

1800-0600 and love it. 12’s rotated the same as you, every other weekend a 3 day.
12’s aren’t bad until you pickup a DWI or other late call at 0500, the stretch to 16-18 can be rough.

Posted: 5/7/2020 8:50:16 PM EDT

[#31]

Midnights.

Less supervision, can do what you want, less stress, not full of new guys that just want to hear themselves talk on the radio like on afternoons, and the types of calls make me still feel like we’re the police and not glorified social workers/people who shitty parents expect to come and fix all of their parenting problems in 20 minutes

I don’t have 20 years on so can’t speak to day shift and how it is

Posted: 5/13/2020 1:56:35 PM EDT

[#32]

Have worked them all. Dayshift 0600-1400. The best by far. Graveyard is named the way it is for a reason. Hated it.

Posted: 5/15/2020 7:02:26 PM EDT

[#33]

Straight nights is my jam, 12hr shifts. No brass to deal with

Posted: 5/15/2020 7:29:12 PM EDT

[#34]

I've been on 2-2-3's 7a-7p for the past 5 years or so. Great shift. Loved having days off during the week and the 3 day weekends off.

Now since Wu-Flu I had to go back to M -F afternoons 2:45 - 11:15 because of my time in the department and amount of work we have.

Posted: 5/15/2020 7:32:42 PM EDT

[#35]

3rd to 4th gear is by far my favorite shift..

The turbo really comes online quickly, pushes you in your seatback.

Posted: 5/15/2020 11:25:13 PM EDT

[#36]

6a-4p T-F where Friday is a fuck off day driving around a national forest and not having to take calls.

Posted: 5/16/2020 9:07:16 PM EDT

[#37]

I'm 6p to 6a.

On Monday/Tuesday
Off Wednesday Thursday
On Friday Saturday Sunday

Off Monday Tuesday
On Wednesday Thursday
Off Friday Saturday Sunday

Three day weekends every other weekend are nice

I like night because it's cooler temps and not as many bs calls.

Posted: 5/29/2020 12:50:01 AM EDT

[#38]

If I was single and didn't have a family afternoons were always my favorite. I'm not a morning person so I didn't have to force myself to go to bed super early nor did I need an alarm clock. Plus it was the busiest shift so the day always went by quickly.

Midnights were fine when I was younger but as I became older they became harder and harder on my body with the horrible sleep schedule that comes with it.

Now with a family and in an administrative position I get work a really great schedule of Monday-Thursday day shift with holidays off. I only work on weekends when there's a special event or something major happens.

Posted: 6/3/2020 6:05:09 PM EDT

[#39]

When I started 20 years ago I liked our 4th Shift (1600 to 0200). Lots to do on the weekends and I was off when it died off for the night. I have never liked our 1st shift aka Graveyard (2000 to 0600). I had to work it three years ago and it about killed me. I'm now on our 2nd shift (0600 to 1600) working either Thursday through Sundays or Saturday through Tuesday. I like having no admin for at least two days a week. I like working weekends so there are less people at the stores when I'm off.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What's your favorite shift?

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