Commute v miles v work hours

[cyberknight]

Rotating shifts in a car factories weld shop so i am lumping bits of steel round
days are 7 am till 4 pm
nights are 8 till 5 am
On top of that dependant on current sales projections you can get up to 2.5 hours overtime every day or like atm no overtime .
I cycle to work 5 days a week 10 miles each way as it simply boils down to the fact i cant afford to run another car and i leave the car for the wife as both she and my son have health issues so they need it .
On nights i normally feel like death at 3 am but no matter how tired i feel i always enjoy my ride home even when feeling tired i never feel like i do not want to ride as if my body is not runnign on all pistons i just take my time.
Its a commute , not a race.

 

[G2EWS]

Got to say guys and gals, that the more I read this thread, the more we seem to be living in the dark ages.

Employers have known for years that our bodies cannot deal with these lengths of time at work. As mentioned it makes you dangerous and very un-productive. Let me explain how I have turned companies around based on this commonly known principle.

I have breakfast most morningd with Daughter and get into the office at about 09:00 (used to be earlier before cycling to work of course). I have dinner almost every evening with my family and leave the office about 16:30 - 17:00. I rarely work at weekends or evenings. My company compared to my competitors with similar turnover has about 10 staff fewer in a very small company. I insist on taking breaks during the day and doing our best not to work during lunch time.

Some competitor companies who are also friends, which I have helped, cannot believe our turnover. But once they take up the principle of resting during the day, both mentally and physically their turnover has gone up for less hours worked! The basic principle, but by no means the only point, is that when you become over tired or exhausted you make mistakes. These mistakes then need dealing with in the future, thereby creating even more work.

It is not rocket science and has been implemented in many companies around the world.

I understand that for a lot of you, you will have no say about what hours you have to work. But it is your bosses who need to get their heads above the water so they can start to understand and take on board that our personnel are our most important asset.

Best regards

Chris

 

[redcard]

Chris, what line of business are you in?

 

[G2EWS]

Chris, what line of business are you in?

Hi redcard,

My company supplies the UK water industry with various electronic instrumentation. We also build/assemble various electrical/electronic items. I have been involved in many different types of company/industry, from shops to factories. The principal is always the same.

Best regards

Chris

 

[subaqua]

Hi redcard,

My company supplies the UK water industry with various electronic instrumentation. We also build/assemble various electrical/electronic items. I have been involved in many different types of company/industry, from shops to factories. The principal is always the same.

Best regards

Chris

Hmm not quite the same for all industries.

cdonstruction can be delayed by weather - even taking into account expected norms. one project was 10 weeks in delay in March 2011 as the weather was too cold to pour the concrete for the structure after the long cold period we had. the only way to catch that up is to work longer hours. anybody that says get more labour and run a 3 shift system doesn't really understand that the labour avaialbale at such short notice generally isn't the most productive as they will already be in good jobs.

Its not the norm to work 12 hours constantly but it happens at the end of projects . projects that handover in Feb/March generallly ruin christmas period

 

[G2EWS]

Hmm not quite the same for all industries.

cdonstruction can be delayed by weather - even taking into account expected norms. one project was 10 weeks in delay in March 2011 as the weather was too cold to pour the concrete for the structure after the long cold period we had. the only way to catch that up is to work longer hours. anybody that says get more labour and run a 3 shift system doesn't really understand that the labour avaialbale at such short notice generally isn't the most productive as they will already be in good jobs.

Its not the norm to work 12 hours constantly but it happens at the end of projects . projects that handover in Feb/March generallly ruin christmas period

Hi Subaqua,

As you say, not the norm. What we are talking about here is how companies treat their employees 'all' the time.

Regards

Chri

 

[defy-one]

20 mile commute into London for 10.30-11am. See one or two customers and look at there computer systems. Lunch between visits. Maybe a 4-5 mile hop between the two postcodes. Followed by a 18-20 mile commute home through the rush hour.
It's this one that really gets me. Tired after the day and lots if stop start traffic.
Usually done 2-3 times a week,dependant on work load and weather.

 

[Berties]

I leave home at about 8.30 13 miles quick time to work leave at 2ish cycle 24 miles home then I have to drive back to work at 6 pm till about 10
in the summer when light till 10pm ,I ride this again but just the 13 miles each way
I do this 3 days a week,one day I leave at 6.30 and never ride and one morning I work from home(well I will go for a long ride)and check calls and emails every couple of hours,working these hours I have seen my boys more ,being able to take them to school and pick them up again ,now they don't need me till they need money,and they commute on the bus at £1500 so again my driving was made redundant so I get to cycle

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

10 am - choc bar and a bannana
2 pm - lunch of roll with ham / cheese etc, pack of crisps, small pasta tub, choc bar
Drink coffee about 4 a day and 2-3 beef and tom soups
leave at 6pm, home about 6.30 (its all uphill)
I get wed off so i do mon & tue, then thurs & Fri.

Have to agree with paulw1969, it does not sound the best diet for what you are doing.

I have managed over the years to train my stomach to each breakfast, someone else mentioned the same issues, but I found by trial and error (and one or two too early morning starts) that if I ate breakfast before 6:30am I could keep it down.

You need to look at more long term energy sources, rather than instant sugar ones. Its the opposite to what your body craves when you are tired - sugar just makes things worse not better because you feel better for a short period and then crash worse afterwards.

I used to eat porridge of breakfast, with a coffee and a glass or orange juice or homemade smoothie combining fruit/porridge oats/soya yoghurt/ground nuts & some honey. (6am)
when I arrived at work, I was having an electrolyte drink and a (vegan - allergic to dairy) flapjack. (8/8:30am)
mid morning another coffee and a piece of fruit (10am)
lunch would be either remains of last night evening meal brought in from home/a soup & brown or wholemeal roll/raw veg salad during summer months along with a drink. (12pm unless swimming then it would be around 1:30pm)
mid afternoon break - usually another flapjack or similar longer term energy bar with a drink (4pm)
electrolyte drink on the way home. (5-6pm)
evening meal - anything cooked, wholesome and filing often using lots of pasta and veg. (6:30-7pm).

there would also be loads to drink during the day as well - usually water sometimes fruit tea. Never more than 2 coffes in a day.

I was still losing weight.

You also need to make sure that the days you are not cycling it, you mentioned Wednesday's, that you still re-fuel your body for what it is going to be doing on Thursday.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I used to work for myself at home so had a zero commute but typically worked from the second I woke up till around 8pm every night, and then worked every weekend, and worked a good few hours during the day when away on holiday. I never got a break. Ever.

Now I work from 8am to 5pm (but finish at 2.30pm on Fridays) and (barring keeping an eye on emails) I never work in the evenings or at the weekend, and I am a lot healthier and happier.

Poor as fark though...

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I used to work for myself at home so had a zero commute but typically worked from the second I woke up till around 8pm every night, and then worked every weekend, and worked a good few hours during the day when away on holiday. I never got a break. Ever.

Now I work from 8am to 5pm (but finish at 2.30pm on Fridays) and (barring keeping an eye on emails) I never work in the evenings or at the weekend, and I am a lot healthier and happier.

Poor as f*** though...

Best working atmosphere I have ever had was working for the armed forces as a civil servant. completely relaxed, people respected lunches, in fact between the hours of 12pm & 2pm the first question would be "are you on lunch?". You simply had to be at work between the core hours of 9:30am and 3:30pm (3pm on Fridays) and make sure you did your hours. Result was everyone was much happier, worked more hours (as always in IT) than they should and could take upto 2 days off every 4 weeks without affecting their annual leave. Even doing that we always lost hours to the clock every 4 week period. Yet we were a very efficient team, very happy and work environment was great.

My last job I could be sitting at my desk actually eating my lunch in front of me and when I didn't answer the closed helpdesk staff would walk through to the technicians area and start on about something being broken/not working... I could even be sitting in the dark trying to hide eating my lunch and the only thing that would happen would be "why are you siting in the dark (pause for breath) how's my laptop coming on. I've got to...." They would not even get the hint if I said I was on my lunch - hence why I started going swimming at lunchtime - no electricity and no wireless, so no-one followed me to the sports block. Just complained that IT was 'closed again'. My pay was twice what it was with the civil service, but I would have given it all up to return to sensible working conditions.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

My last job I could be sitting at my desk actually eating my lunch in front of me and when I didn't answer the closed helpdesk staff would walk through to the technicians area and start on about something being broken/not working... I could even be sitting in the dark trying to hide eating my lunch and the only thing that would happen would be "why are you siting in the dark (pause for breath) how's my laptop coming on. I've got to...." They would not even get the hint if I said I was on my lunch - hence why I started going swimming at lunchtime - no electricity and no wireless, so no-one followed me to the sports block. Just complained that IT was 'closed again'. My pay was twice what it was with the civil service, but I would have given it all up to return to sensible working conditions.

Sums up pretty well why after fifteen years in IT (and ten of those as a freelance consultant) I realised that I was going to lose my mind if I carried on. If you work in IT you are quite simply detested by your 'colleagues' or clients who hold you personally responsible for every fault in every installation of Microsoft software ever. In the end some little hacker tick took it upon himself to destroy a large chunk of my business for his own amusement, so I took it as my cue to get the hell out. During the police investigation one ex-client who threatened to sue me for everything I had when said hacker trashed me refused to help convict my hacker by giving a statement to the police about the damage done, which was pretty much the final straw and I shut up shop.

Mind you, I reckon a lot of the stress resulted from being self employed with no backup from colleagues, I think if I had stayed as an employee in an IT department I'd probably quite happily still be involved in IT.

 

[jonny jeez]

I work 12 hour shifts, 6AM - 6PM but only have a 6 mile jouney (12 miles a day).

But i find myself driving in due to the early start and long day (physical work) and i am like the walking dead by 6PM.

Who else does silly hours and commutes?

I would be interested in any tips / hints to help.

I have a 40 mile commute (20 each way) and do the occasional weekend 60 miler ( more frequently recently) I also have a busy job that requires moving around town visiting sites/projects/clients all day, most days.

And I could not do what you do.

A 12 hour physical shift would do me in regardless of the riding.

Kudos

now, go put your feet up and have a cuppa.

 

[Stromtrooper]

I get the joy of a set of 12 hour shifts a couple of times a month. I cycle in when the weather is good but if its too windy and wet I let my motorbike take the strain.

 

[paulw1969]

Best working atmosphere I have ever had was working for the armed forces as a civil servant. completely relaxed, people respected lunches, in fact between the hours of 12pm & 2pm the first question would be "are you on lunch?". You simply had to be at work between the core hours of 9:30am and 3:30pm (3pm on Fridays) and make sure you did your hours. Result was everyone was much happier, worked more hours (as always in IT) than they should and could take upto 2 days off every 4 weeks without affecting their annual leave. Even doing that we always lost hours to the clock every 4 week period. Yet we were a very efficient team, very happy and work environment was great.

thats where i am now....not armed forces or IT but flexitime (but i do start early because of agreed duties) and i know which side of my bread is buttered so i consider myself lucky (but not neccessarily on wages).
However all things considered including the shifts and distance of commutes you lot are doin.........i'm just a lightweight!