How do you cope with the shifts

[c-bert]

I am currently considering applying for controller training, however, one of my major concerns is dealing with shift work for the rest of my working life.

How do you guys cope and what are the typical NATS shift patterns (if there are any)?

[Gonzo]

It's far better than working 9-5!

[Cartman's Twin]

You just do!

Us humans are not ideally suited to working random shifts, and a 2 early, 2 late, 2 night shift roster is less than ideal. When you first get posted after the college it will take some little while to adjust, and the continuously changing sleeping pattern can be a right pain.

But after a while you accept it and your body copes pretty well. I'm a bit of a night owl, consequently I still don't appreciate the alarm's presence at 5am, but the job is fantastic with never a dull day. There are those who love the morning shifts, people like me who find the prospect of a 2pm start much more agreeable, and those who have an obsession with night shifts. We all manage though, and it's worth it!

You get plently of leave too so there are frequent periods for your body to recover, not to mention regular breaks whilst at work.

On a day-to-day basis you learn what works best for your body. How you can best prepare for a night shift, when to sleep during the day, etc. For the regular early and late shifts it's more a case of having the discipline to say no to that pint down the pub and get your head down at the time you need. There is nothing funny about trying to control when you are over-tired (like the Vauxhall ad...), it'll scare the bejesus out of you and it'll only happen once!

My only other tip would be to have an appropriate bedroom, one that you can make completely dark even during the sunniest day.

Hope that helps, either way, a small sacrifice!

[away from home]

As Cartman's Twin says, it is difficult to adjust initially when you come out of the college but it doesn't take too long to get into the pattern.
I've worked 9-5pm before in a previous job and I have to say I much prefer shift work to that. Ok, getting up at 5.30am for a morning isn't always pleasant (esp in the winter!) but it's normally only for 2 days, so on the third morning you have a nice lie in to recover.:O
Being able to go shopping, cinema, dentist etc when most other people are at work is what I appreciate (maybe that's just me!?)- and also not having the joys of the 9-5pm traffic!
Yes night shifts are the not the easiest but hopefully you won't have to do too many in a row-at my unit they're spread out evenly between the atco's.

Obviously each to their own, but I personally wouldn't change the working pattern.

AFH x

[VectorLine]

Night shifts aren't so bad.

Certainly in a centre, the camaraderie can be quite good on a night shift, with people bringing in food and board games (although no DVDs any more!).

The traffic is never as heavy as day time, so it is a welcome relief to use the hand mike with the feet up rather than getting a battering during the summer day shifts!

Good tip from Cartman - a very dark bedroom and possibly some earplugs are great for helping sleep.

I am off today and I'm heading for the supermarket where I can trundle around without the hassle of other human beings - midweek days off are great.

[Lon More]

It's six and two threes.

Great to be off when everybody else is working. Going to the beach in summer, to the Ardennes in winter, during the week.

Unfortunately after more than 35 years in the job I ended up with a severe sleep disturbance problem ( I eventually fell asleep during a Supervisors' meeting - easy enough to do anyway :E ) and had my licence revoked. Two years later I'm just getting back to normal.

I still don't regret it though. Much better than having to work for a living.:ok:

Just remembered another down side, steer clear of relationships with a member of the same watch. Being together 24/7 is not good for a permanent relationship - it made 12 years of my life seem like 50 - and no time off for good behaviour

[5milesbaby]

Cannot remember the last time I sat in a traffic queue, struggled to get a seat in the cinema, spent more than 5 minutes at a supermarket checkout, stood to get served at the bar, or got on a busy train. Once you get used to it shift work can be great, the only downside can be that many friends still do 9-5 so getting to see them can be hard, however with some carefully planned leave its not impossible. Oh, and the dog reaps the benefit of having someone around for at least half of the day!

[AyrTC]

Between nights at the moment busy eastbound flow between 0430-0700 at ScACC.Worked quite hard came home builders noisey all day, knackered .Got to do the same again tonight!!

However I would totally agree with what has been said above it is also great to have time off if you have young kids.

AyrTC

[Tower Ranger]

I must admit I`d find it hard to go back to nine to five but oh what luxury it would be to actually have a shift pattern.

[Standard Noise]

mmmm, proper shift patterns, they're fab, oh sorry TR didn't mean to rub it in!:p How is the old 6 on, 1 off, 5 on, 3 off, 6 on, 2 off...........going then?

Jokes aside though, after working at a unit which had it's shift pattern scrawled out on the back of a fag packet when the boss had a few seconds each month, it really was nice to get back to a 2E/2L/2N/4R pattern again, I feel much better and less tired. To any of you who have only ever worked that type of roster, ask Tower Ranger what it's like to have an ad hoc roster.:uhoh: :{

[go_around]

Who needs a shift pattern when your unit holds the CAA Big Book Of Exemptions. :mad: So long as there is a bum on a seat then that is all that counts. The fact that the controller is knackered does not appear to matter one jot. I prefer to work shifts having worked 9-5 before but over 7 years of an ad-hoc system with no end in sight is beginning to take its toll.

[Frunobulax]

I have been working as an ATCO for 9 years now and I mostly enjoy working in shifts; the worst I ever found was to have to stay at work at Christmas or even worse, on New Year's Eve (only getting up to work in the New Years morning beats it ;) ). Having a fair roster solves the problem; you won't go to work on [u]every[/] Christmas.

However as a father of a 2-years old boy I must say that I can hardly find time to regenerate; frankly speaking I can't wait untill he goes to kindergarden - should be one year from now ;)

[Tower Ranger]

Was it not one of the chants on that sixties series " The Prisoner" which went something like " six for two! six for two! "

I suppose I shouldn`t complain after all I`ll have had one rostered 3 day break in Sept and one in Aug to go with the one at the start of Jun.

At least we`re all getting the same pattern...................... oh wait a minute we`re not.
Oh well here comes September and we`re all back to flexi time........ oh wait thats not me either.

Exemptions? Yeah Right!

[Scott Voigt]

Shift work in and of itself is not a bad thing, like many before me have mentioned, there are a LOT of positve things about it. I do like the UK version (NATS) of the shift work though compared to ours. They don't have the quick turn arounds that we have and as I get older, the harder it is for me to get up in the morning after a quick turn around.

For those of you who may not know, the normal 24 hour ATC facility in the US runs it like this...

1600 - 2400
1330 - 2130
0630 - 1430
0630 - 1430
2230 - 0630

There are of course variations of this too but the normal schedule is as above. Eight hours or so between shifts, including coming back for the midnight shift on the same day...

regards

Scott

[Standard Noise]

Ah well, that's the move to the States up the spout then, couldn't cope with those shifts.:eek:

Come onTR , could be worse, it could be 'All for one and one for all.':}

TR to ATSM - "Please sir, can I have a 3 day break this year?"
ATSM - "F*%& NO! Your not a supervisor, of course not, stupid boy.":hmm:

[c-bert]

Thanks for the replies guys. So what is the standard NATS shift pattern (if such a thing exists)?

[Gonzo]

For a H24 unit either:

M M A A N N S O O O

or

M M A A D D O O O O

or

M M A A O M M O O O

[Standard Noise]

We're pretty much the same, but we've also got a few more combinations at BRS..........

M M D D N N S O O O
or
D D A A N S O O O O

[Jerricho]

Here in sunny Winnipeg Centre the all mighty ShiftLogic rostering software is in use. There ain't no logic to it, to be sure. It looks at when bums are needed on seats and rosters accordingly. The mandatory 10 hours between shifts is envoked regularly and IMHO doesn't take fatigue into consideration for one second.

For example, my schedule form 2 cycles ago was

1515 - 0015
13-45 - 2245
0900 - 1800
0645 - 1400 (with the 10 hours then)
0000 - 0730

This week, I've got 4 x 1515 - 0015 and a 1230 - 2045. Go figure.

But there ain't no way on this planet I would do Mon - Fri 9 - 5. THAT causes fatigue (and is way to organised)

[c-bert]

Thanks again. Just one thing:

M - morning (what hours?)
A - afternoon (again, what hours)
D - day?
O - off?
S - ?
N - night (hours?)

Thanks in advance.

[rodan]

M - morning (what hours?)
Typically around 6AM til' around lunchtime/early afternoon
A - afternoon (again, what hours)
Around lunchtime/early afternoon 'til 8/9/10PM ish.
D - day?
Yep. 9-5, or similar.
O - off?
Correct.
S - ?
'Sleep'. Means you have finished a night shift that morning.
N - night (hours?)
Whatever is left between the Morning and Afternoon shifts :D

Sorry to be so vague, but different units have different ideas about how it works.

[away from home]

At gatwick-

M= 7am-2pm
A= 2-10pm or LA (late avo)= 3.30pm-11.30pm
D= don't have them - I think at heathrow they range from 6.30am/10am/1.30pm/3.30pm starts (heathrow atco's may correct me!?)
S= sleep day - self explanatory!
N= 10pm-7am

AFH x

[bellend]

Hi

whilst not an atco, I am a railway signalman at one of the busiest centers in London.We used to work the standard 8hr roster but often found ourselves doing 12 hr turns to cover vacancies etc
We then went onto 12hr shifts as a base roster and I love them.I do 5days 07-19 on then 4 off, 5 19-07 on and 5 off ,4 07-1900 5 off and so the pattern rotates. I couldnt imagine going back on 8s, constantly going into work day in day out!doing double shifts in 1 day to accomodate a sunday off elsewhwere, I find it so much easier to have a social life and manage my rest between shifts,the only downside is that on the block at work you really are a prisoner to the company but when on rest days its fab

regs

[Gonzo]

AFH,

You're correct.

M 0700-1430 (one of the eight(ish) morning shift ATCOs will be M1 0630-1330)
A 1430-2200 (one of the eight(ish) afternoon ATCOs will be A1 1430-2230)
N 2200-0700
D1 0630-1330 (day off after the afternoons to get the 12hr between shifts)
D2 1000-1900
D3 1330-2030
D4 1530-2300

[Barnaby the Bear]

I love working shifts. However if you enjoy going out 'every' Friday and Saturday night on the lash, you have chosen the wrong career. If you aren't working those nights, you may be on an early the next day, or even working later the next day. With the drink controlling laws, you barely have to sniff a cork the night before and you could be illegal (not suggesting thats a bad thing).
That said, if you hate clothes shopping or fighting the weekend crowds at your local IKEA, its fantastic!:}
As was mentioned by Cartmans twin, get some thick blinds or curtains for the sleep day's, or and ear plugs if the b@**a$ds next door own a little yapping dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :zzz:

[Cartman's Twin]

Hiya Barnaby,

You only say that as you're so OLD that you can't handle more than one night out a month!!

Regarding noisy neighbours, just do what my neighbour did and shoot the dog! (With a water pistol......)

CT

PS. Did you get to see the MC-HI victory?

[divingduck]

how do I cope with shift work??

Drugs and alcohol of course:E :E :E

In the sandpit, we work a D D E E N N S O O O
D= 0700-1500
E=1500-2300
N=2300-0700
O= hangovers, fishing, bbqs, diving etc:=

[littlemisskel]

Just wondering with all these shifts, do any of you guys get a chance to do team sports? I can live without going out and all things like that but I play football at a reasonable standard and would hate to give it up.

That said, I appreciate I won't be able to play for ever and a career I enjoy is also very important so I wouldn't want to not do ATC because of football.

How easy is it to swap shifts with people (not every week), or is it just a fact that any team sport has to take a back seat?

[BALIX]

Firstly, shifts are great - you end up pruning at 0340 in the morning...

Secondly, it shouldn't stop you from playing footie. Plenty of ATCOs and ATSAs manage it. It might cost you the odd day's leave here and there but with a bit of wangling it can be done.

[Arkady]

If you are a serious sportsman/woman shift work can be great. You can train during the day and give yourself weeknights off while everyone else is slogging around a cold, floodlit pitch or in a crowded gym. You will also find that you can better prepare yourself for competition when the roster gives you your days off preceding an event.

You will probably need to adapt the squad training programme to your shifts. Most training programmes work on a seven day week, incorporating the fact that athletes will be more tired on Thursday and Friday than Monday and Tuesday. This can work for and against you as you will often be fresh when the others aren't or tired when the rest of the squad is raring to go.

The downsides are the difficulty to establish yourself in a team when you cannot be certain of making training with everyone else, the discipline needed to train effectively on your own rather than being pushed by your team mates and having to juggle your roster to make the fixtures you want, usually requiring the goodwill of a third party.


It can be done though, and a healthy interest outside the job can be invaluable in helping you through the stress of training (and beyond!).

[ybustagut]

Earplugs and eye-blinds are the essential equipment for shift working.
I also 'power nap' for an hour after morning shifts but then I'm getting on a bit and travel quite way to work!!

Disadvantages: Turning down party and dinner invites when you are working evenings and nights, although sometimes it's a good excuse!!

[DCS99]

I worked with a guy at BA who used to play football for Wimbledon in the lower professional leagues between shifts.

He never missed a match!
He could dispatch the flight and then get on the jumpseat to play up in the North of England ;)

Now don't ask me, who are Wimbledon
:)

[S2A Pictures]

Well, I normally drink lots of water and hunt around for some good tablets to ... oh, sorry ... this is "How do you cope with the shifts" ...

I'll get me coat ...