How does shift work as an ATCO affect family life?
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How does shift work as an ATCO affect family life?
Hi all,
first post here, so hi. Find the board very interesting.
For those of you who are already ATCO's and who have families, wives, girlfriends, kids. How does the typical shift cycle affect your family life? Is it just a matter of adapting and in reality you have as much time with your family as you would working 9-5 (albeit at different actual times than normal).
If you have kids, does your wife end up effectively rasing them or how do you as a Dad fit in with your kid's life?
It's a serious issue to consider and I'm sure there are Dads out there who have experience with this, so I'm looking to get an insight in to the life of an ATCO from this perspective.
first post here, so hi. Find the board very interesting.
For those of you who are already ATCO's and who have families, wives, girlfriends, kids. How does the typical shift cycle affect your family life? Is it just a matter of adapting and in reality you have as much time with your family as you would working 9-5 (albeit at different actual times than normal).
If you have kids, does your wife end up effectively rasing them or how do you as a Dad fit in with your kid's life?
It's a serious issue to consider and I'm sure there are Dads out there who have experience with this, so I'm looking to get an insight in to the life of an ATCO from this perspective.
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Yep, swings & roundabouts. Expect astounded looks when asked if you can take little Jim to footy on such & such a date, coz the roster isn't out yet. I do my bit and have been involved in stuff my kids have done that other fathers won't, but can't commit to doing something every Tuesday morning, or Sunday, so if the kids acquire such schedules the spouse has to always be available.
Once at Gym classes a girl spotted me & reacted with horror. She roars at the woman alongside, "Mum, what's that MAN doing here?"
I waited with interest for a short lecture on not assuming roles for men & women and that not all men work 9 to 5, but the best she could manage was, "I don't know.." and a glassy look...
Then there are evening shifts cycles where I don't see the family awake for a week at a time... And now when I should be doing something useful, but the house is a bit depressing with everybody else doing something else, somewhere else so I'll PROON for a bit.
Once at Gym classes a girl spotted me & reacted with horror. She roars at the woman alongside, "Mum, what's that MAN doing here?"
I waited with interest for a short lecture on not assuming roles for men & women and that not all men work 9 to 5, but the best she could manage was, "I don't know.." and a glassy look...
Then there are evening shifts cycles where I don't see the family awake for a week at a time... And now when I should be doing something useful, but the house is a bit depressing with everybody else doing something else, somewhere else so I'll PROON for a bit.
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I really like shift work, I was on day shifts doing air traffic and now back on shift and I prefer the shift work. I reckon I see more of my family and get to be involved in school stuff a whole lot more. My wife doesn't work so we have heaps of things we can do during the day. It's great from my perspective, but it affects everyone differently.
cheers
FGS
cheers
FGS
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As a NATS ATCO, my leave allowance plus public holidays meant I only worked 180 days each year and the vast majority of those appeared to be "half-days", ie I was eithe at home all morning or all afternoon. I haven't come across many jobs with that sort of perk! A neighbour of ours, when told I'd worked about 20 hours that week, commented to my wife that her husband had a "really good job" because he's worked 80 hours the previous week!!!
No, it was really brilliant - saw the kids every day and spent a huge amount of time with my wife, which was very important to us (she has never worked since we got married). Utter bliss....
No, it was really brilliant - saw the kids every day and spent a huge amount of time with my wife, which was very important to us (she has never worked since we got married). Utter bliss....
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Hi all...
great comments. Not what I expected at all!
The reason I ask is that I've applied to get on the training course in Ireland, but unlike probably many potential applicants, I have a wife and family and home and a job already in IT. So the move, if I hopefully get it, would have major changes for us. All my wife thinks is that I'd never be there. But it seems that what you are telling me, that the work/life balance is pretty good. Not totally consistent, but good all the same.
My wife and I have to chat about all these things in case I get through all the selection process and I'm faced with an offer and I have to hand in notice in my work place.
Any more comments?
Thanks again,
AlanD
great comments. Not what I expected at all!
The reason I ask is that I've applied to get on the training course in Ireland, but unlike probably many potential applicants, I have a wife and family and home and a job already in IT. So the move, if I hopefully get it, would have major changes for us. All my wife thinks is that I'd never be there. But it seems that what you are telling me, that the work/life balance is pretty good. Not totally consistent, but good all the same.
My wife and I have to chat about all these things in case I get through all the selection process and I'm faced with an offer and I have to hand in notice in my work place.
Any more comments?
Thanks again,
AlanD
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Same thing on this side of the pond… I started in ATC in 1982, got married in ’86 (still am!), and our kids were born in ’87 and ’88. I count myself very lucky having had this job. Regardless of whether I worked a day, swing, or mid shift, I could be certain that I’d have the chance to spend time with my children in either the morning or the afternoon. I’ve always felt sorry for the guys who left for work in the morning before the children were awake and got home in the evening just in time for dinner. Not to mention the fact that you can go to the bank or the grocery store or the beach at times when there’s nobody else there!
However, for me anyway, the thing I needed to worry about was the transition from the highly-structured world of ATC to the (by comparison) unstructured world of wife and kids every day. One must always try to remember to leave work and work technique at work and not get an ulcer over the fact that exception IS the rule when it comes to two-year-olds…
But bottom line: ATC shift work provided me with far more opportunity to talk with my teenagers every day than any office job would have.
Dave
However, for me anyway, the thing I needed to worry about was the transition from the highly-structured world of ATC to the (by comparison) unstructured world of wife and kids every day. One must always try to remember to leave work and work technique at work and not get an ulcer over the fact that exception IS the rule when it comes to two-year-olds…
But bottom line: ATC shift work provided me with far more opportunity to talk with my teenagers every day than any office job would have.
Dave
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Yes, it was good when the kids were young, the shift system meant I was around for some time every day. Downside was I had to miss out on a lot of routine social stuff (that could also be a plus!).
After I was about 45, the insane start times of some of the shifts and the night duties started to take their toll...all sorts of stress related stuff started to make an appearance.
Would I do it all again? Well, I don`t miss it.
After I was about 45, the insane start times of some of the shifts and the night duties started to take their toll...all sorts of stress related stuff started to make an appearance.
Would I do it all again? Well, I don`t miss it.
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I think shift work is great for family life for all the reasons already given, plus the fact shift pay is added to your salary. However for those with career minded aspirations it often means reverting to "office hours" which could ultimately end with working more hours than on shift but without the added financial benefits. Also unlike most shift work, office hours working means that what you leave the day before you are faced with the next day.
Choice is yours.
Choice is yours.
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There are many positives to shift work but you must also accept the many negatives. Just because you have children will not mean for example you will have Christmas day off, you work most bank holidays I have found. It is also not easy unless you know well in advance to get the time to go to school open evenings, plays etc.
Saying that there are so many plus points to shift work that I think it overcomes the majority of negatives. It can be difficult if you both work shifts when it comes to childcare but if only the one of you is then less of a problem.
Saying that there are so many plus points to shift work that I think it overcomes the majority of negatives. It can be difficult if you both work shifts when it comes to childcare but if only the one of you is then less of a problem.
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I can only comment on the UK ATCO shift system (which will vary slightly between employers anyway) but it's an absolutely excellent arrangement for family life. The downside is if you work, say, a 10-day cycle which means you can't plan on having every Thursday evening free for other commitments, for example. If your other half works regular hours you might not see a great deal of them.
Far outweighing this, though, is the plenty of time off you get - not just days off but also the hours around the shifts. If I work a morning shift I'm home well before 3pm which gives me loads of time with the family. Likewise before an afternoon shift I've got the whole morning. My wife's friends, who have husbands working long 'regular' hours and who therefore only really see the young children at weekends, are very envious.
Plus you miss the traffic on the roads. Worth lots in anyone's book. Go for it!
Far outweighing this, though, is the plenty of time off you get - not just days off but also the hours around the shifts. If I work a morning shift I'm home well before 3pm which gives me loads of time with the family. Likewise before an afternoon shift I've got the whole morning. My wife's friends, who have husbands working long 'regular' hours and who therefore only really see the young children at weekends, are very envious.
Plus you miss the traffic on the roads. Worth lots in anyone's book. Go for it!
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I have worked shift patterns now for nearly 20 years. Worked Mon-Fri for a 2 year period and there are no comparisons....shift is great, planning is required at times. Only time it can be a problem would be if your partner is a shift worker as well. But you certainly will see more of your kids albeit not every saturday, sunday, but like said before....could be there for school drops , pick ups....school hols days in week together.....it aint a bad life
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Hi Alan
First of all, best of luck with the application. If you get through the interview and selection process (and believe me it will be tough) you should have an absolute ball during training. It's damn hard work (and the pay ain't exactly anything to write home about pre-qualification either), but it is very enjoyable and it'll definitely be worth it in the end.
Try reading the following for some useful info:
http://flyinginireland.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2695
and
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=290945
Both are very informative, and the first one will give you a good idea of the sort of shift patterns you can expect on completion. That will probably be about two years from now though.
Personally speaking, I don't have kids yet (but working on it), and I absolutely love my 6 on/4 off shift pattern. Start on 2 earlies, 0700 to 1400, followed by 2 lates, 1400 to 2130, and finish with 2 nights, 2130 to 0700. Then a sleep day (which is rostered) followed by 3 rest days; then start it all again. Throw in the 33 days annual leave per year, with a minimum of two holiday periods of no less than 5 days each per year, and you can see where I'm coming from. Plus, if the Leave is available I actually only need to take 6 days leave to get 14 days off.
I'm sure the missus won't be so happy in years to come to have me around the house so much, but it's great at the moment. As others have already mentioned, when on earlies I'm at home all afternoon, lates I'll be home all morning, and nights are effectively days off (that is if I manage to get my head down while on shift if it's quiet enough).
I have also had quite long periods of working days, and I definitely prefer working shift. No fighting your way through the herds of "sheep" in the supermarket, for example, when you go for the weekly groceries!
First of all, best of luck with the application. If you get through the interview and selection process (and believe me it will be tough) you should have an absolute ball during training. It's damn hard work (and the pay ain't exactly anything to write home about pre-qualification either), but it is very enjoyable and it'll definitely be worth it in the end.
Try reading the following for some useful info:
http://flyinginireland.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2695
and
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=290945
Both are very informative, and the first one will give you a good idea of the sort of shift patterns you can expect on completion. That will probably be about two years from now though.
Personally speaking, I don't have kids yet (but working on it), and I absolutely love my 6 on/4 off shift pattern. Start on 2 earlies, 0700 to 1400, followed by 2 lates, 1400 to 2130, and finish with 2 nights, 2130 to 0700. Then a sleep day (which is rostered) followed by 3 rest days; then start it all again. Throw in the 33 days annual leave per year, with a minimum of two holiday periods of no less than 5 days each per year, and you can see where I'm coming from. Plus, if the Leave is available I actually only need to take 6 days leave to get 14 days off.
I'm sure the missus won't be so happy in years to come to have me around the house so much, but it's great at the moment. As others have already mentioned, when on earlies I'm at home all afternoon, lates I'll be home all morning, and nights are effectively days off (that is if I manage to get my head down while on shift if it's quiet enough).
I have also had quite long periods of working days, and I definitely prefer working shift. No fighting your way through the herds of "sheep" in the supermarket, for example, when you go for the weekly groceries!
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Don't mind losing UHP if ALL members of staff work nights, weekends and bank holidays like wot I do 
.
Seriously been doing shifts for 20 years and I like them most of the time, just sometimes the second night gets a bit tough at 0630 in the morning!!!
.Seriously been doing shifts for 20 years and I like them most of the time, just sometimes the second night gets a bit tough at 0630 in the morning!!!
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on the subject of shift work and how it affects family/personal life
I've done shift work before, but it wasn't in a highly skilled position, so as long as one could swap a shift with a work mate, and make sure the shift was covered, it didn't really matter who was on duty as long as someone was there. (airport work)
Are ATCOs allowed shift swaps ?
I'm in a semi professional music business and would love to be able to keep it going, although I see it difficult, as it requires about 24 or 25 weekend nights free a year (mostly friday and saturday).
If I have a calendar of my shows well in advance, will I be able to book my leave days for the whole year ? Or will they not accept a weekend nights riddled leave request ?
I know this might sound silly, but it's something that means a lot to me and could even affect my decision whether to take or not the job offer for January.
Thanks for your time
SFL
I've done shift work before, but it wasn't in a highly skilled position, so as long as one could swap a shift with a work mate, and make sure the shift was covered, it didn't really matter who was on duty as long as someone was there. (airport work)
Are ATCOs allowed shift swaps ?
I'm in a semi professional music business and would love to be able to keep it going, although I see it difficult, as it requires about 24 or 25 weekend nights free a year (mostly friday and saturday).
If I have a calendar of my shows well in advance, will I be able to book my leave days for the whole year ? Or will they not accept a weekend nights riddled leave request ?
I know this might sound silly, but it's something that means a lot to me and could even affect my decision whether to take or not the job offer for January.
Thanks for your time
SFL
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Lose UHP? Part of the process in this payment is to account for working weekends/nights/bank holidays. Not just that it is shift work. Would you work christmas day or any bank holiday for normal rate of pay? No one else would in other occupations, and this is what it offsets
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Alan first off good luck with the application....
Im an Irish atco
and what i can tell you is that the shift work is what the rest of the lads describe it...swings and roundabouts...your weekly shift can be pretty intense.....you could be working either a 5 on 3 off roster or the very very odd occasion a 4onand 2off 1.The 5 and 3 consists of 1 evening duty,1 day duty,a short day duty followed by a night duty (that same night) and a 2nd night duty...time off is good but only after you have finished your training...you should be inline to recieve 30ish days leave once qualified....ps be prepared to kiss your social life goodbye
and hangovers
at work will be a thing of the past..your neighbours will think your an alcoholic as you willl be the one person on the block heading out on the piss midweek....
Im an Irish atco
and what i can tell you is that the shift work is what the rest of the lads describe it...swings and roundabouts...your weekly shift can be pretty intense.....you could be working either a 5 on 3 off roster or the very very odd occasion a 4onand 2off 1.The 5 and 3 consists of 1 evening duty,1 day duty,a short day duty followed by a night duty (that same night) and a 2nd night duty...time off is good but only after you have finished your training...you should be inline to recieve 30ish days leave once qualified....ps be prepared to kiss your social life goodbye and hangovers at work will be a thing of the past..your neighbours will think your an alcoholic as you willl be the one person on the block heading out on the piss midweek....