Anyone else on here work 10-12hr days consistently?

[TraderCigarCo.]

I'm just curious. Recently took a new job and although the pay increase is nice, I find myself working 10-12 hour days + 4 hours on Saturdays. It's a sales job and volume is slow right now, thus the extra output of energy to hit monthly goals. I'm finding it difficult to have the energy for anything else? I have a 2 year old at home and am struggling a bit. I saw him for 30 min in the last two days because I'm out the door before he wakes up and get home after he goes to bed.

How do you all switch gears for family time and make it work?

Sorry for the rant. Just getting it off my chest.

 

[8ball]

Hey brother, I work 4 10.5 hour shifts a week. I have to work opposite shifts from my wife for our child care issues. Wednesday, Thursday & Friday I leave for work at 2pm and my son does not get off the bus till 2:15, so I don't see him till Saturday. On the flip side, I have three days off a week to spend with him.

It sucks, but what are you gonna do? Just think of it as making a personal sacrifice for your family. After awhile you'll get used to it and maybe you can adjust your schedule down the line. I still have it much better than others that are in joint custody situations.

 

[TraderCigarCo.]

Hey brother, I work 4 10.5 hour shifts a week. I have to work opposite shifts from my wife for our child care issues. Wednesday, Thursday & Friday I leave for work at 2pm and my son does not get off the bus till 2:15, so I don't see him till Saturday. On the flip side, I have three days off a week to spend with him.

It sucks, but what are you gonna do? Just think of it as making a personal sacrifice for your family. After awhile you'll get used to it and maybe you can adjust your schedule down the line. I still have it much better than others that are in joint custody situations.

Wow man.. that sucks. And that's how I look at it right now. Hopefully will be a positive thing in the long run, but I actually took this job for a better schedule and now I see my family less. haha

 

[Iholmes]

I work in an automotive manufacturing plant as an engineering and for the past year and a half I've been working 6-7 ten to twelve hours shifts a week. A little more during shutdowns. The money is great and it's hard to complain because I graduated from college December of 2013. I can't imagine how any of the guys I work with do this when they have families at home and live 45 minutes from the plant (I live 11 miles from the plant)

 

[8ball]

Yeah, this may sound cold, but I always try to imagine people in worst conditions and it makes me feel better. After my dads six years of active service (before I was born) He then worked full time for the state while also completing 18-20 years in the reserves where he was gone a weekend a month and two weeks a year. You know what, I have crazy respect for the sacrifice that he made for our family. I had everything I needed growing up, and it was all due to him.

 

[Iholmes]

I know I'm in the minority with what I'm about to say and I want to first let you know that I respect everything fathers and mothers do to support their children bc I grew up with a single mother but I do not want to have kids. Also my girlfriend lives 2600 miles away and I live in the middle of nowhere (45 minutes from a major city) so that all makes it a lot easier for me to work insane hours

 

[SouthernerInSask]

This year has been slow, but the past two years was 16 hour days (or more) on a 7-3-7-4 shift. I dont know if I would do it if we had small children though.

 

[apnutter]

I work 4 10s with 3 consecutive days off. I work the 9p-7a shift. I make time for family by averaging 5-6hrs of sleep per day. When I did daylights it was a bit tougher because by the time I would get home, shit was hitting the fan around the house with dinner, bath...etc. Like most changes, you will find a way to make it work a d get used to it.

 

[Tennessee Dave]

I work 10hrs a day Monday thru Thursday. Occasionally I will go in the office for a few hours on Friday but not often. There are some advantages of being in the same business for 40 years. One of the reasons I waited until just a few months ago to get a cell phone was that I refused to be at the beck and call of the office. They do not have any number other than my home phone which I have the choice of answering it or not. Mostly not. Don't work so much that you do not have time for the important things like family. There was never a tombstone that read " I wish I had spent more time at work."

 

[TraderCigarCo.]

There was never a tombstone that read " I wish I had spent more time at work."

^^^ This is my greatest concern.

 

[Kingpin]

I just changed jobs as well and went from working 8 long hours a day to working 10 hrs 5 days a week. I don't know where the time goes now.

 

[danmdevries]

Constantly.
Rarely less than 12, often 15-17hrs/day.
Plus call...

I haven't much time for me or family.

 

[Mr.Draned]

I used to work four 10's, which usually turned out to be 12'or more, depending on the needs of the company (install/repair telecomm was the job). The pay wasn't bad, and it eventually allowed me to make a move within the company to where I only worked five 8's, Monday-Friday, and made better pay. The benefits were really solid, we got quartely bonuses, and there was always a chance for OT.
I used to worry about time with my wife, friends, etc being sacrificed (no kids) missed out on, but realistically it didn't impact that too much. You just have to prioritize what's important and what is not. Doing that allows you to actually achieve things and have the time needed for more important stuff. Sleeping less was one big thing that helps. Another? Put off the small tasks that can wait until after hanging with the family.
Set an end goal as to when you hope to work less hours, then find a way to make that a reality. Right now you're the new guy in the office, but eventually you won't be new and things will shift.
Just some thoughts my man.

 

[Cigary43]

I work 10hrs a day Monday thru Thursday. Occasionally I will go in the office for a few hours on Friday but not often. There are some advantages of being in the same business for 40 years. One of the reasons I waited until just a few months ago to get a cell phone was that I refused to be at the back and call of the office. They do not have any number other than my home phone which I have the choice of answering it or not. Mostly not. Don't work so much that you do not have time for the important things like family. There was never a tombstone that read " I wish I had spent more time at work."

That last sentence says it all.....when was the last time you ever saw a hearse pulling a u haul trailer?

 

[ChefBoyRG54]

^^^ This is my greatest concern.

thats a HUGE concern!

We work to be able to enjoy life(most of us). If the job has some huge light at te end of the tunnel its one thing but f its a grind going nowhere that sucks your family time up then I would start looking elsewhere.

More pay or less pay, if you dont have some sanity and happiness then its all going to fall apart and make you miserable. I've been all over the spectrum over the years. 10s x 6, 12s, 14-16s when i started our second shift years ago. Now im fortunate to work normal days M-F but the trade off is that when shit hits the fan i better be available like for 3 days last week during "vacation". But nonetheless, i make time for family and make the most of it. And when i get home i make it a point to take my kids outside after giving them hugs and talking to them. Id love to go lay down of course, but if i did i would miss out on the few hours i see them per day during the week.

I wont say ive done everything perfectly or do everything perfectly, but i suggest finding time to enjoy that kid before he doesnt want to hang with dada no more

A guy told me many moons ago when i was in sales(different than now since im on a semi-firm schedule) that the FIRST thing i need to do is take my schedule and block out my personal time. Then schedule work around it instead of the other way around. During that time do not answer the phone, look at emails etc. Was great advice.

 

[StogieNinja]

I took a pay cut to come to a bank that had better work/life balance, and then another cut to come to a branch that was closer to my house. Things are tighter, but it's so worth being able to see my kids at breakfast, shoot home and see them for 45min at lunch, and be home after work without any lost time to traffic. Someday I'll have to give it up, but I'm hanging onto this situation as long as I can, regardless of pay. Giving my kids fancy vacations and nice clothes won't make up for my absence. Nothing is more important than time with my kids, except time with my God and my wife.

God, wife, kids, everything else, in that order, ensures a strong foundation.

 

[BradMc]

Even though I'm retired from the Gov now, I contract back to them , So my summers on average r 14 days in a row @ 12 to 14 hr days , then I get 2 days off .....
As a contractor I make no overtime, but the hourly wedge is to good to turn down .......
Your body and mind gets used to , more like a machine .......

 

[Monsterdg]

I'm at 10 hour days average (salary), I might put in a few on Saturday if needed but not usually. Wife works full time as well, so we see each other before and after work, weekends. Life seems pretty balanced (kid is in college), but I might feel differently if I had young kids at home.

If at all possible, live close to work; commuting will take the life right out of you.

 

[Catawbamatt]

I used to work 10's 5 days a week at my old job. It was horrible. I felt like I had no free time. It was just come home, eat, sleep, then get up and do it again. Now, I work 8's 4 days a week and I work Friday's from home. I can't tell you how much better it is. Work to live, not live to work.

 

[ChuckMejia]

Wife and I leave the house at 5 daily and get home by 530 in the afternoon. we don't usually work weekends but to balance out the long work schedules we don't sleep more than 6 hours a night average about 5 usually! Eventually our bodies got used to it after doing it for almost 7 years. But then again when we are deployed our shifts are no days off 12-18 hour days non stop for 7 months! Just takes time to adjust!