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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Are people having to work 24 hours a day now to survive? 😮

107 replies

Passthecheeseboard · 04/12/2022 18:54

Just got off the phone to DH, he works in security and apparently the guy he should have been taking over from went AWOL about an hour before his shift was supposed to end (agency staff). I told him how the guy sounds like he just couldn’t be arsed and wanted to go home early, however DH told me no he wanted to get to his other job. He asked DH at the start of the shift if he could come in early to let him go to his other job for another 12 hour shift. DH explained they are not allowed to pick and choose their hours and have to work their shift unless they have authorised leave. So this guy ignored that and just left the site unmanned to get to his other job.

Anyhow I just can’t get over the fact that this guy has just finished a 12 hour day shift to go straight to a 12 hour night shift at another site. Is this the lengths people are having to go to to survive now? Anyone else here do 24 hour shifts (going straight from one job to another) or know of anyone that does? Is sleep now a luxury not everyone can afford? 🤔

OP posts:
UsingChangeofName · 04/12/2022 22:21

Unfortunately people are being asked to do this in emergency services too - you know jobs where people's responses are pretty crucial. Police, Doctors, Nurses and paramedics all work ridiculous shifts in the first place, then some go back and pick up an additional shift.

SemperIdem · 04/12/2022 22:27

This isn’t new to this year especially re security work. It has been going on for a few years now. When I worked in retail a security guard kept disappearing early from his shift/arriving late at the site because he was juggling two jobs. I worked for one of the big food retailers but security work was done by a third party.

I felt really sorry for the man in question, he wasn’t a particularly young man, not a British National and life was terribly hard for him. I called the manager of the company once to try and help but only made it worse, he had shifts taken away so lost money, so never did it again.

Poverty has been creeping up on people for far longer than the publicised “cost of living” crisis would have many believe.

Jusforthisthread · 04/12/2022 22:30

Police officer here, I have never slept on shift, the longest shift I’ve ever done was 32hrs. 20+ hr shifts generally happen at least once a month. We are on our knees

1984Winston · 04/12/2022 22:37

This happened years ago when i worked nights in a care home, they would sleep (was looking after people with dementia so they needed care 24/7) I would report them but nothing was done because they couldn't be replaced

jocktamsonsbairn · 04/12/2022 23:07

I'm a teacher and work a second job 3 evenings a week on top of all the extra hours we have to do. Single mum, 2 student dc. No help. It's shit.
I worked 2 jobs when my dc were small when I first got divorced, would leave my school job and pay a babysitter 2-3 evenings a week while I went to my other job at the uni. Then worked every 3rd weekend too. Never thought I would still have to do it.
It's brutal especially as being a teacher really truly isn't a 9-3 job. I am exhausted and can't do this long term. My dc do both work part time but rent etc is impossible, they get minimum loans due to my income. Assessed regardless of supporting another student and paying back my own student loans.

Original poster
Passthecheeseboard · 04/12/2022 23:08

interstatelovesong · 04/12/2022 21:51

It's absolutely disgusting that people are having to do this to survive

What the fuck has happened to this shitty country?

This is what I think, it cannot be healthy… I mean sleep is a human basic need.

I had heard of people having 2 part time jobs before or even a full time job with a part time evening job. But to go from a 12 hour night shift, to a 12 hour day shift and then straight back to a 12 hour night shift… Surely that’s not a normal thing to do.

I can only imagine this man is having to do this to survive… DH said he looked fucked … Poor man

OP posts:
Desiredeffect · 04/12/2022 23:10

I work 2 jobs and 1 is a 24 hou shift so 15 hours on and maybe a sleep and then up 6am for another 15 hour shift

Original poster
Passthecheeseboard · 04/12/2022 23:13

Jusforthisthread · 04/12/2022 22:30

Police officer here, I have never slept on shift, the longest shift I’ve ever done was 32hrs. 20+ hr shifts generally happen at least once a month. We are on our knees

This is awful… You must be exhausted 😮

OP posts:
SouperNoodle · 04/12/2022 23:29

My dad is in his early 60s and once every few months he'll have to do a 25 hour shift. He's decided to retire a few years early as it's slowly killing him.
Most days he's there for 12+ hours.

SafariRushHour · 04/12/2022 23:35

Care worker here. Some staff regularly do 72 hour shifts but thankfully just on call and allowed to sleep 11pm-6am. Two or three wakes per night is the norm.

OnceAgainWithFeeling · 04/12/2022 23:40

luxxlisbon · 04/12/2022 19:25

It’s not healthy or safe but some people have no choice, I wouldn’t be judging them.

It’s not (currently) legal. Both companies could be found liable if anything happens to him for breaching the 11 hour gap between shifts required by the WTD.

Icanflyhigh · 04/12/2022 23:44

DH and I do this a couple of times a week each.
He works 7-4 day shift then 7pm -6am night shift and I do on alternate days 6am -6pm and 10pm - 6am
If we don't, we won't have a roof over our head.

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 04/12/2022 23:51

Yep. Did two retail full time jobs thirty years ago just to pay the mortgage, whilst Dh did 1 and a 1/2 jobs to pay the rest of the bills. Then I worked in care and worked 10qm- 1 am 6 days a week. Wind forward 30 years and we both did 70-80 hour weeks during covid and then I did 109 hours weeks for a year.
to knackered now to do full time. It catches up with you eventually.

Maverickess · 05/12/2022 00:01

There's times in my life I've done it for money, and during covid outbreaks I've done 24h+ in care homes because there was literally no one else with a negative test to take over - I was 20 years older by then and tbh it was downright dangerous to do it, but also illegal for me to leave because there was no one else to take over.
There's been nearly 3 years for them to sort their shit out and act on the lack of retention and recruitment - but it's still happening now, and they went and sacked a whole load too (which I know was controversial, but they did nothing to address the shortfalls it cost at all).

And that's without the fact that some people need to do it because they're having their eyeballs ripped out by just trying to survive.

We've turned into a load of drones that seem to exist to make money for other people - either working for the minimum they can get away with paying to make money for a company, or then paying out to other companies whatever they demand for the basics of living. We're not people, we're money making devices for other people.

IncessantNameChanger · 05/12/2022 00:12

Whrn I was at uni I'd be in London all day 9-5 studying. The drive to Kent and work 9-6am. It was fairly easy at that age and when I was exhausted I'd chain smoke in the car to get to and from uni ( I don't smoke so it was very effective and keeping my very alert). It was needs must and although I had no home or dependents it was that or drop out of uni and forfil my destiny of factory work. I still occasionally have nightmares about turning down shifts to do my dissertation write up.

I'd die if I did that now. Hats off to anyone who has to do it. I could do it now I think but only once a week. I feel jetlagged now when I'm really tired.

WGO · 05/12/2022 00:21

Yes I know of carers who are doing it with different agencies

They do support work 12 hrs and care work somewhere else another 12...

Leave one early or arrive at a shift late

WGO · 05/12/2022 00:24

SemperIdem · 04/12/2022 22:27

This isn’t new to this year especially re security work. It has been going on for a few years now. When I worked in retail a security guard kept disappearing early from his shift/arriving late at the site because he was juggling two jobs. I worked for one of the big food retailers but security work was done by a third party.

I felt really sorry for the man in question, he wasn’t a particularly young man, not a British National and life was terribly hard for him. I called the manager of the company once to try and help but only made it worse, he had shifts taken away so lost money, so never did it again.

Poverty has been creeping up on people for far longer than the publicised “cost of living” crisis would have many believe.

Hmmm🤔 of course you're taking money out of his pocket calling his manager or reporting him

People are trying to survive that's why they pick as many shifts as they can do.

I've heard stories of people dying thru over exhaustion doing these back to back jobs.

liloandtitch · 05/12/2022 00:35

We've turned into a load of drones that seem to exist to make money for other people - either working for the minimum they can get away with paying to make money for a company, or then paying out to other companies whatever they demand for the basics of living. We're not people, we're money making devices for other people.

Welcome to Tory England.

Original poster
Passthecheeseboard · 05/12/2022 01:04

liloandtitch · 05/12/2022 00:35

We've turned into a load of drones that seem to exist to make money for other people - either working for the minimum they can get away with paying to make money for a company, or then paying out to other companies whatever they demand for the basics of living. We're not people, we're money making devices for other people.

Welcome to Tory England.

Yeah we are all just wage slaves now trying desperately to make ends meet

OP posts:
luxxlisbon · 05/12/2022 08:32

OnceAgainWithFeeling · 04/12/2022 23:40

It’s not (currently) legal. Both companies could be found liable if anything happens to him for breaching the 11 hour gap between shifts required by the WTD.

Show quote history

The WTD isn’t law though because you can simply opt out.
This isn’t new, I know plenty of people who have worked in a shop in the day and a bar in the evening or do bar work outside their 5pm.

OnceAgainWithFeeling · 05/12/2022 09:06

luxxlisbon · 05/12/2022 08:32

The WTD isn’t law though because you can simply opt out.
This isn’t new, I know plenty of people who have worked in a shop in the day and a bar in the evening or do bar work outside their 5pm.

Show quote history

You cannot opt out of rest breaks. You can opt out of the 48 hour maximum working hours.

There are very few circumstances where the 11 hours break between shifts and 24 hours solid break per week/48 hours per fortnight can be breached and it needs to be made up as soon as possible afterwards.

Having more than one employer is no excuse either way. Most employers require employees to have permission to have second jobs for this reason. If they know the person is working excessive hours and something happens to them (fall asleep at the wheel and kill themselves etc) they can be held responsible.

(I’m only a HR Director. What would I know of employment law, eh?)

OnceAgainWithFeeling · 05/12/2022 09:07

Someone starting work at 9am can work till 10pm without problems. If they go past that and start work at 9am again the next day they are in breach of WTD.

OnceAgainWithFeeling · 05/12/2022 09:09

www.gov.uk/rest-breaks-work

Horse’s mouth, as it were.

Original poster
Passthecheeseboard · 05/12/2022 09:44

Is that law actually enforced though? … Seems a lot of people are ignoring that it and carrying on with back to back shifts 🤔

OP posts:
OnceAgainWithFeeling · 05/12/2022 10:16

Passthecheeseboard · 05/12/2022 09:44

Is that law actually enforced though? … Seems a lot of people are ignoring that it and carrying on with back to back shifts 🤔

Lots of people seem to think you can opt out of it.

Having dealt with the death of a paramedic who volunteered in his spare time, who worked a 8 hour volunteering shift after a 13 hour NHS shift 2 days running then fell asleep at the wheel I don’t take it lightly.

The law might not cover volunteering as it isn’t classed as employment, but someone only having 3 hours sleep between 2x 21hour shifts is hardly common sense.