Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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:
Walkerbean16 · 06/12/2022 15:57

It's nothing new, when we had our first 15 years ago my husband worked 9-6 n his job then 8til 2am as a bartender and did another job from 5-12 on a Sunday morning.

Greeneyegirl · 06/12/2022 15:57

Theres someone at my work doing secretary job 9-5.30 and then macdonalds 6-12am monday to friday. Not quite 24 hour but not great either.

Whammyyammy · 06/12/2022 16:09

My friends husband works nights 7pm-7am) as a security guard in an office building. He sleeps fron 11pm til 6am, says its the best sleep he gets.

Dittosaw · 06/12/2022 16:14

There isn’t one of us who doesn’t understand why someone would feel that desperate. The stress of debt and all it’s associated problems is much worse than feeling tired but on top of things.

Post Brexit we have too few people for the jobs available anyway. Coupled with the cost of living crisis this was virtually an inevitable scenario

NippyWoowoo · 06/12/2022 16:49

CarefreeMe · 04/12/2022 19:48

Lots of single people with no children will have to get second jobs as they’re not entitled to top up benefits and private rent can be over £1000 a month.

It’s easy to see how people become homeless and have to live in their cars or sofa surf.

🙋🏽‍♀️ I often work 7 days a week and just keep afloat

NippyWoowoo · 06/12/2022 16:50

Quornflakegirl · 04/12/2022 21:27

I have worked 10am-2pm, done school run made dinner etc then worked a second job 6pm- midnight since my dc were born 10 years ago. It doesn’t sound difficult but it is and I have struggled for a decade. It’s about survival. I do this 6 days a week and the 7th day I only work 4 hours.

It sounds incredibly difficult

Desiredeffect · 07/12/2022 22:57

I sometimes do a 2 till 10anx then 7 till 2 shift and that's working in care and I am working another job to in care both as relief so work when I want

New posts on this thread. Refresh page