Can you work away for 3 weeks and only return for 1 week?

[Nikki2ol6]

My friend has two children to her ex partner and he hardly sees his kids. He tells her he works away in the Shetland islands for 3 weeks doing 12 hours shifts and doesn’t have a single day off while he’s there. Then he’s only home for 1 week and has her children for 1 night on that weekend. Our other friend says this is illegal to work that many hours without a day off and he must be going home every weekend and just lying to his ex so he can spend more time with his new partner and kids. Does anyone know if you can work those hours ?

Hi,

You can work these hours. One of my friends works offshore and would work solidly for months not just weeks but would then have a month off. I'm not sure what industry this person works in but it sounds like the offshore (oil and gas) industry.

Do you know what he does? If he works for an oil company then yes I think it's possible he is doing those hours.

Very possible. Certainly in the oil industry.

Probable in fact

Yep, sounds spot on. XH sometimes only got a single night at home after weeks away if there was a problem somewhere. That's the downside of being with someone who works in the oil industry.

My DP works this. Regularly. Oil industry.

Sounds very plausible if he's working offshore yes.

If you think about it it’s not far off what you’d have with a ‘normal’ shift pattern. Most people get 2 days off every 5 days, this guy works for 21days and then gets 7 off - if it was 8 days off it would be completely average, as it is isn’t not far off.

Yep - common in Shetland for off island workers to do three weeks on, one week off. Overtime is payable once you hit 37-40 hours so most workers will do constant 12 hour shifts as they don't have a lot else to do.