Education & Work Forced to work overnights

When I got interviewed for my current job (5 years ago) I asked if I would have to work overnight shifts because Ive done that before and didnt want to do it again. They said I would not have to work overnight shifts.

Fast forward 5 years and the current manager has ****** off all the people that were willing to work overnights so they stopped working them. Basically lots of policies were introduced that forced them to change their shifts and then the manager was disrespectful and talked down to them all etc... so they said screw it.

So now the manager is forcing everyone else to work night shifts.

I just got my new roster.

Basically I work the thursday night 10pm until 6am friday. I come home and get 2 hrs sleep before waking up again in the late morning like I always do (I never sleep more than a couple hours during the day after a night shift). Then I get to bed again at midnight (most of my other shifts finish at midnight so this is when my bodyclock tells me to go to sleep again) but then instead of catching up on sleep that night I get to wake up 3 hours later to go to work and start at 4am. Then the next day I get to start work at 4pm and work until midnight.

So they rostered me on super late to super early to late again . Which means over a 64 hour period I will get 5 hours of sleep.

And I am required to work this roster.

Other people are getting similar rosters in my workplace. Lots of people are in tears.

Its a bit rough being told when choosing the job that you wouldnt have to work overnight. Only for them to wait until you have mortgages and cant quit, to then hand you a horrible roster and force you to do it.

Wish I was making more money with my investments so I could tell them all to shove it.

My quality of life and health is about to nose dive.

 

Is it in your initial employment contract? Have you signed an amended one since?

 

Tim, that's awful! Those hours are ludicrous! Most of my working life I did shift work but I always had the same hours for about a week at least then several days off after night shift before going onto either arvo or days. This doesn't seem right to me. Do you have an enterprise agreement or terms and conditions of employment set up? I feel for you and hope it works out.

 

I think this eba came into place just after I started.

It is currently time for a new eba to be negotiated between the union and my work. So that process should start in the next couple of months.

The current eba says in regards to the roster. That "any changes must meet operational requirements".

So provided they give you 10 hours between shifts they can do whatever they want. They can even make you work 10 days straight. One person at work just got that and in the middle of those 10 days they have to work 2 random night shifts and then work another 3 shifts after that. You imagine working 10 days without a day off and your shifts are jumping back and forth from early mornings to overnights to afternoons to mornings, etc...

 

Y

Yeah Eba pretty much says my workplace doesnt even need to apply lube before they **** us over.

 

Are you a member of the Union?

 

Whilst it may be in the EBA your employer is kidding themselves if they think this is of an operational benefit to them,productivity will be next to zero and team moral will drop through the floor.
A few years ago my employer brought in a roster that meant you went from working 1 weekend in 3 to working every second weekend which had a huge impact on these people and their families,many great people left the business before they reverted to 1 in 3 roster again.

 

Yep apparently the union will be organising a rep.

 

For your roster situation?

 

What does your union say?

 

Lol I already work every single weekend. This is them just inserting the rod a little further.

 

Ive got to follow it up. Havent had the chance yet. Hopefully they will be able to figure something out.

 

What type of work?

 

Doesn't your workplace have any form of fatigue management system in place?

 

Emergency Services probably

 

I have no advice but that is ****. Most companies have worked out that you need to do days in a row of matching hours not throw a dart at a wheel to pick the slots

 

Saturday & Sunday?

 

Managing fatigue

Worksafe QLD

 

No just a childrens telephone counselling service.

 

The sick leave will skyrocket instantly and theyll wonder why!