Juddian:
You forget that in an eight week rotation a 4 on 4 off driver works 5 continuous weeks where at least one of the days is a weekend, and three weekends when he works both weekend days.
I hadn’t forgotten this at all, and although it is obviously a personal decision for me working weekends and having time off in the week is actually desirable.
As you put, 3 weeks out of 8 you are working both weekend days which if you have kids or a Mrs who works Mon-Fri can be a disadvantage. But look at it another way, by having time off in the week you get to do the school run and spend quality time with the kids after school on some days which you wouldn’t ever get doing long days Mon-Fri where you often find they’re in bed before you even get home. If you don’t have kids then being at home all day means you can spoil your wife by having her dinner ready when she comes in from work.
Depending on what else you do with your time it can also be an advantage. I enjoy working on my cars and I find it incredibly frustrating if I find there’s a part I need on a Saturday afternoon when all the local motor factors have closed until Monday morning. Having my free time in the week means everywhere is open when I’m off so getting parts isn’t an issue. I’m sure there are plenty of other situations in which this would be of advantage, for example the supermarket is always a lot quieter during the week than on a weekend. It also makes getting doctors/dentists appointments a lot easier as you don’t need to take time off work, ditto for getting tradesmen in or planning for parcels that will need a signature on delivery.
Like I said it’s very much personal preference but there are many situations where weekend working makes life a lot easier even if there is no extra money for it.
Paul
repton:
Juddian:
Well organised unions of drivers fought for years to get correct rates for weekend and overtime working, dark pay, average holiday pay etc, we owe it to them to not fall in the trap of working weekends and nights for basic weekday pay.
It’s not a trap, it’s simply the way of the world. There used to be a time when society worked Monday to Friday and everything shut down on a weekend (with a few working Saturday mornings). At that time anything other than that was unusual and quite rightly deserved extra money.
That world is fast becoming a thing of the past, today we live in a 24/7 society where the difference between weekday and weekend is far more blurred. As time goes by more and more employers, both in the world of driving and every other industry too, are either reducing or eliminating the extra payments for weekend work. This is an inevitable factor of modern life and trying to fight against it is pointless, IMO it won’t be long before extra pay on a weekend is the exception rather than the norm.
Juddian:
I am in the real world, i would only work for those rates as a stop gap, and use the time off to find a proper job.
In the real world the employer holds all the cards. There are far more drivers than there are jobs. Beggars can’t be choosers and all that…
Paul
spot on, how many bar staff or chefs get double time on a sunday?
£18k = £346.15 gross - £281.67 nett
£21k = £403.85 gross - £320.90 nett
£39pw more plus night out money.
Really does depends on your personal preference.
Stan
Problem with 4 on 4 off is that sods law always seems to dictate that your days off are never when you want them.
Its common for me to have to sit out of social occasions at the weekend because i am working, only to then find myself bored out of my tree watching daytime telly during the week.
If i had young kids it would be a different matter but i personally would rather work in the week like everybody else and have all my weekends off, with the option of doing a bit of weekend work with a suitable premium.
Stanley Knife:
£39pw more plus night out money.
The night out money works out at another £54/week so the difference is over £100/week all in, although obviously there are other factors such as the extra cost of feeding yourself on a night out compared to the cost saving by only having to commute once instead of 4 times (which will obviously vary depending on your car and the distance involved).
Paul
i have an interview with the second job in the week,so i will know more then,
it might be silly ocklock starts,and a late finish on the 4th day,
but if i dont go i wont know!!
job one tho,is alot of trailer movements with an old unit,{ive got a tug at the present job} and the job will entail alot of curtain opening/closing,in all weathers
job 2 is fridge work
Juddian:
Well organised unions of drivers fought for years to get correct rates for weekend and overtime working, dark pay, average holiday pay etc, we owe it to them to not fall in the trap of working weekends and nights for basic weekday pay.
I am in the real world, i would only work for those rates as a stop gap, and use the time off to find a proper job.
juddian you talk sense pal! 
these employers want it on the cheap! 4 on 4 off should pay you top $$$$$$$$$$ as you can’t work for anyone else ( digi card/ records ) premium weekend shift allowance night out money! We should all be on 4 on 4 off mega money= easy life!
Back in the realworld take the tramping for now till you find a decent employer! Is it Edwards by any chance pal?
rob22888:
Its common for me to have to sit out of social occasions at the weekend because i am working, only to then find myself bored out of my tree watching daytime telly during the week.
We’re back to the personal preference thing there though. I’m not a particularly sociable bloke really so missing out on stuff on a weekend isn’t an issue, and having a bit of a smallholding and a mail order / ebay business on the side there’s never any danger of being bored at home.
I can understand how people who are into sport or some other activity of a weekend nature might find weekend working an unacceptable drain on their social life though.
Paul
Some years back I did 4 nights on, 3 nights off. Best job I ever had in terms of a home life, if I took 4 days leave I had 11 days off. Obviously with 4 on/4 off you’ll get 12 days off just taking 4 days leave. If the opportunity to take a similar job ever came along I would jump at it. Unfortunately I was made redundandant after 4 years 
Tiger.
No its not edwards.i didnt know they did 4 on 4 off.
For me.i would take the tramping.as its more money for alot less physical graft.but i have a wife thats thinks it would b nice for me to be home at 7.30pm on the days that i work.i would also enjoy that.but £18k isn’t enough income for us.so i would always be looking for overtime.
tonyb70:
I’m afraid i havn’t got much choice with either
I have been made redundant from a very well paid mon to friday 6-2 2-10 shunting job,but because the company is penny pinching,my sevices are no longer required 
Although i have been offered a driving job with the same company for £23,500 any 5 from 7 anualized hours,of 53 average per week,with no extra for weekend or bank holiday working.
And every few weeks, a week shunting,oh by the way,is the job that i have been made redundant off,
but the drivers are expected to do it on a rota…
Something is not right about this. If the position of shunter is made redundant then the job of shunting is made redundant and all shunting activities should come to an end. All trailer movements, together with loading/unloading would have to be done by drivers as part of their normal daily duties and could not be allocated out on a rota basis as the role (your old job) of shunter no longer exists.
To my way of looking at it what your company is doing is illegal as it is the the job, not only the person who can be made redundant. Get some legal advice or speak to your union if you have one.
Grumpygraeme:
tonyb70:
I’m afraid i havn’t got much choice with either
I have been made redundant from a very well paid mon to friday 6-2 2-10 shunting job,but because the company is penny pinching,my sevices are no longer required
Although i have been offered a driving job with the same company for £23,500 any 5 from 7 anualized hours,of 53 average per week,with no extra for weekend or bank holiday working.
And every few weeks, a week shunting,oh by the way,is the job that i have been made redundant off,
but the drivers are expected to do it on a rota…
Something is not right about this. If the position of shunter is made redundant then the job of shunting is made redundant and all shunting activities should come to an end. All trailer movements, together with loading/unloading would have to be done by drivers as part of their normal daily duties and could not be allocated out on a rota basis as the role (your old job) of shunter no longer exists.
To my way of looking at it what your company is doing is illegal as it is the the job, not only the person who can be made redundant. Get some legal advice or speak to your union if you have one.
The job will be called yard duties,I dont think it will stay the same as it is at the minute,but the drivers will be expected to take turns of a week in the yard.
But none of them are really willing to do the job. as it entails doing alot of flatbed roping and sheeting,also drawbar demounts,
Fan and cowmuck is going to be happening quite soon,unless there is a back up plan that i know nothing about
tonyb70:
Grumpygraeme:
tonyb70:
I’m afraid i havn’t got much choice with either
I have been made redundant from a very well paid mon to friday 6-2 2-10 shunting job,but because the company is penny pinching,my sevices are no longer required
Although i have been offered a driving job with the same company for £23,500 any 5 from 7 anualized hours,of 53 average per week,with no extra for weekend or bank holiday working.
And every few weeks, a week shunting,oh by the way,is the job that i have been made redundant off,
but the drivers are expected to do it on a rota…
Something is not right about this. If the position of shunter is made redundant then the job of shunting is made redundant and all shunting activities should come to an end. All trailer movements, together with loading/unloading would have to be done by drivers as part of their normal daily duties and could not be allocated out on a rota basis as the role (your old job) of shunter no longer exists.
To my way of looking at it what your company is doing is illegal as it is the the job, not only the person who can be made redundant. Get some legal advice or speak to your union if you have one.
The job will be called yard duties,I dont think it will stay the same as it is at the minute,but the drivers will be expected to take turns of a week in the yard.
But none of them are really willing to do the job. as it entails doing alot of flatbed roping and sheeting,also drawbar demounts,
Fan and cowmuck is going to be happening quite soon,unless there is a back up plan that i know nothing about
If thats whats happening, then the job (and you) are not redundant as such, its being incorporated elsewhere and the company cannot dispense with your services without rendering themselves open to a claim of unfair or constructive dismissal. They must offer you another suitable job within the company which on the face of it is what has happened to you. If you decide to leave of your own accord then they have succeeded in a cheap way of reducing the workforce without exposing themselves to prosecution.
If they have given you notice of redundancy, then I believe they may have cocked up big time and you should go and see Citizens Advice or a lawyer and get what you can out of it. Changing the job title from shunter to yard duties has done nothing to alter the role and by allocating that work to the existing drivers on a weekly basis stinks a bit (IMHO).
This is one reason why I am in a Union. Its not all the strike B.S. its the provision of legal support and advice when you might need it.
Bloody hell,
I have been offered both,
Spoilt for choice now.
tonyb70:
Bloody hell,
I have been offered both,
Spoilt for choice now.
4 days at 1 job 4 days at the other. quids in 
Shhhsh lol.dont blow my secret
I do 4on/4off but permanant nights ,its a pain sometimes when your working of a weekend and theres something on but, thats just life.
our lot pay 9.50 an hour on nights plus 19quid a night shift allowance,plus q 50p an hour bonus for timekeeping , I work 48 hours and get paid for 55 hours, the holidays work out great too book 4 shifts off and get 12 days off 