4 on 4 off shift payments

[paulgd121]

Hi,

I've seen a contract job advertised but it's working a 4 on 4 off shift pattern. I presume it's 2 days , 2 nights then 4 off.

The job is offering what appears at first glance to be a competive daily rate (more than my current rate)

However, does anyone know, with a contract shift job, whether they normally just pay the daily Rate x 4 days a week, in which case this would be less competitive than my current 5x days a week rate. Or would they likely pay daily rate x 5, or do they use some other formula ?
Thanks in advance.

[Pondlife]

I should think they would pay based on your days or hours worked. Also, I wouldn't think of it in terms of 'weeks' in this case. Now you work 5/7 days with this you work 4/8 days which is a big difference.

[northernladuk]

I would guess it varies by client. They are buying in a specialised resource for a short term piece of work so I wouldnt assume there is a standard. They might do in permie land but that's not a safe comparison.

I'd ring the agent/client and ask them.

[psychocandy]

Need to ask. I've seen this sort of thing before and agent tried to not mention the fact that the day rate was payable per 12 hour shift. So not so good then!

Like someone said 4/8 is not good.

Then again I worked at one client who decided they wanted 12 hrs, and nights, and weekends. basically 24/7 cover.

Everyone started moaning saying no way. Then client/agency offered 1.5x for 12 hours (fair enough), 1.5x if you had to work nights or saturday, and 2.0x for sunday. And it was all cumulative.

Sun night was 1.5x1.5x2.0 normal day rate. basically 4.5x normal day rate = nice little earner to say the least!

No-one moaned at that.....

[WTFH]

Need to know the hours being worked - is it 4x8hr or 4x12hr or something else?
Then you need to decide what you think it is worth to you to have some times when you are working weekends, does it also mean working bank holidays/Christmas?

[Scruff]

When I last did it (10 yrs ago) I got a 40% uplift. The killer was on the days off, the first one was a write off (tiredness) and so was the last (anxiety about what happened on the days off!).

[stek]

I did shifts once, never again. Suffered with palps and even now I struggle to sleep. Lying in bed saying to myself 'sleep, sleep, sleep' not conducive to actual sleep.

[DallasDad]

I did nights once, cost me a Wife, a House, 2 Cars 2 Dogs and most of my sanity.
I don't mind shifting my day for clients (working EST etc.) but nights, nope never again!

[stek]

And also it's 2 days on, 1.5 days off, 2 days on again, then 2.5 days off. You never ever get the 4 days off experience....

[psychocandy]

I did nights once, cost me a Wife, a House, 2 Cars 2 Dogs and most of my sanity.
I don't mind shifting my day for clients (working EST etc.) but nights, nope never again!

Why was nights to blame for all this?