12 and 2

[Err0l]

Why has this become the norm in dairy farming (only having every other weekend off)? I used to do it and was permanently shattered. If the industry wants to attracts new entrants going forward and improve it's dismal safety record surely it's time for change. I heard someone call somebody lazy for "demanding" a day off after working 3 weeks straight today, the poor bugger was knackered and no use to anybody by the end of it.

What are the alternatives to working 14 hours a day 6 days a week? Many other industries run 24 hours a day but not with the same staff surly dairy farming could learn from them.

 

[Irish NZ]

Done a few different rosters as a worker. 12 and 2 is a bit

Our guys are on 8 and 2 over calving and 11 and 3 the rest of the season when working hours are quite civilised plus weekends works are just the bear minimum.

The difference an extra day makes is huge.

Now however I'm the boss and dont seem to take any days off

 

[trexcf]

We do 12:2 at home but I'm in NZ at the moment on 7:2 which seems to work well here much better for staff overall although not having many weekends off would be a huge drawback for most in the UK. 12:2 certainly isn't the future for anyone with full time employees

 

[Beef farmer]

2 months of calving there isn't a Rota, once October arrives we shall be going to a 10 day fortnight. It will work out at every other weekend and a day every week.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

We are on 7-1-4-2 so basically you get Monday off after a working weekend (except me) I made suggestions that we move to 8-2-8-3 which would give everyone more time off but less of the time off would be at weekends, no-one apart from me seemed very keen.

It's difficult because you either need to find good relief staff for weekends which isn't easy or you have to make people take more time off mon-fri.

 

[Rossymons]

At the risk of sending this into another debate about milk prices - which isn't what I want to do - I would bet that if we were paid a sensible price consistently we would be able to afford that extra labour unit that we all probably need.

At the moment I'm working a simple a rota of 7 days on 7 days on so at least I know when I'm on.

 

[Married 2 The Mob]

Some of the units in the SW, that were big dairies decades ago, used to run 12.5 on 1.5 off.
Does it still go on ?

 

[Will Blackburn]

We do every other weekend and 1 regular day off in the week every week.

 

[bigw]

We have just started doing 1 weekend in 3, I would like to give them an extra couple of days off during the week to make it that the guys work 15 days in 3 weeks. Normally only 8 hour days unless there is tractor work going on.

 

[stablegirl]

I work 12 on 2 off, i quite like it but am tired on day 9-12 and we as a team are less productive because of it.

If i could change anything i would finish at 5 instead of 6, i now have a young son and id like to be in a bit longer before he goes to bed.

That said we are very lucky, not many families have every meal together, they may be short, puntuated by constant phone calls but we do see each other for every one.

My lads that work the same hours as me may not have night checks to do, but they do have a commute either end of the day the longest is 30mins, this is dead time on top of that there lunch etc isnt as useful to them as mine is.

 

[pine_guy]

I'm on 12-2 between me and the guy that works for me. I never manage a full weekend off very often, but sometimes start later in the weekday mornings, like today as do the kids school run and wife goes to work. We don't dairy, but my guy starts at six and finishes at 530. Finishes early on a Tuesday and starts late on a Wednesday as he has his kids (deprecated from their mother) and gets every other weekend with them, no exception.

Before working for me, he was a herdsman on a dairy and worked 12-2 and 70+ hours per week. He looked like a walking zombie.

 

[wasted years]

I worked 12 and 2 before going to college and I used to think it was better just to work 7 and 7 as the lie in seem to knacker me but drink and nightclubs were in play back then.
Now I work 7 and 7 and 7 etc etc and never think of a lie in, it doesn't bother me but I have had to accept that as the price of getting going myself.

 

[Maxxum-man]

Get a job you enjoy and you will never work another day in your life [emoji106]

 

[multi power]

I have done 12/2 8/2 8/3 and now 12/2 and half day on Monday following weekend
8/3 was the worst, purely because Sunday was the same as any other day there, never again
Currently calving and I will work every weekend, and that's my choice, however I definitely won't be missing out on Monday afternoon off, if I miss that I'm totally knackered
One calving I done every day but finished at dinner time 2 days a week, that was miles better
Best thing of all is getting in at a sensible time

 

[stablegirl]

Thats fine Maxxum, but there is a price to that, and its paid by your friends, your wife and your children.

 

[Beef farmer]

Get a job you enjoy and you will never work another day in your life [emoji106]

I love what I do, but I love having a few days here and there doing nothing.

 

[Will Blackburn]

Thats fine Maxxum, but there is a price to that, and its paid by your friends, your wife and your children.

Sorry I assumed @Maxxum-man worked part time.

 

[multi power]

2 months of calving there isn't a Rota, once October arrives we shall be going to a 10 day fortnight. It will work out at every other weekend and a day every week.

I make that 11 days a fortnight, or a 3 day weekend?

 

[Beef farmer]

I make that 11 days a fortnight, or a 3 day weekend?

Every other weekend is 2 days. A day off every week is also 2 days in a fortnight. So I make that 4 days off in 14.

 

[multi power]

Every other weekend is 2 days. A day off every week is also 2 days in a fortnight. So I make that 4 days off in 14.

You are correct