# Tired Electricians



## MDShunk

Funny thing about our trade. Sometimes there really is no choice. 

I've noticed that some companies will not require you to work more than 12hrs at a go, but they will permit you to work more than that at your discretion. I'm not so sure what's so magical about the 12 hour number, but that seems to be a popular one.


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## TOOL_5150

depending what you are doing at the time, being overly tired could be hazardous to your health. but, the same goes for when you are in a rush.


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## MDShunk

TOOL_5150 said:


> depending what you are doing at the time, being overly tired could be hazardous to your health. but, the same goes for when you are in a rush.


Right. I'm just as likely to trip over something and bash my head when I'm overly tired as I am to have a truly electrical-related injury. It's good to self-recognize that you're beat and take extra time and care with everything you're doing while tired.


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## Bkessler

Depends in the guys. I used to put in 70+ hour weeks , week after week back in my residential days. When I did a lot of Pulte neighborhoods we'd have two roughs and three finishes in one day. All the guys were in their early 20's and in good shape. Now I couldn't do it. I got bad everything.


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## Big John

I don't believe we have a limit on the number of hours in a shift, and I've worked some ungodly shifts during an emergency to get things back online, but I know that once a shift ends, we can't come back to work for a minimum of 8 hours.


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## Pistol_Pete

We just finished an amazon distribution in coppell tx and there were a lot of us pulling anywhere from 85 -100 work weeks.


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## Bootss

I'm 57 years old I'm starting to get tired
but I don't get tired depositing the checks.

:blink:


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## Ty Wrapp

Big John said:


> I don't believe we have a limit on the number of hours in a shift, and I've worked some ungodly shifts during an emergency to get things back online, but I know that once a shift ends, we can't come back to work for a minimum of 8 hours.


Same here!


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## wildleg

I've found, in my short life, that production work (assuming your guys are producing to begin with) drops off after 10 hrs. 12 hours gets you 11 hrs worth of work, 16 gets you 12 or 13 at most, especially after a week or two. after 4 weeks, you are getting something like 8 or 9 for that 12 hr day. that's expensive when you consider that those extra hours are costing 1.5

JMSO


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## Shockdoc

I have a tendancy to feel tired and miserable when dealing with certain customers


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## Hawkrod

*12 hour max shift*

I think a lot of the 12 hour limits come from labor laws. Our company won't allow anything over 12 soley based on the laws. They don't like 8+ shift but they will not allow 12+. Hawkrod


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## MDShunk

Hawkrod said:


> I think a lot of the 12 hour limits come from labor laws. Our company won't allow anything over 12 soley based on the laws. They don't like 8+ shift but they will not allow 12+. Hawkrod


"The laws" vary greatly. Even in my state, where no such laws exist, rumors of such laws abound. In fact, I don't think your state even limits the hours in a row you may be scheduled to work. You just think they do.


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## Big John

wildleg said:


> I've found, in my short life, that production work (assuming your guys are producing to begin with) drops off after 10 hrs...


 Ditto. It works in a pinch but doing routine 12+ seems stupid to me unless money is literally no object, and even then I think throwing more able bodies at it during normal hours is a better solution.


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## chewy

Not officially but we are a crew and everyone wants to see the job done so we do what we have to do.


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## Ty Wrapp

wildleg said:


> ... that's expensive when you consider that those extra hours are costing 1.5
> 
> JMSO


After 49 hours a week, I'm into double time


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## Speedy Petey

Pistol_Pete said:


> We just finished an amazon distribution in coppell tx and there were a lot of us pulling anywhere from 85 -100 work weeks.


Please tell me how this is possible, and WHY it is necessary. :001_huh:


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## Speedy Petey

Studies have shown that over 40 hrs a week can lead to decreased productivity.
I've seen reports that 35 hrs/week is optimal.


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## chicken steve

Boesk said:


> Does anyone impose limits on the total number of hours in a day that you or your employees work to avoid fatigue? I have always thought 12 hours is enough otherwise something bad could happen. I have a supervisor that doesn't see a problem with the electricians working 17 on a non-critical system. Thanks in advance for comments.


So is it the latest storm damage , or the holiday influx of skiers that have you on such a schedule?

~CS~


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## chicken steve

Speedy Petey said:


> Please tell me how this is possible, and WHY it is necessary. :001_huh:


profit.....

~CS~


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## Michigan Master

Our company limits us to 72 hours per week, and no more that 16 hours per day; after a 16 hour day the employee must be off work for 8 hours before returning.


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## Rollie73

I'm not sure if we have any laws in Nova Scotia limiting the number of hours but since I'm of the opinion that 12 is enough......I don't want the guys doing more. 
I've had to do more in emergency situations but don't like it, and therefore I won't ask my guys to do it......I'll get more guys to help out if we are in that dire of a situation.

As per our union's local contract..........

-Anything over 8 hrs in one shift is paid as double time.
-A meal and a half hour break to eat it must be provided after 10 hrs.
-Maximum of 12 straight days worked without a day off (or if the employee _must_ work through that day off he gets paid triple time).
-We must have at least 8 hours off after every shift.


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## MHElectric

wildleg said:


> I've found, in my short life, that production work (assuming your guys are producing to begin with) drops off after 10 hrs. 12 hours gets you 11 hrs worth of work, 16 gets you 12 or 13 at most, especially after a week or two. after 4 weeks, you are getting something like 8 or 9 for that 12 hr day. that's expensive when you consider that those extra hours are costing 1.5
> 
> JMSO


Very well put. Shoot for between 8 - 10 hrs a day, and you should be fine. Anything past 10 hrs a day, or over 50 a week makes you start dragging and making lots of mistakes.

My brother in law and I worked together for almost 2 years, and we worked 12, 14, even 16 hr days sometimes. We did some lighting retro-fits on a bunch of gas stations, and we would work for about 14 hrs to get the job done, pack up and drive 2 1/2 - 3 hrs to the next job, check in the hotel and sleep just long enough to get up and do it again.

We made a bunch of money, but that kinda work takes a real toll on you. It will turn a young man into an old man quick!


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## WhitehouseRT

wildleg said:


> I've found, in my short life, that production work (assuming your guys are producing to begin with) drops off after 10 hrs. 12 hours gets you 11 hrs worth of work, 16 gets you 12 or 13 at most, especially after a week or two. after 4 weeks, you are getting something like 8 or 9 for that 12 hr day. that's expensive when you consider that those extra hours are costing 1.5
> 
> JMSO


Thumbs up....

Its really just financially dumb... You're spending an extraordinary amount of extra money and receiving a decreasing amount of productivity, and beating the snot out of the guys. People start making more and more mistakes not only in work but also in their safety.... What does it cost you in a workers' comp claim??

Are you working to live, or living to work?? What does it cost you in your family life?

Once in awhile is understandable warranting the job conditions... But if it becomes a habit maybe you should re-think your business practices... Probably more fault of the "higher up's" and inaccurate estimating/planning...

.


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## MDShunk

WhitehouseRT said:


> ...Once in awhile is understandable warranting the job conditions... But if it becomes a habit maybe you should re-think your business practices... Probably more fault of the "higher up's" and inaccurate estimating/planning...
> 
> .


Probably true. Think about this, however.... I believe most employers would like to fill the job up with more guys than work the one's they have to death, but you may have noticed that qualified electricians don't exactly grow on trees. It's hard as hell to find a guy as good as the rest of the crew he'll be working with on short notice. It takes a good while to cultivate one. It's probably also fair to say that even a union contractor doesn't truly know what caliber of a guy he's going to get when he makes the call for more hands.


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## Hawkrod

*You misunderstood...*



MDShunk said:


> "The laws" vary greatly. Even in my state, where no such laws exist, rumors of such laws abound. In fact, I don't think your state even limits the hours in a row you may be scheduled to work. You just think they do.


 You misunderstood my post completely, it has nothing to do with the number of hours you are allowed to work by law, it is how much the company has to pay you after the number of hours: From the State of CA Industrial Relations site 

In California, the general overtime provisions are that a nonexempt employee 18 years of age or older, or any minor employee 16 or 17 years of age who is not required by law to attend school and is not otherwise prohibited by law from engaging in the subject work, shall not be employed more than eight hours in any workday or more than 40 hours in any workweek unless he or she receives one and one-half times his or her regular rate of pay for all hours worked over eight hours in any workday and over 40 hours in the workweek. Eight hours of labor constitutes a day's work, and employment beyond eight hours in any workday or more than six days in any workweek is permissible provided the employee is compensated for the overtime at not less than:

One and one-half times the employee's regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of eight hours up to and including 12 hours in any workday, and for the first eight hours worked on the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek; and
Double the employee's regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 12 hours in any workday and for all hours worked in excess of eight on the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek.
Around here 12 hours is double time and the company will not allow that. They hate time and a half but mention double time and people start getting fired! LOL Hawkrod


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## Semi-Ret Electrician

Working for a design/build company OT hours can be imposed because the company makes a % of the labor costs.

Many times 20+ folks have had to work 12's and 8 on sat and even sun just to bump the bottom line

Productivity has nothing to do with it.


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## Electrical Student

I was wirth an o.t. loving company 2 years ago working nights. 11 to 7. With mandatory o.t. Every week. If you can get it done during the week its not so bad. When they started mandatory Saturday as well you could really see the fatigue in guys. A few loved it. However one guy went to his dr. and got a note limiting him to 40 hrs a week. I just did what I could and took some bitching with a smile. The only up side I seen was that if their pushing this hard for man hours, their not going to fire guys for b.s. reasons. But it will get to you sooner or later.


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## B4T

Biggest danger about working long hours is the ride home... if you are going to pass out from exhaustion.. I will be behind the wheel...


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## MHElectric

B4T said:


> Biggest danger about working long hours is the ride home... if you are going to pass out from exhaustion.. I will be behind the wheel...


About a month ago, I was finishing up on a Friday night , and At this point, it had already been close to a 60 hr week (or more). All I had to do was drive about 20 mins and I'd be home.

Jumped in the truck and went on my way - I come to and I had driven about 3/4 of the way home, turned around, and now i was only a couple blocks away from the job I had just left! I decided it would be a good idea not to work the next day. :whistling2:

Fatigue can really sneak up on you.


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## Rollie73

MDShunk said:


> It's probably also fair to say that even a union contractor doesn't truly know what caliber of a guy he's going to get when he makes the call for more hands.


You couldn't be more right. It is made somewhat easier here in that the hall will allow us to pick and choose a couple of guys for a short time call out like an emergency.


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## NacBooster29

I find my peak production hours to be Wednesday between 10-11:30 am


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## macmikeman

I have contracted chiller plant replacements on tall buildings in Honolulu that started Friday at 3:30 pm and ended Sunday night or Monday morning before 5o am straight thru. Those were a while back though, I am not sure I could take a haul like that any more. Ya never know unless you give it a whirl, but the ac better be on Monday or else.....


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## HARRY304E

B4T said:


> Biggest danger about working long hours is the ride home... if you are going to pass out from exhaustion.. I will be behind the wheel...


Thank god my truck knows the way home..:laughing:


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## five.five-six

Speedy Petey said:


> Studies have shown that over 40 hrs a week can lead to decreased productivity.
> I've seen reports that 35 hrs/week is optimal.


If I see my guy(s) dragging ass i will often let them go after 7-7.5 hrs, I pay them for the full day. let them come back refreshed and grateful. I on the other-hand pretty much have been working 70 hr weeks for the last ... hell I don't know, forever.


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## Spunk#7

I recommend a 50 gallon drum of Geritol for the symptoms you are describing,give everybody 8ozs.,symptoms should clear up in no time. You are suffering from tired blood!


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## glen1971

Big John said:


> Ditto. It works in a pinch but doing routine 12+ seems stupid to me unless money is literally no object, and even then I think throwing more able bodies at it during normal hours is a better solution.


However, as most are aware, there is a limit to adding bodies to get a job done too, before it becomes non productive... A 1,000 hour job is not likely to get done in 2 - 10 hour days with 50 people.. 
Sitting in a project meeting in Fort Mac one day, the client wanted more people to help complete stress cones quicker.. I forget the number that they wanted to add, but it was ridiculous.. They just couldn't realize that they were behind schedule and couldn't make it up there.. The superintendant that was looking after the high voltage side of things, finally said, after a lengthy discussion on the problems with putting more people on it, "You know.. 9 women can't have a baby in a month...".. Half the roof turned and had the look like a dog watching tv and the rest of us were laughing... I never forgot that line and used it a couple of times since... 



Speedy Petey said:


> Studies have shown that over 40 hrs a week can lead to decreased productivity.
> I've seen reports that 35 hrs/week is optimal.


And not to mention the risk of an incident increase.. I'm pretty sure no one wants to deal with that either..


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## Aegis

Anything over 12 and you have to put signs on disconnects and gutters/splitters saying "Turn Off First Before Opening and Working On!" 

I have found that having a longer break at the 9 hour mark keeps you going for the last 3 hours.


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## B4T

I think by the time you hit late 40's.. you start seeing yourself slow down....

When the big 50 hits.. you will be on the downhill slide of paying for all the past sins of abusing your body.. 

For you young guys out there.. some day it will be your turn to pay the price of being "young"..


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## flyboy

B4T said:


> I think by the time you hit late 40's.. you start seeing yourself slow down....
> 
> When the big 50 hits.. you will be on the downhill slide of paying for all the past sins of abusing your body..
> 
> For you young guys out there.. some day it will be your turn to pay the price of being "young"..


Wow! Closing in on 63 I should just roll over and die I guess.


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## Big John

flyboy said:


> Wow! Closing in on 63 I should just roll over and die I guess.


 I call dibs on that airplane.


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## flyboy

Big John said:


> I call dibs on that airplane.



...now that's cold.


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## B4T

flyboy said:


> Wow! Closing in on 63 I should just roll over and die I guess.


I'm right next to you to you.. 

We all slow down with age... but it is the younger years that set the framework how good or bad it will be..


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## flyboy

B4T said:


> I'm right next to you to you..
> 
> We all slow down with age... but *it is the younger years that set the framework how good or bad it will be*..


You ain't kidding. If I could go back I'd wear my back brace all the time. I've been out of the field since 1995, but I'm still paying for the 20+ years I was in the field. 

Young guys, wear your PPE when necessary, but don't forget the

...back brace
...eye protection
...ear protection


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## Wirenuting

flyboy said:


> Young guys, wear your PPE when necessary, .... Back brace....


All the data I've read over the years points to the back brace causing more injuries then not wearing it. 
Most people don't wear it properly and yet believe they can lift more. 

But from an employer stand point, those who don't wear it are failing to follow company safety policy.


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## flyboy

Wirenuting said:


> All the data I've read over the years points to the back brace causing more injuries then not wearing it.
> Most people don't wear it properly and yet believe they can lift more.
> 
> But from an employer stand point, those who don't wear it are failing to follow company safety policy.


There's probably a lot of truth in that. 

How you lift stuff up is important to.


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## HARRY304E

flyboy said:


> You ain't kidding. If I could go back I'd wear my back brace all the time. I've been out of the field since 1995, but I'm still paying for the 20+ years I was in the field.
> 
> Young guys, wear your PPE when necessary, but don't forget the
> 
> ...back brace
> ...eye protection
> ...ear protection


Dust mask too.


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## NacBooster29

flyboy said:


> There's probably a lot of truth in that.
> 
> How you lift stuff up is important to.


Always lift with your back, in a sudden jerking motion. 
Everyone knows this.


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## Ink&Brass

flyboy said:


> You ain't kidding. If I could go back I'd wear my back brace all the time. I've been out of the field since 1995, but I'm still paying for the 20+ years I was in the field.
> 
> Young guys, wear your PPE when necessary, but don't forget the
> 
> ...back brace
> ...eye protection
> ...ear protection


I'm but 23, so I still think I'm invincible and whatnot, thus I'm pretty sure the "safety squint" works when my glasses are too far away. right? :thumbsup:


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## mayanees

Speedy Petey said:


> Please tell me how this is possible, and WHY it is necessary. :001_huh:


That's Amazon. I've seen them turn a strip mall into a fully functional Data Center in 3 1/2 months by using electrical equipment from cancelled orders, and working the hell outta the crews..


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## markore

Knee pads, good shoes, and lots of fresh padded socks.


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## drsparky

I just looked at my pay stub from the end December, 334 hoours of overtime in 2013. I'm tired.


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## Sparky208

Pistol_Pete said:


> We just finished an amazon distribution in coppell tx and there were a lot of us pulling anywhere from 85 -100 work weeks.


Been there done that with Amazon here in PA


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## Sparky208

Speedy Petey said:


> Please tell me how this is possible, and WHY it is necessary. :001_huh:


Amazon has lots of money and likes to make ridiculous dead lines. Been there done it here in PA with Amazon. They are not easy to work for either.


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## Blayney86

NacBooster29 said:


> Always lift with your back, in a sudden jerking motion.
> Everyone knows this.


 You forgot to include the twisting! Its a three part lift!

As for long days, a few weeks back I went straight through 31hrs. That was death! Lots of Monster and Skoal! The calls were to good to resist!


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## fp.unit

That's nuts! Stay careful. My old job where I was a labourer we had crews working out west (travel and OT paid by company) and these nutbags pulled a lunatic shift of 30 hours, sure enough one guy decimated a company truck on the way home passing out from being tired 5 minutes from their townhouse. Luckily he was alive but I can't imagine driving for more then 5 minutes being that tired.


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## Aegis

fp.unit said:


> That's nuts! Stay careful. My old job where I was a labourer we had crews working out west (travel and OT paid by company) and these nutbags pulled a lunatic shift of 30 hours, sure enough one guy decimated a company truck on the way home passing out from being tired 5 minutes from their townhouse. Luckily he was alive but I can't imagine driving for more then 5 minutes being that tired.


How the hell does someone make the call of working for 30 hours and the rest of the guys agreeing with it.


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## 360max

...productivity falls off the shelf after 10 hours


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## Blayney86

Aegis said:


> How the hell does someone make the call of working for 30 hours and the rest of the guys agreeing with it.


HAHA it was a fluke and planned on being a busy day already. Planned on working 6-2 on this house rewire going home taking a nap then going to this commercial night job I was doing. had an easy call to change out a main breaker couldn't turn it down. Money was to good. Got home around 230am from my night job and was getting out of the shower and got a call about a drunk driver driving their car into a business I work for. Don't plan on doing it again but if I can do two or three days in vegas without sleep. I can damn sure stay up that long to make money!!


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## NacBooster29

I've worked 24+ hours straight.
It was on an occupied multi story building swapping the fire alarm panel and field devices. The killer was completing the acceptance test with the engineers before they would allow us to put the system into service. 
The actual work was complete in roughly 18 hours. Then testing everything 100% and clarifying labeling issues. Etc.
And there was maybe only a few minutes of down time. We stopped to eat but no naps etc.


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## ponyboy

Blayney86 said:


> HAHA it was a fluke and planned on being a busy day already. Planned on working 6-2 on this house rewire going home taking a nap then going to this commercial night job I was doing. had an easy call to change out a main breaker couldn't turn it down. Money was to good. Got home around 230am from my night job and was getting out of the shower and got a call about a drunk driver driving their car into a business I work for. Don't plan on doing it again but if I can do two or three days in vegas without sleep. I can damn sure stay up that long to make money!!


 F*ck that. I fully intend to open my own shop some day but there's no way I'm doing that 12 hours a day 7 days a week nonsense. If you possess a sought after skill set you shouldn't have to live like that


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## Bkessler

ponyboy said:


> F*ck that. I fully intend to open my own shop some day but there's no way I'm doing that 12 hours a day 7 days a week nonsense. If you possess a sought after skill set you shouldn't have to live like that


It's tough to say no to money.


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## chicken steve

As well as biting off more than you can chew to get it......~CS~


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## MHElectric

ponyboy said:


> F*ck that. I fully intend to open my own shop some day but there's no way I'm doing that 12 hours a day 7 days a week nonsense. If you possess a sought after skill set you shouldn't have to live like that


While I agree with you, you will find it incredibly hard to start out working 8-4 m-f. When you go for it, you need to be prepared to head out any & every time that phone rings. You dont need to do this forever, but until you get your name out there and your phone rings everyday, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Money will become your new motivation.


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## Blayney86

Some people just operate this way not just in electrical but in life. It may be my mild ADD but that's just me.


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## ponyboy

Blayney86 said:


> Some people just operate this way not just in electrical but in life. It may be my mild ADD but that's just me.


I worked for a guy like that once. He'd work super late almost every day and would go out on Sundays and holidays too. What a miserable way to live


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## Lone Crapshooter

Where I work 16 max and 18 under extreme circumstances. In the past 2 weeks I have worked from7:30 to 11:30AM and being sent home. Because my normal 8 hour job is from 7:30 to 4:00 still exists I get paid to 4:00.
It constitute a lockout and we have a no strike no lock out clause in the contract.

LC


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## union347sparky

I worked for a shop that worked in natural gas plants updating their electrical systems. They wanted us there 24/7 still the job got done. We tried working 12-14 hr days instead but that didn't last long. Nothing was getting done. We went to shift time instead. That was awesome. 9 hrs apiece 3 shifts total. More work got done and the job went smoothly. I greatly prefer that over tons of OT anytime.


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## Blayney86

ponyboy said:


> I worked for a guy like that once. He'd work super late almost every day and would go out on Sundays and holidays too. What a miserable way to live


Haha not miserable! I don't have family yet so that's not a concern. But I do make sure I take time for myself. We race drag boats every few weekends and I make sure I fish or surf once a week and hunt during hunting season. Its about balance. Its easy to work a lot as long as you manage the stress. I know people who only work 40 a week that look like they work 100 because of the stress. Its all about managing the chaos...And making that money


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## union347sparky

ponyboy said:


> F*ck that. I fully intend to open my own shop some day but there's no way I'm doing that 12 hours a day 7 days a week nonsense. If you possess a sought after skill set you shouldn't have to live like that


8-4 working with tools is not a bad goal. (It ends up being 8-till done) However, be prepared to set at your desk catching up on all the paper work being out on your own causes. Especially if you have employees.


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## ponyboy

union347sparky said:


> 8-4 working with tools is not a bad goal. (It ends up being 8-till done) However, be prepared to set at your desk catching up on all the paper work being out on your own causes. Especially if you have employees.


I'll probably try and stay in the industrial market. I've made a lot of contacts so far and have become quite proficient on most of the specialized equipment in our sector. Whether or not that can translate into a career remains to be seen.


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## Blayney86

union347sparky said:


> 8-4 working with tools is not a bad goal. (It ends up being 8-till done) However, be prepared to set at your desk catching up on all the paper work being out on your own causes. Especially if you have employees.


X2 and keeping up with what you have and need on the truck. As well as being on your phone half the day. And the calls always come at the worst times.


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## TOOL_5150

i am a tired electrician today.


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## Ozzy1990

Foreman didn't understand when I told him I work to live, not live to work. They wanted 84 hours a week for 6 Weeks in a row.


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## tommydh

wildleg said:


> I've found, in my short life, that production work (assuming your guys are producing to begin with) drops off after 10 hrs. 12 hours gets you 11 hrs worth of work, 16 gets you 12 or 13 at most, especially after a week or two. after 4 weeks, you are getting something like 8 or 9 for that 12 hr day. that's expensive when you consider that those extra hours are costing 1.5
> 
> JMSO


 Agreed! I personally prefer a single break a day as opposed to break/lunc. 1 30 minute when agreed on by crew is a lil more productive. Look at it this way and any Owners/supers reading this I hope you think your guys don't do this: 10 minutes prior start cleaning up for break. Break the talk to other trades a minute or 2 then get tools back out after break so that 15 minutes is closer to an hour with exceptions to the few who actually do the strict time thing. Then wouldn't you know it a hour or 2 after the last break now its lunch ok guys Pre luch 15 before so you can get food and be back by time lunch starts then 30 min then its closer to knock off time so you just are dragging ass. 1 30 minute break gives you a nice mid day rest without thhhe extra "break" activities


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## MaxH

Working hours solely depends on your boss.It is he who decides how many hours are needed for the work to be completed.But working safely is very much essential.


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## Hawkrod

tommydh said:


> Agreed! I personally prefer a single break a day as opposed to break/lunc. 1 30 minute when agreed on by crew is a lil more productive. Look at it this way and any Owners/supers reading this I hope you think your guys don't do this: 10 minutes prior start cleaning up for break. Break the talk to other trades a minute or 2 then get tools back out after break so that 15 minutes is closer to an hour with exceptions to the few who actually do the strict time thing. Then wouldn't you know it a hour or 2 after the last break now its lunch ok guys Pre luch 15 before so you can get food and be back by time lunch starts then 30 min then its closer to knock off time so you just are dragging ass. 1 30 minute break gives you a nice mid day rest without thhhe extra "break" activities


I will tell you that if my guys took time to "get ready for breaks and lunches" they would be taking time looking for a new job. "Pre luch 15 before so you can get food and be back by time lunch starts" are you kidding me? You get your food when you go on lunch, not before hand. The lunch period is not just the time you are sitting around, it includes getting your pail from your truck etc... JMO


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## Jarp Habib

In my general labor before joining the Trade Life, I worked 117 hours in 7 days straight. I was on a boat crew trying to finish an absurd harbor dredging project by deadline. I had a bunk and a kitchenette onsite. I would wake up, make eggs for breakfast and either shovel mud around the barge or operate the survey robot until pizza showed up, three times a day, then i would go to my bunk and sleep until it was time to make eggs for the crew again. I have only one actual specific memory from that week: Our boss and company owner flipping out and hurling a lump of hard, solid mud at the customer's engineer-inspector: "Does THIS look like sediment to you??" Everything else from that time is just a blur. I am very sure that if I had been asked to perform any kind of actual task with intelligence or precision by the 4th day, I would have been entirely incapable. I would have been in no shape to perform just about any kind of electrical work in that shape, other than being on the grunt end of a wire pull crew maybe 


Since becoming an electrician, things are far better. The longest I've been asked to work one week was 70 so far. We had a couple late nights making up PDUs in a new room at a datacenter, and then I followed up with an overnight Sunday Clean & Tighten shutdown at an office tower downtown.


I might enjoy pushing breaks to the reasonable limit, but feel tommydh here is milking the cow pretty hard. A 15 minute break should never be pushed anywhere near an hour!


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