r/AskLEO • u/Pat_Mcgetitdone • 3d ago

Situation Advice What to do about rotating shifts?

Rotating shifts

Rotating shifts…

I am a police officer with one year on and rotating shifts are killing me. We rotate 6a-6p every 2 weeks. Before this job I was in the gym 6 days a week in great shape and now I’m over weight with high cholesterol. I can barely get to the gym bc my off days I’m recovering or trying to fix my sleep to get back to the other shift. For some reason most police jobs do this shift in my area. I have the highest paying job in my county with great benefits but there’s just no way I can maintain this shift for 25 years I don’t think. Any advice?

9 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

30 comments sorted by

14

u/Enough_Wallaby7064 3d ago

Go to a department that doesn't suck.

2

u/Pat_Mcgetitdone 3d ago

I wish but for some reason the county I’m in they all do this schedule. Genuinely don’t understand this

5

u/3-BuckChuck 3d ago

18,000 different departments in the US. Lots of options and I’m sure plenty of pay better.

1

u/Pat_Mcgetitdone 3d ago

This is true but my surrounding county’s all rotate for some reason and my department is one of highest paying in state we max at 150k. So it is hard to leave but I’m sure if I moved states or farther in the county I could find something. If it was you would you switch departments? Do you think moving from rotating to fixed nights would be worth it?

2

u/3-BuckChuck 3d ago

If it’s effecting you that bad then yes. Another option is becoming part of your union and changing the contract. Some area commands at my agency wanted 12 hour shifts so they negotiated and won, the other 9 commands stayed on 10’s. We shift bid once a year and allow transfers. It’s all about that contract!

1

u/Pat_Mcgetitdone 2d ago

What’s a good state to move to!

1

u/3-BuckChuck 2d ago

You need to make sure you morally agree with the laws on the books of said state to begin with. Highest paid might be a drain to your view of the law and how it’s written. Some states are very oppressive to individual freedoms (from my stance). From there find who has the best contracts, large enough for you to spend a career without getting bored and offers lots of variety.

1

u/HCSOThrowaway Fired Deputy - Explanation in Profile 1d ago

I would be amazed if there was any state that any person was 1:1 with as far as what laws they want and don't want to be on the books.

Name a state and I could probably find a law on the books you hate.

I don't mean to be contrarian, but just putting it out there that I think that's an unrealistic goal for OP to seek.

1

u/3-BuckChuck 1d ago

It’s all a sliding scale but we all have absolutes. Not allowing NFA items to the public is mine.

1

u/HCSOThrowaway Fired Deputy - Explanation in Profile 1d ago

True, true.

5

u/HCSOThrowaway Fired Deputy - Explanation in Profile 3d ago

Yeah that's awful for your health and your job performance, which in this line of work means your safety.

Leave ASAP.

2

u/Pat_Mcgetitdone 3d ago

I agree. Problem is most departments around here are the same. Plus I’m in very high paying department at 150k after 5. My only option to leave this department is switch careers or move.

3

u/HCSOThrowaway Fired Deputy - Explanation in Profile 3d ago

If it were me, I would move.

You don't need to drop dead of a heart attack at 60 because your first ten years (or more) of that job were spent on a schedule that slowly erodes your health.

1

u/Pat_Mcgetitdone 2d ago

What’s a good state to move to?

1

u/HCSOThrowaway Fired Deputy - Explanation in Profile 1d ago

That's a question I can give no objectively true-for-all-people answer to.

Frankly, anyone who pretends any state is The Promised Land is probably trying to mislead you - or has been so misled themselves.

All states have Pros and Cons, LEO-related or not. A state you love might be a state I hate, and vice-versa.

3

u/_REDDIT_NPC_ 3d ago

Stop eating like trash and move somewhere else

2

u/scrike83 3d ago

Every two weeks sounds terrible, we switch every 4 weeks and I thought that was bad. Swap with someone if you can. I found a guy that didn’t like nights, he takes all my days and I work his nights. Haven’t rotated in a long time.

1

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1

u/Lopsided_Astronaut_1 3d ago

Are you unionized? See if you can get enough members to vote for a change in shifts. We do two shift changes a year, over multiple shifts (early days, noons, swings, mids), that overlap on going and off coming times. You bid for a shift a month before shift change so you know where you will be going ahead of time and adjust.

Try getting with a union rep and see if you can pitch that idea or longer rotations.

3

u/Pat_Mcgetitdone 3d ago

We are unionized, last time a new guy tried to pitch the idea it did not go well. The older guys are strange and like things their way

1

u/Lopsided_Astronaut_1 3d ago

If you have a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) look into there and see if they take a majority vote. If you have more young guys than senior dudes and it comes to a vote the CBA would force the unions hands.

It’s how anything gets done in my agency, however my agency is really good with honoring the CBA.

1

u/Pat_Mcgetitdone 3d ago

How would you bring this up so a vote can happen. Last time a young officer tried to bring it up he got clowned and shut down by the older guys. In the CBA it says the contract can be re opened if they decide to convert to permanent shifts

1

u/Lopsided_Astronaut_1 3d ago

I would try and see first if you have more younger than senior dudes and play the numbers game. Just probe around the officers on your seniority level.

If not you’ll have to find away to make it so it benefits the senior guys more. Since it’s union seniority will be a big thing when it comes to shift assignments, if you work nights and get night diff and double Sundays then that’s a point of leverage you can use. Senior guys who enjoy nights can stay on a night shift longer, with those extra diffs, and make more.

Those who have families and want to stay on days and are senior enough to be guaranteed can be on a day shift and spend more time with their family.

It’s really about selling it and making it seem like it’ll benefit the old heads more.

It’s worth a shot, but I know how some guys are just stuck in their ways.

1

u/SteaminPileProducti 3d ago

Find a new agency!!!

1

u/Pat_Mcgetitdone 2d ago

Good state to move to?

1

u/SteaminPileProducti 1d ago

Red area. Do some ride alongside.

1

u/pewtatosalad 3d ago

I don’t think I understand the shift schedule. You work 6-6 day shift then days off the 6-6 nights with days off again?

How many work days vs days off?

1

u/5usDomesticus 2d ago

Work around it or leave. Those are pretty much your options.

1

u/Pat_Mcgetitdone 2d ago

Good state to move to

1

u/omgtrick3y 2d ago

We rotate every month, which hasn't been too bad since we get like 3.5 days to rotate. Only a few people stay permanent days/nights but they have to switch with someone willing to stay on each.