Has anyone experienced burn out due to shift work and night shift?

I spent 20 years working 80-100 hour weeks and convinced myself it was worth it for the money. The trade off was I never saw my kids, my marriage was a disaster, and I had a heart attack and a stroke before I turned 40. In the end, the house, money, and retirement savings ended up going to my ex-wife anyway.

I switched industries and started over, taking a 60% pay cut. It was the best decision I ever made. It's taken a year to adjust to working a normal schedule and being home this much with my new wife and young step kids. It's going to take a lot longer to undo the damage to my relationship with my adult kids and grandkids from my first marriage.

I miss the money, but I'll never regret taking back my time.
 
memtb said:
Man does that sound like my job at Exxon (Plastics) in BR. I'd be a "pimp" before ever working that shift again.

Your a much tougher man than me. I had an opportunity to transfer (across company lines) to Wyoming in the mid '80's. That fulfilled a dream from my childhood! memtb
Click to expand...
When did you work at Exxon?
 
Up until the late 70's they worked 8 hour shifts which took 3 people to man 24 hours. The company got the young guys to vote for eoweo because on the 8 hour off days were by seniority. It might take 15 years to get a weekend off. The company was supposed to maintain an extra board to cover the ot but that never happened. With the 8 hour shift you might work a 16 if your relief called in but you typically did not work your off days. Also with the 8 hour you had a little more time for your body to adjust.
 
cajun said:
Up until the late 70's they worked 8 hour shifts which took 3 people to man 24 hours. The company got the young guys to vote for eoweo because on the 8 hour off days were by seniority. It might take 15 years to get a weekend off. The company was supposed to maintain an extra board to cover the ot but that never happened. With the 8 hour shift you might work a 16 if your relief called in but you typically did not work your off days. Also with the 8 hour you had a little more time for your body to adjust.
Click to expand...

That sounds like the refinery or the chem plant……I could be very wrong, but I thought that the Plastics Plant started out EOWEO! memtb
 
It may just be a short lived thing. I've worked the same job for 18-19years this summer was the easiest most laid back. But it's also the first year I had very little desire to get my cars out. Normally if I had 6 hours home I got one out to drive. This year not once have I don't that. Now I still love my cars but just wasn't feeling it. This comes and goes with me in all hobbies. So I could be work or just you needed a bit of down time
 
cajun said:
Up until the late 70's they worked 8 hour shifts which took 3 people to man 24 hours. The company got the young guys to vote for eoweo because on the 8 hour off days were by seniority. It might take 15 years to get a weekend off. The company was supposed to maintain an extra board to cover the ot but that never happened. With the 8 hour shift you might work a 16 if your relief called in but you typically did not work your off days. Also with the 8 hour you had a little more time for your body to adjust.
Click to expand...
That actually takes 4 people per 24 hour shift since one person is off while the other three work. The fourth person covers sick/OT/vacation etc. I hated 8 hour shifts, when someone called in sick it turned into a 16 hour shift.
 
Mrvmax said:
That actually takes 4 people per 24 hour shift since one person is off while the other three work. The fourth person covers sick/OT/vacation etc. I hated 8 hour shifts, when someone called in sick it turned into a 16 hour shift.
Click to expand...
The older guys liked it because they always had their off days which were usually tied into a weekend.
 
Mrvmax said:
That actually takes 4 people per 24 hour shift since one person is off while the other three work. The fourth person covers sick/OT/vacation etc. I hated 8 hour shifts, when someone called in sick it turned into a 16 hour shift.
Click to expand...
So you can say the same thing about 12 hour. Either way they needed less people to man 24 hours.
 
I could work a 48-60 continuous hour day, sleep 2-5 and go again without food, but needed energy drinks/gatorade/COLD water to keep hydrated. Now my problem is severe neck pain that replaced my work hours.
 

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