Scheduling on long rides

[tc1]

Well, what we did at my already unionized workforce is we went through the labor-management process to get an agreement to get a new schedule. Then we researched and surveyed and voted and had informational meetings and more votes and finally came up with a schedule that was still shiftwork, but much more rational. A big part of this was creating default work schedules for the relief people.

If you are working truly random, that is you never know two days in advance when you will be working, you are SOL. But if you are always providing relief for the same people, you could have a more regular shift work schedule.

The last thing I will say is, if you go to a new schedule, don't believe people will work a certain shift until they have actually agreed to it and show up for work. I ended up with every weekend off for 3 consecutive years, and I was a very low seniority person, but none of the people with whiskers wanted to work swing shift.

Schedules are what I do now, if you want more info contact me and I can provide it. The research has already been done, a lot of it on people in the medical profession.

[Karma007]

Thanks guys! A, you might be on to something; I'll have to see if I can't pick a route that would work. I never thought of that, but there is a nice trail a few minutes out, and I bet it might work, and it's not too far out in the middle of nowhere.

tci, thanks so much! Being per diem, I know my schedule ahead of time, I just get the crummy leftovers the full time people don't take. I'm not guaranteed any hours at all, but have been lucky enough to fork 40+ hours a week since I started. They're just terrible hours!

[Melalvai]

Have you taken the Traffic Cycling 101 bike class from www.bikeleague.org? Nothing can guarantee that you won't wreck, but it will make you feel so much more confident and in control.