Any services using 13 hours shifts?

[Juxel]

We have been pushing for 13 hour shifts so we only have to work 3 days a week but our management wants to see another service that does it. Anyone?

 

[mikeN]

13 is kind of weird but if your service runs 12 hour shifts I don't see why adding an hour wouldn't hurt. I work with people that do their 3 16 hour shifts 3 days in a row and that is their 48 for the week.

 

[SeanEddy]

If the call volume warrants it, then yes. Where I work, we use 8, 10, 12, 24 and 48 hour shifts. All of the different shifts depend on the area you are working and time of day. I think the short hour cars are quite effective and minimize the risk of accidents due to driver fatigue.

 

[medicdan]

My service has 13-hour shifts. The idea behind them is that we can work 3 days a week, the service counts it as Full Time, and they dont have to pay OT.

 

[SeanEddy]

That actually sounds like a really good idea.

 

[lightsandsirens5]

My service has 13-hour shifts. The idea behind them is that we can work 3 days a week, the service counts it as Full Time, and they dont have to pay OT.

So are both ends happy, or is one getting benifited at the others expense?

 

[medicdan]

Both ends are happy. Emplyoees only have to work 3 days/week, but get full benefits, company doesnt pay OT, but gets coverage when they need it. The most common shift is 9-2200 or 10-2300.

 

[lightsandsirens5]

Both ends are happy. Emplyoees only have to work 3 days/week, but get full benefits, company doesnt pay OT, but gets coverage when they need it. The most common shift is 9-2200 or 10-2300.

Ahhhh....Ok. Sounds cool!

 

[Outbac1]

So who works the 11 hrs from 22:00 - 09:00? Or is that an on call from home shift?

 

[reaper]

Both ends are happy. Emplyoees only have to work 3 days/week, but get full benefits, company doesnt pay OT, but gets coverage when they need it. The most common shift is 9-2200 or 10-2300.

How are the employees happy. OT is the only way to make any money in EMS. If a service stated that they were not paying OT, I would be walking!

 

[medicdan]

So who works the 11 hrs from 22:00 - 09:00? Or is that an on call from home shift?

My service has 60-odd BLS ambulances. Because the majority of our runs are non-emergencies, most of the calls are between 9AM and 8PM. Where we may have 20-30 BLS trucks on during the day, during the night, we only have 1 or 2 BLS staffed. Having a crew that starts early, and can stay as late as 10PM (most other day shifts end at 5PM-7PM), they can send that truck on long calls.

Crews like being able to fulfill FT requirements in 3 days so they can spend the other 4 at another job, or free to work OT shifts at the same company. During the winter, there are much OT available, and 4 days of OT are better than 3. Management likes to fluctuate the work force often-- so there are often weeks when only 80% of the shifts are filled.

EDIT: One other thing. At least for me, there isnt so much difference between an 7 hour shift, a 10 hour shift and a 13 hour shift. Its the same calls. If working 13s means I dont have to come into work one day a week, I'll take it!

 

[BLSBoy]

I work 3 12s a week, and that is FT.

 

[Grady_emt]

We have 8's, 10's, 12's and 13.5's

13.5's come in at 0400, 0600, 0800, 1000, 1500. 1700, 1900, 2100

12 come in at 0600/1800 (Spec Ops unit)

8's come in at 0700, 1600

10's come in scattered throughout the day as staffing allows

Personally, I work 3x13.5, Sat, Sun, Mon 1700-0630 and love having four days off but still working a "full time" job

 

[frogtat2]

Shifts

I guess we're a boring group where I'm at. We do 12 hr shifts straight across the board. :wacko:

 

[bstone]

my old service does 13hr shifts. 3 a week, 39hrs, bam done.

 

[mikeN]

My service has 60-odd BLS ambulances. Because the majority of our runs are non-emergencies, most of the calls are between 9AM and 8PM. Where we may have 20-30 BLS trucks on during the day, during the night, we only have 1 or 2 BLS staffed. Having a crew that starts early, and can stay as late as 10PM (most other day shifts end at 5PM-7PM), they can send that truck on long calls.

Crews like being able to fulfill FT requirements in 3 days so they can spend the other 4 at another job, or free to work OT shifts at the same company. During the winter, there are much OT available, and 4 days of OT are better than 3. Management likes to fluctuate the work force often-- so there are often weeks when only 80% of the shifts are filled.

EDIT: One other thing. At least for me, there isnt so much difference between an 7 hour shift, a 10 hour shift and a 13 hour shift. Its the same calls. If working 13s means I dont have to come into work one day a week, I'll take it!

Sounds like you work at either Fallon or Eascare. I'm going to guess eascare.

 

[emtfarva]

My service has 13 hour shifts. well, 2 13's and a 14. They use to have 39 hour weeks but decided that they wanted people to have a full 40 hrs. Most of the 13 hours are bls but we have a couple of als trucks that do that. those trucks start at 06:00, 06:30, 08:00. we also have an als crew that does 2 12's and a 16, three days a week. I work 4 tens in a row on an als truck. We also have a swing als truck that works 08:00 to 15:00 and a 16:00 to midnight (two crews the same truck). The rest of our als trucks are 24's. The rest of the bls trucks are a combo of 12, 10, and 8 hr trucks.

 

[MMiz]

Are you really sure you and others want 13 hours shifts? Usually it's the OT where folks make the money in EMS.

Our Paramedics worked three 12 hour shifts, and if they worked all three in a week then they got the last six hours as overtime pay.