I have been on first shift for 3 weeks now, so I thought I would do a quick update for those interested in how things are going.
I am LOVING first shift.
Two, sometimes three days, off in a row. I work 6 days, then off two. This way, days off rotate so that everyone gets weekend time. In a few weeks, I will have Friday, Saturday and Sunday off. The following week, I will have Saturday, Sunday and Monday off.
The hours I am getting are much better. The last two paychecks have been for over 50 hours.....if not for the really steep insurance premiums, I would have brought home $440 or more the last two weeks. Sixty seven dollars and some change each week for medical and dental insurance is taking a major bit out of my insurance. Since hiring into the company, I have seen 1/6th of my gross pay go to insurance premiums.....5 times as much as has been withheld for federal taxes. Ouch! I am taking steps to find cheaper insurance....had a meeting last Tuesday morning with an independent insurance broker to find more affordable medical, dental, vision and life insurance coverage.
On first shift, the work day goes so freaking fast. A 12 hour day goes by faster than a 6 hour shift on second. Granted, the pace on first shift is faster...but nothing that I have had trouble keeping up with....I am a fast worker, so the flow of first shift fits my work habits better.
First shift is predominantly made up of immigrants from Mexico, Puerto Rick, El Salvidor, Dominican Republic and other Latin/Hispanic countries. I don't have a problem working with folks from other lands.....they are working and supporting themselves and their families....unlike the guy who lives across the street from me who hasn't had a job in 3 years and is milking every bit of tax-payer funded assistance he can get his lazy fingers wrapped around....he has passed up job opportunities because he is living better on tax-payer money than he could on a 9 dollar an hour paycheck. I degress..... I have fit in well with the original first shift workers and have been well received by them. I have had a few of them tell me that I work like a Mexican.....which I took as a high compliment from them seeing as they were of Mexican origin and have been working at the plant for many years.
I will not always have 50 hour plus weeks....the week I just finished today (pay period is Sunday through Saturday) will see me in the high 40s range.....47 to 49 hours. We had the company Christmas party/dinner Friday afternoon and today was a slow day (started at 7 AM and was out the door at 1 PM...which was nice as it gave me time to do some final Christmas shopping for Deb and some birthday shopping for our great-niece Lexis, who turns 12 tomorrow....though I really hated the traffic to and from Walmart....and will not even attempt to describe what it was like inside the store). Now that the holiday busy period is over, things will slow down a bit until late winter/early spring. 35 hour weeks will be the norm for a couple months....which is okay....luckily Deb and I do not have to rely entirely on my income to live....with her Social Security Disability and Disability Insurance incomes, my income is the "breathing room" in our finances. Once we hit our peak busy season (March through August), there will be times that a 35 hour week will be something that I dream about....the norm during that period is 65 to 70 hour weeks.
My supervisor, Mike, and the senior line leader, Adolpho, are both impressed with my work and know that whatever assignment they give me will be done efficiently, effectively and accurately. I had worked with Adolpho some last summer and he knew that I would fit in nicely on first shift and would have no problems adjusting to the faster pace.
Deb has adjusted to me being gone during the day, and to me getting home latish when I have a 12 hour day. She likes that I am home to have supper with her a few days a week and am at home with her at night. The dogs...well, they seem to have adjusted to my new hours as well.....though they do carry on something terrible when I come home after a 12 hour day and having been gone for 13 to 14 hours...they miss their "daddy".
Tim
I am LOVING first shift.
Two, sometimes three days, off in a row. I work 6 days, then off two. This way, days off rotate so that everyone gets weekend time. In a few weeks, I will have Friday, Saturday and Sunday off. The following week, I will have Saturday, Sunday and Monday off.
The hours I am getting are much better. The last two paychecks have been for over 50 hours.....if not for the really steep insurance premiums, I would have brought home $440 or more the last two weeks. Sixty seven dollars and some change each week for medical and dental insurance is taking a major bit out of my insurance. Since hiring into the company, I have seen 1/6th of my gross pay go to insurance premiums.....5 times as much as has been withheld for federal taxes. Ouch! I am taking steps to find cheaper insurance....had a meeting last Tuesday morning with an independent insurance broker to find more affordable medical, dental, vision and life insurance coverage.
On first shift, the work day goes so freaking fast. A 12 hour day goes by faster than a 6 hour shift on second. Granted, the pace on first shift is faster...but nothing that I have had trouble keeping up with....I am a fast worker, so the flow of first shift fits my work habits better.
First shift is predominantly made up of immigrants from Mexico, Puerto Rick, El Salvidor, Dominican Republic and other Latin/Hispanic countries. I don't have a problem working with folks from other lands.....they are working and supporting themselves and their families....unlike the guy who lives across the street from me who hasn't had a job in 3 years and is milking every bit of tax-payer funded assistance he can get his lazy fingers wrapped around....he has passed up job opportunities because he is living better on tax-payer money than he could on a 9 dollar an hour paycheck. I degress..... I have fit in well with the original first shift workers and have been well received by them. I have had a few of them tell me that I work like a Mexican.....which I took as a high compliment from them seeing as they were of Mexican origin and have been working at the plant for many years.
I will not always have 50 hour plus weeks....the week I just finished today (pay period is Sunday through Saturday) will see me in the high 40s range.....47 to 49 hours. We had the company Christmas party/dinner Friday afternoon and today was a slow day (started at 7 AM and was out the door at 1 PM...which was nice as it gave me time to do some final Christmas shopping for Deb and some birthday shopping for our great-niece Lexis, who turns 12 tomorrow....though I really hated the traffic to and from Walmart....and will not even attempt to describe what it was like inside the store). Now that the holiday busy period is over, things will slow down a bit until late winter/early spring. 35 hour weeks will be the norm for a couple months....which is okay....luckily Deb and I do not have to rely entirely on my income to live....with her Social Security Disability and Disability Insurance incomes, my income is the "breathing room" in our finances. Once we hit our peak busy season (March through August), there will be times that a 35 hour week will be something that I dream about....the norm during that period is 65 to 70 hour weeks.
My supervisor, Mike, and the senior line leader, Adolpho, are both impressed with my work and know that whatever assignment they give me will be done efficiently, effectively and accurately. I had worked with Adolpho some last summer and he knew that I would fit in nicely on first shift and would have no problems adjusting to the faster pace.
Deb has adjusted to me being gone during the day, and to me getting home latish when I have a 12 hour day. She likes that I am home to have supper with her a few days a week and am at home with her at night. The dogs...well, they seem to have adjusted to my new hours as well.....though they do carry on something terrible when I come home after a 12 hour day and having been gone for 13 to 14 hours...they miss their "daddy".
Tim
