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4 or 5 day week
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Railroader22
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It can be anything. Shift patterns include 7 days in a row sometimes.
Hi...
The 35 hour week is averaged across the whole 'link' (roster), so it may change drastically from one week to the next. Usually though you'll be looking at either 5 day weeks with a week of days off every few weeks (maybe every 6 weeks or so) - in which case a working week will be well over 35 hours, but is then balanced out by the 0 hours of the weeks of days off - or 4 days a week with two days off . This is often arranged as mon/tues off, then weds/thurs, then fri/sat, then mon/tues etc, so you end up with fri - tues off regularly. Sundays are optional.
Hope that helps! Whereabouts will you be based?
The 35 hour week is averaged across the whole 'link' (roster), so it may change drastically from one week to the next. Usually though you'll be looking at either 5 day weeks with a week of days off every few weeks (maybe every 6 weeks or so) - in which case a working week will be well over 35 hours, but is then balanced out by the 0 hours of the weeks of days off - or 4 days a week with two days off . This is often arranged as mon/tues off, then weds/thurs, then fri/sat, then mon/tues etc, so you end up with fri - tues off regularly. Sundays are optional.
Hope that helps! Whereabouts will you be based?
Thank you. In the contract I just says 35 hours average so didn't know if it was 4 or 5 day week on average. Not worried about working 7 days as do more than that now haha
Thank you for this, very helpful So 35 hrs averaged over the whole rota.
So with the first example just to make sure I'm reading it right you get a whole week off every 6ish weeks and that's still paid?
Second example is fine so you get a long weekend every so many weeks.
Where I am now in a contract it states 4/5 out of 7 but GWR just says 35 hours so just wanted to see if anyone knows thank you. I suppose one I start il be put onto a rota and I can see how it all works.
Would anyone have an example rota they could share?
Based at BTM
Yup, it's a salaried role so there's no impact on the basic monthly whatever you work, except where overtime is payable.
The basic formula is essentially the total of all the hours across the whole rota, divided by number of lines (weeks) - that equals 35. So, it doesn't matter how many hours are in a particular week, it might be 40 or it might be zero, as long as it ultimately averages out over the whole rota.
As a point of trivia, and something which most folk find difficult to get their heads around at first, the "linking" (i.e. drawing up these rotas) is actually done each period by the local union reps at each depot, not by the company! The finished efforts then go off to management for approval. So there's a genuine effort at doing it in a way that's best for the troops
Yup, it's a salaried role so there's no impact on the basic monthly whatever you work, except where overtime is payable.
The basic formula is essentially the total of all the hours across the whole rota, divided by number of lines (weeks) - that equals 35. So, it doesn't matter how many hours are in a particular week, it might be 40 or it might be zero, as long as it ultimately averages out over the whole rota.
As a point of trivia, and something which most folk find difficult to get their heads around at first, the "linking" (i.e. drawing up these rotas) is actually done each period by the local union reps at each depot, not by the company! The finished efforts then go off to management for approval. So there's a genuine effort at doing it in a way that's best for the troops
Awww so another bonus point about the job I didn't know about!! Potentially you get a week off without using your holiday! It just keeps getting better
Yes unlike other companies where the company does the rotas and then gets given to the union to just agree no matter what il be joining up as soon as I get there
True, but then again you might have more than 7 days on the bounce on the flip side!
I can deal with 7 days on the trot as atm sometimes I end up doing 13 haha
So 9 weeks off plus your holiday surley to good to be true.
That still averages a 4 or 5 day week as regardless of what day you start the week of shifts, a new week starts on a Sunday.
GWR usually average a 4 day week with Sundays outside.
It does differ considerably between depots for the guards, and sometimes between different links at the same depot.
The OP is off to Bristol, there are three Conductor links there; early, mixed and lates. Each has a different rest day pattern!
I appreciate that, but what I mean is, it’s never going to be more than a 5 day average working week, even if you have a string of say, 11 days on in a row.
Indeed, yes sorry! I was getting all excited about rest day patterns!
When you say 3 conductor links I take that means 3 different rotas? And early a mixed and a late.
I assume you have to put your name down to get onto them or you start off on the mixed one and go from there?
Is anyone a guard for Gwr on this thread? Whats your opinion on the rotas?
Traditionally, any early link tends to be at a premium, although they by no means exist at every depot (it does at Bristol currently!). Earlies tend to be the most popular amongst shift workers, and frequently an earlies link will be, as you say, a waiting list jobby. How that list is managed can vary, it might be simply in order of applying, or in some cases it may be on 'seniority' - the railway used to love seniority! It's a less commonly used device these days, but it still crops up. Essentially, whoever has been there longest is the most senior, and down the list it goes!
Early links mean no friday or saturday night antics, and in years gone by often an awful lot of ticket sale commission from the morning commuters, although that has fallen away to differing degrees in recent years.
The late link tends to be a different beast, usually far fewer people in it and less likely to be a waiting list. In a lot of cases, the local union reps will increase a late link accordingly if there is increased interest in it. Lates mean a lie-in and no morning peak aggro, and generally you get the busy bit of the shift over and done with at the start and then enjoy a reasonably peaceful evening (weekends aside!), which can be pleasant enough.
Mixed is self explanatory, a bit of everything, and the lion's share of any 'middle' shifts that don't really fit into the early or late links.
Where you end up as a new starter can depend, it isn't unheard of for new folks to be placed into a late link if that's the only vacant slot (I stress this may very well not be the case for you, don't panic!), which obviously could be a blessing or a curse depending on your personal preferences. If there are multiple slots vacant then you may well have a choice of where you start and what your first week looks like! Best point of contact for all of this stuff, once you've passed out and have a date to go into the link, is your rep
Traditionally, any early link tends to be at a premium, although they by no means exist at every depot (it does at Bristol currently!). Earlies tend to be the most popular amongst shift workers, and frequently an earlies link will be, as you say, a waiting list jobby. How that list is managed can vary, it might be simply in order of applying, or in some cases it may be on 'seniority' - the railway used to love seniority! It's a less commonly used device these days, but it still crops up. Essentially, whoever has been there longest is the most senior, and down the list it goes!
Early links mean no friday or saturday night antics, and in years gone by often an awful lot of ticket sale commission from the morning commuters, although that has fallen away to differing degrees in recent years.
The late link tends to be a different beast, usually far fewer people in it and less likely to be a waiting list. In a lot of cases, the local union reps will increase a late link accordingly if there is increased interest in it. Lates mean a lie-in and no morning peak aggro, and generally you get the busy bit of the shift over and done with at the start and then enjoy a reasonably peaceful evening (weekends aside!), which can be pleasant enough.
Mixed is self explanatory, a bit of everything, and the lion's share of any 'middle' shifts that don't really fit into the early or late links.
Where you end up as a new starter can depend, it isn't unheard of for new folks to be placed into a late link if that's the only vacant slot (I stress this may very well not be the case for you, don't panic!), which obviously could be a blessing or a curse depending on your personal preferences. If there are multiple slots vacant then you may well have a choice of where you start and what your first week looks like! Best point of contact for all of this stuff, once you've passed out and have a date to go into the link, is your rep
Thank you Towers for taking the time out of your day to explain this all! It's really appreciated. Being new onto the rails I just want to get a good understanding of as much as I can before I start
craigybagel
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Interesting. I've never heard of it existing for safety critical staff at any depot for any TOC before! I know the then Virgin trains used to have early and late links for some of its onboard catering staff but that's the only other time I've heard of it in dedicated links.
Permanent swaps, so that you only do the type of shift you prefer, I've heard of commonly enough (I have one myself) but I've never heard of actual links set up that way. Interesting.
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Definitely a thing!
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Any time!
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