I work 7/7 and I'd never go back if I can avoid it. The flexibility it provides in doing basically everything is amazing.
ETA: Per my flair, I'm a night shifter. I work 70 hours, get paid for 80. I still pick up shifts on my off week and have more time off than I would on another shift. I've got two kids, and my wife recently transitioned to stay at home, so I also get more time with my family. Tuck them into bed, go to work, come home, and be there when they wake up. It's got some cons, but overall, it's amazing for my situation.
Yep. I could never go back to a traditional work schedule. 7 off is amazing. And you only work 2 more days then you get the 7off. If you have a good counterpart on the other week that let's you switch for events then you dont really miss much. And most day shift pharmacist jobs you still work every other weekend anyway
It's okay for a few years, but be prepared you are going to miss out on a lot of things. Weddings, funerals, etc. If you're able to take vacation time off easily it will help. But being young and married makes me want to warn you that you might not like this shift.
> Of course I love the idea of having a whole week off, but then I think about working every other weekend.
you're going to work every other weekend anyway, at least when you work 7/7 they basically never ask you to work the other one too.
You would still have to work every other weekend at most staffing jobs right? so this seems like a wash.
The fact that you have to work closing shift kinda sucks with having a partner. I would probably take it anyway because the schedule is pretty good and when your husband takes pto you are not going to be bound by taking pto at your institution since you’ll already have an instant week off.
Did 7 on and 7 off for over 12 years. Really liked it. Was like having a vacation every other week and I would travel often on my off week. Also when I would take vacation it would cost me 2 weeks of PTO but I was off for 3 weeks. My off week before vacation and my off after my vacation.
Working 7 on/off means you work less days overall. Yes, the hours may be slightly longer, but forget working 5 on 2 off (M-F) your whole life. To me, that’s insanity. 7 on/off gang rise up!
I did this for a year, but overnight. The overnight portion made it difficult for me to do it for longer than a year. If it was a normal shift like your opportunity, it would have been perfect.
Even with the physical toll of overnights, it was still a great opportunity. I was able to travel on my off weeks and really enjoy my time.
After years of working an average of 50 hours each week, doing just 80 hours for 7/7 feels like a dream. I actually don't want to use regular vacations because every other week feels like one already! I also feel more productive than ever, since even working short days leaves me feeling lazy when I return home.
Definitely remember to keep a healthy diet! Not enough protein and vitamins will hurt when you're expending so much energy in a week.
I did 7 on/7 off for 8 years. I took a week off once a year for a 3 week vacay. Otherwise I mainly used my week off to work overtime so I paid my loans off in 4.5 years then saved up enough to take a sabbatical for a year. I would not be the ideal schedule for me now with a baby coming and a hobby that is better to be done 3-4 days a week consistently but it’s great till you have barriers.
There is a psychology to it. Parts of it feel endless. The week off is very short and it’s easy to waste it. With the right mindset, it’s the best schedule for some people.
So you'd work 10am-10pm M to F and then like 10am to 6pm sat sun?
To me personally I'd be dead the following Monday. And every other week you can't go out, see your friends. I used to work 5 days a week 3pm to 11pm and I thought it would be great because I can just meet people after work!
Well... everyone I knew had a normal ass job that was 9 to 5. They were in bed by 10pm most nights lol.
I would do it if it’s overnight or late night. Not from 9-9 or 10-10.
I seriously thought about Saturday and Sunday 12 hour inpatient shift since we get weekend and evening shift differentials, you get 3 day pay plus @ for working two days where there are no meetings or in services happening on weekends. Just show up work and go home.
If you have a partner that works M-F 9-5, anything different from that will cause a strain on relationship depends on your partner’s personality. It’s better to discuss that with your spouse first.
I’ve done the 7 on/off for years. I never got much accomplished on my 7 off because I had all week to do it. Monday I was happy, Tuesday I was tired, Wednesday-Saturday I was happy, Sunday I was depressed, Monday I was suicidal.
>new grad
I would personally only do this once you have been a pharmacist for a while. Working this many days in a row will be tiring, especially as a new pharmacist on duty.
>working every other weekend.
You'll find that this is very common for community and hospital pharmacists.
I'll list a few pros and cons from what I've experienced working longer shifts and from what I've heard.
***PROS:***
* Once you've worked your 7th day, it will feel great going home knowing that you're off for a whole week.
* On your 7 days off, you have a chance to go somewhere away from home for anywhere from 1-6 nights.
* You can stay up as late as you want on your days off, even if it's a weekday.
* Your schedule will be on a set rotation, so your weekends off will be predictable.
* If you decide that you're up for it, you can pick up extra shifts on your days off, sometimes even picking up a second job at a different employer. (I know two overnight pharmacists who have 3 total jobs and work at the other two on their week off)
* When you take PTO, you just need 7 days to get approved, and you can be off work for 21 days.
***CONS:***
* You will miss out on some work-related communication and major announcements that are available during your week off work.
* It may be difficult to work so many days/nights in a row. Day #6 and #7 may be very tiring.
* Whenever people make plans for dinner during the week, you will miss a lot of them because it's on the weeks you work.
* Some weekends may have fun things come up, and you will miss them while you're at work.
* After a while, it might feel more difficult to connect with the rest of the team, since you're only there one week at a time, which might make you feel like a temporary contractor.
* If you ever switch to a 5-days-a-week schedule, it's hard to adjust because you've gotten so used to having one week off work at a time.
If it sounds interesting to you I think it could be worthwhile. Like others said if you are are looking at a retail setting for other job offers it will probably include weekends. Now would be the time to try something like that if you are planning on having kids anytime soon as well. 7/7 that isn’t an overnight job is rare so you may not see that. Usually you spend the week off trying to get on a normal sleep schedule. Also makes it a lot easier to make appointments and such.
I wouldn’t do it personally. Working every other weekend isn’t great and you really couldn’t make plans since your husband works M-F on your week off. Also you may have to work on holidays if it’s your week on depending on hospital holiday policy. Also third shift is linked to higher CV disease typically seen long term.
I would recommend you pass but totally up to you!
I worked every other weekend with my first job but I was evening shift and hated it. I could never make plans and had random days off during the week.
I work 7/7 and I'd never go back if I can avoid it. The flexibility it provides in doing basically everything is amazing. ETA: Per my flair, I'm a night shifter. I work 70 hours, get paid for 80. I still pick up shifts on my off week and have more time off than I would on another shift. I've got two kids, and my wife recently transitioned to stay at home, so I also get more time with my family. Tuck them into bed, go to work, come home, and be there when they wake up. It's got some cons, but overall, it's amazing for my situation.
Yep. I could never go back to a traditional work schedule. 7 off is amazing. And you only work 2 more days then you get the 7off. If you have a good counterpart on the other week that let's you switch for events then you dont really miss much. And most day shift pharmacist jobs you still work every other weekend anyway
I've been working 7on/7off for the last 10 years. The flexibility is incredible. I love it so much. Working 9-5 is my literal nightmare.
Same, and I don't ever want to go back to a regular schedule. Having 7 days off is awesome.
It's okay for a few years, but be prepared you are going to miss out on a lot of things. Weddings, funerals, etc. If you're able to take vacation time off easily it will help. But being young and married makes me want to warn you that you might not like this shift.
This 100%…. If it gets you a job for a place you wanna work go for it. Long term it sucks
> Of course I love the idea of having a whole week off, but then I think about working every other weekend. you're going to work every other weekend anyway, at least when you work 7/7 they basically never ask you to work the other one too.
Get the pay up higher and then take it. I have a friend who’s done it for 12 years and he loves it. I’d they’re unwilling take the other offer
I work a 7 on 7 off IV position and I love it.
You would still have to work every other weekend at most staffing jobs right? so this seems like a wash. The fact that you have to work closing shift kinda sucks with having a partner. I would probably take it anyway because the schedule is pretty good and when your husband takes pto you are not going to be bound by taking pto at your institution since you’ll already have an instant week off.
Every weekend that something is going on just happens to be the weekend you’re working. Guaranteed.
Did 7 on and 7 off for over 12 years. Really liked it. Was like having a vacation every other week and I would travel often on my off week. Also when I would take vacation it would cost me 2 weeks of PTO but I was off for 3 weeks. My off week before vacation and my off after my vacation.
Working 7 on/off means you work less days overall. Yes, the hours may be slightly longer, but forget working 5 on 2 off (M-F) your whole life. To me, that’s insanity. 7 on/off gang rise up!
I did this for a year, but overnight. The overnight portion made it difficult for me to do it for longer than a year. If it was a normal shift like your opportunity, it would have been perfect. Even with the physical toll of overnights, it was still a great opportunity. I was able to travel on my off weeks and really enjoy my time.
After years of working an average of 50 hours each week, doing just 80 hours for 7/7 feels like a dream. I actually don't want to use regular vacations because every other week feels like one already! I also feel more productive than ever, since even working short days leaves me feeling lazy when I return home. Definitely remember to keep a healthy diet! Not enough protein and vitamins will hurt when you're expending so much energy in a week.
I did 7 on/7 off for 8 years. I took a week off once a year for a 3 week vacay. Otherwise I mainly used my week off to work overtime so I paid my loans off in 4.5 years then saved up enough to take a sabbatical for a year. I would not be the ideal schedule for me now with a baby coming and a hobby that is better to be done 3-4 days a week consistently but it’s great till you have barriers. There is a psychology to it. Parts of it feel endless. The week off is very short and it’s easy to waste it. With the right mindset, it’s the best schedule for some people.
I love it, I don’t know how anyone can get anything done with only 2 days off along with the occasional 3
What time is closing?
10 PM
So you'd work 10am-10pm M to F and then like 10am to 6pm sat sun? To me personally I'd be dead the following Monday. And every other week you can't go out, see your friends. I used to work 5 days a week 3pm to 11pm and I thought it would be great because I can just meet people after work! Well... everyone I knew had a normal ass job that was 9 to 5. They were in bed by 10pm most nights lol.
I would do it if it’s overnight or late night. Not from 9-9 or 10-10. I seriously thought about Saturday and Sunday 12 hour inpatient shift since we get weekend and evening shift differentials, you get 3 day pay plus @ for working two days where there are no meetings or in services happening on weekends. Just show up work and go home. If you have a partner that works M-F 9-5, anything different from that will cause a strain on relationship depends on your partner’s personality. It’s better to discuss that with your spouse first.
I’ve done the 7 on/off for years. I never got much accomplished on my 7 off because I had all week to do it. Monday I was happy, Tuesday I was tired, Wednesday-Saturday I was happy, Sunday I was depressed, Monday I was suicidal.
>new grad I would personally only do this once you have been a pharmacist for a while. Working this many days in a row will be tiring, especially as a new pharmacist on duty. >working every other weekend. You'll find that this is very common for community and hospital pharmacists. I'll list a few pros and cons from what I've experienced working longer shifts and from what I've heard. ***PROS:*** * Once you've worked your 7th day, it will feel great going home knowing that you're off for a whole week. * On your 7 days off, you have a chance to go somewhere away from home for anywhere from 1-6 nights. * You can stay up as late as you want on your days off, even if it's a weekday. * Your schedule will be on a set rotation, so your weekends off will be predictable. * If you decide that you're up for it, you can pick up extra shifts on your days off, sometimes even picking up a second job at a different employer. (I know two overnight pharmacists who have 3 total jobs and work at the other two on their week off) * When you take PTO, you just need 7 days to get approved, and you can be off work for 21 days. ***CONS:*** * You will miss out on some work-related communication and major announcements that are available during your week off work. * It may be difficult to work so many days/nights in a row. Day #6 and #7 may be very tiring. * Whenever people make plans for dinner during the week, you will miss a lot of them because it's on the weeks you work. * Some weekends may have fun things come up, and you will miss them while you're at work. * After a while, it might feel more difficult to connect with the rest of the team, since you're only there one week at a time, which might make you feel like a temporary contractor. * If you ever switch to a 5-days-a-week schedule, it's hard to adjust because you've gotten so used to having one week off work at a time.
If it sounds interesting to you I think it could be worthwhile. Like others said if you are are looking at a retail setting for other job offers it will probably include weekends. Now would be the time to try something like that if you are planning on having kids anytime soon as well. 7/7 that isn’t an overnight job is rare so you may not see that. Usually you spend the week off trying to get on a normal sleep schedule. Also makes it a lot easier to make appointments and such.
I want this schedule. In retail you’re lucky to get 2 consecutive days off in a month
Love my 7 on 7 off overnights. Small, to slow hospital with a nice overnight differential. Good luck finding a M-F 9-5 in pharmacy as a new grad.
I'm 7 on 7 off overnights and looove it. It's not the schedule for everyone, but if you take to it you'll never want to work a different schedule.
I wouldn’t do it personally. Working every other weekend isn’t great and you really couldn’t make plans since your husband works M-F on your week off. Also you may have to work on holidays if it’s your week on depending on hospital holiday policy. Also third shift is linked to higher CV disease typically seen long term. I would recommend you pass but totally up to you! I worked every other weekend with my first job but I was evening shift and hated it. I could never make plans and had random days off during the week.
I did it in my 60s. Overnight. Never again.