Setting Life/Work Balances

I am very excited!  I finally got up the nerve to ask my boss if I could work a 9/80 schedule. 

I am the only one of my kind at this site so I figured that since that was the case that I would always have to be on duty when anyone else that I support works.  My husband has worked a 9/80 schedule since we moved to Huntsville.  What this means is that he gets every other Friday off and he works 80 hours in 9 days.  Since I already work 9 plus hours a day, that meant that I was actually working 9 extra hours a payday (every two weeks) that wasn't paid.  I've always been ok with that because there is always plenty of work but...Cancer has changed my outlook a little bit. 

I need to get a life/work balance going and make sure that Tom and I spend as much time together as we can just in case tomorrow doesn't keep us together.  So I broached the subject. 

I sent him an email that said, "I know the 9/80 schedule was offered recently to our group and I declined but I'd like to re-evalute this thought. My husband has always worked a 9/80 schedule and I would like to go to his schedule, if possible. We'd like to start driving in together when possible. With the price of gas and because I would like to spend as much quality time with him as I can, it would be great if I could get on his schedule. I've attached a copy of his schedule from April 18 - July 8th for this year for your review. The way it works out, I would be working 44 hours one week and 36 the other week. Since I work through lunch anyway and I would be getting here around 6:15 instead of 6:30 (since he has to have time to get to work) you'd be getting way more hours than that out of me.


You can say no and I'll just chalk it up to "I tried"…8-)"

He replied with, "I don't have a problem with the flex time but you would need to change the Friday off to align with the day that GMD is off.  Since they are our major customer.  Can Tom change his day off?"

I wrote back, "No, he can’t change his day off.  Other people take days off that aren’t GMD’s day off…why would this be different?"

I was about to get into whiney mode at this point...He replied with, "Not necessarily different just trying to serve the majority of our customers….."

I'm feeling like he is jerking me around now so I write my other boss (yeah, I've got two) and ask him if he thinks Jack is jerking me around.   He assures me that he isn't and that as long as I am available for 'emergencies' that he thinks that Jack will agree to the change in schedule.

So, the agreement is that I will have my work computer up and running in case there are any tool emergencies that anyone needs help on.  I have no problem with that.   It's a win-win for everyone. 

By Grace Alone -

Teresa