Punching the Time Clock

I've mentioned a couple times on my blog that my "day job" hours are 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. I've worked this schedule for years, but now it looks like that is all going to change:

When I first started at this company 10 years ago, we were open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.. The early morning crew would come in at 7:00 and get things ready for the day ahead. The phones would start ringing at 8:00 in the morning and go to 8:00 at night. I was in the marketing department then and worked 9-6. About the same time that I was promoted out of that department and made a manager, my boss was looking for someone to cover the 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. shift, so I volunteered. Honestly, I loved it. That schedule allowed me all sorts of flexibility in the morning (I took yoga classes, ran errands, exercised) but it still got me out early enough that I could have a social life. A few years ago we went through a large series of layoffs, and as a result had fewer late night folks, so we started closing the office at 7:00 p.m.. I too went to 10-7.

Since our last set of layoffs in December, my boss has been thinking more and more of closing the office at 6:00. We were down to just two people working until 7:00 and if one of us was gone or out of the office, it made it difficult on the other. Still, I loved my schedule and didn't want to give it up, but this week my boss decided we should make the break and start closing the hour earlier. I'll miss my old schedule a lot, but it is all for the best. Not only will it be a little easier for the few of us remaining in the office, but it will have some financial advantages for me...

As you know, I work a number of part time jobs, now that I am getting out an hour earlier, it will allow me to pick up some extra shifts. That is always good news! Because I was working until 7:00, for the most I was keeping my part time work to the weekends. However, I do have one job that requires week nights. It is only for 3 weeks a year, so I usually take some vacation time from my day job to even it out. It works, I have vacation time to spare and then I can get paid for my full 40 hours + my outside work. (Besides, it isn't like I have any trips planned!) The new 9-6 shift means that for that job I won't have to take quite as much vacation time, and for other jobs, I can go right after work.

Here's a funny thing - if I look at my schedule from last Saturday to this upcoming Saturday, I will have worked at 4 different jobs! That job that employs me three weeks? Well, this is one of those weeks. In addition, I managed to slip in a few other shifts at other jobs in. Here's how it worked out:

Last Saturday evening - 4 hours at Part time job #3

Monday - Wednesday - 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Day job. (Using vacation time)

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and this Saturday evenings - Part time job #2

Thursday night and this Sunday afternoon - Part time job #1

Plus I even sold a couple of books this week! All I need to do is slip in a little Mystery Shopping and I will have this week completely packed with odd ways I make money!




Photo by: Joan Thewlis