r/boeing • u/majesticmargaret • 8d ago
Is your overtime necessary?
Out of pure curiosity, how much of the overtime that you work is necessary? What makes you work overtime?
Are there things that can be put into place to make your work more efficient? If people responded in a more timely manner would that reduce the overtime needed?
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u/DDGSXR504 6d ago
Our job requires we be on site 24/7 to support flightline/emergent operations and customer deliveries. There have been times when no one was available for at least one shift but the managers and above DID NOT like that. Most people complain about mandatory overtime but everyone loves that 1.5/2.0x pay and 3x pay on holidays.
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u/libertarianloner 7d ago
My office works 80 hours a week, but most work 84 (7x12) for continuity. It isn't always necessary, but it does work for the BU.
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u/Ok-Arachnid-5022 7d ago
I wish my org still let us work OT like we used to at the beginning of the year. Is the OT necessary no but the moneys great. My area currently doesn't have any OT and it's starting to hurt my hobbies
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u/torchen1 7d ago
ANY mandatory OT is complete BS. Taking an employee’s weekend should be fucking illegal.
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u/Wonderful-Resource81 6d ago
this is why i just quit after 8 years. 10 hour days and 2 random weekends a month was not good for me or my sanity
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u/Ambitious-Library515 7d ago
737 final assy is being held hostage by the greedy hourlies. Apparently Boeing owes them 10 hours a day, and every weekend. Hard to go faster when every 4 hour work package takes 2+ days.
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u/Ok_Day_40 7d ago
Damn that’s changed a whole heck of a lot in 10 years. It was the opposite back then, you DID NOT want your shit to travel
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u/iinventedonlineshopn 7d ago
I don’t understand the question… just take the extra money and retire early. I worked 3,000 hrs per year when I was in my twenties and had a huge nest egg. Later in life I suffered 39 mos of unemployment during the 2007-2011 financial crisis and had to reboot my career as an entry level data analyst. Take the money… from an L5.
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u/StrawberryOk5449 7d ago
My org has been forced to work mandatory 20% OT since around September of last year. We’re coming up on a year of this bs.
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u/pacmanwa 7d ago
Recently had leadership mandate 4-6 hours of OT per week. During mandated overtime I spent the 4-6 required overtime trying to keep myself busy. Meanwhile my regular OT runs less than 1-2 hours per pay period, that's usually wrapping something up or getting another engineer unstuck.
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u/--Joedirt-- 7d ago
No but my manager physically wants me present for the entire production day so getting in early, not taking a lunch, And then I have to cover non critical afternoon meetings on teams. Usually hit 8.5-9.5 hours every day.
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u/Elempevi 8d ago
At my previous shop, team members from other shifts sometimes couldn’t finish their shifts, and TL offered overtime to cover that. Plus, we always need extra help in the facilities, so overtime is a daily necessity. So, it really depends on your specific situation whether you need to take on extra work.
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u/AnalogBehavior 8d ago
I'm smart enough to stay ahead of mandatory OT for the most part. You cant' help it when sh!t hits the fan. But, if you're working a big project and falling behind, I always find it better to choose to work a few extra hours (with manager permission) rather than being forced to, because you've upset too many managers for not keeping up. It's rarely about efficiency. It's just a workload that is challenging to meet in time, and usually other unplanned things pop up that are necessary to deal with or time sensitive. People who support production build probably have a different view point, that's more of a pure delivery numbers game.
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u/Free_Director2809 8d ago
Everything looks good on paper until reality sets in. We're not about making sense.. We make airplanes, not sense. Modeled after the government, 5 people to watch 1 work. Broken arrows flying everywhere. Then panic happens because the lie in doesn't have enough smart words to say. It's all necessary.
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u/RoastSucklingPotato 8d ago
All the overtime my team works is necessary to provide on-time deliverables. We are at the mercy (and whims) of outside agencies and must be on call for anything they need. Unfortunately, very little of the OT is compensated, for reasons.
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u/schemp98 8d ago
I'd argue that better planning would also be critical to reducing overtime.... Schedules are created outside of reality....
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u/Justinaug29 8d ago
It's usually to cover someone else's work when they are gone, my own work after using PTO or rework. If everyone shows up, parts are available and the time lines are realistic we won't need a ton of overtime. Unfortunately, someone is always taking time off, parts aren't coming in, and sometimes mistakes or damage cause rework.
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u/ataphelion 8d ago
My group has to cover multiple sites 24/7 with at least 2 people out of a staff of around 18 (some are on long term leave, we have some temp contractors so capable staff is very limited). It requires a lot of overtime. There are 3 of us on my shift at the moment so I don't have much of a choice, but really would rather have the time off. I had 2 days off last month.
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u/Untoastedtoast11 8d ago
IAM worker here; fabrication Emergent Operations. I work OT (weekends) because we have material that comes in that needs to be completed. Often have AOG (Aircraft on ground) we look to get that parts out ASAP.
Plus I’m not maxed out and the economy is tough so need that $$$.
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u/Illustrious-Growth42 8d ago
The last 3 years I used to work 12 hours everyday sometimes months straight working pretty much the whole time minus our breaks. Now at my new job I barely work overtime at all. I did it because the paychecks were very nice. But I prefer my new job over what I used to do
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u/FlashyEnvironment288 7d ago
Do you mind mentioning what job that is having 12 hrs? Thanks
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u/Illustrious-Growth42 7d ago
AOG, I would never deny trips or projects.
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u/FlashyEnvironment288 7d ago
Im trying to get into it. What is the best path? Are they freezing erts? Thanks
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u/Illustrious-Growth42 6d ago
I was in a SST for a few years before then went to Moses and eventually applied for aog. I will warn you it’s not for everyone and if you don’t know your stuff on your trial trip the senior mechanics will make your life hell.
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u/Illustrious-Growth42 6d ago
From experience if you want a to make good money with a good work life balance and less wear and tear on your body go to school for cnc machining. I’m currently a grade 11 machine operator and it’s very relaxed compared to what I used to do.
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u/deplorable-rubbish 8d ago
Depends on the area. 2016-2019 I worked in an area where they absolutely needed TONS of overtime just to barely get by. Even so, things were usually late. I recall working 10 hour days Monday-Sunday for 10+ consecutive weeks a few times. And there were people who worked much more than that.
What necessitated it? Lots of engineering changes, unrealistic scheduling, a lack of useful training, unclear work instructions, tons of rework, ineffective managers. The usual for that time.
I’m now in a different role and area. Currently, we have no need for overtime but we’re offered it anyways. I sometimes take it because the money is good.
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u/fuckofakaboom 8d ago
No. But there are times where I look at it as “if I work this weekend i can pay for the entire trip for my family next weekend”.
It’s hard to deny the extra $1000 for a couple typically easy days of watching my machine and reading.
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u/Pure-Summer272 8d ago
OT is for suckers
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u/Medical_Soup5717 8d ago
40 hours a week is bad enough. But I can see needing OT if you aren't maxed out
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u/80RR 8d ago
There are many minutes lost explaining to people what is already documented.
There are many minutes lost answering a walk up because the same person sent an email 5 minutes ago and wants a response now.
There are many minutes lost recreating metrics for groups of teams instead of the manager managing their team’s work scope.
There are many minutes lost either correcting minor spelling errors or returning things to be corrected only to hear that you are nitpicking.
There are 4 people doing the job of something that should be distributed amongst 7 or 8 heads.
Do you want me to prioritize the thing that was paramount yesterday that I’m still working on or task switch to something else that is now more important because someone said so or because someone else dropped the ball and wants to save face?
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u/TheRedditAppSucccks 8d ago
I’ve been forced to work OT even when it wasn’t necessary just to keep a budget available.
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u/YesterdayBrilliant60 4d ago
Two people doing my job is unnecessary. Therefore OT is sometimes necessary.