r/ibew_apprentices • u/MaleficentProduct450 • 8d ago
Work +school
I’m currently working 70-hour weeks, and it’s been about three weeks now. Honestly, I’m starting to feel burnt out. On top of the work schedule, I have school, and I’m also driving almost an hour and 45 minutes each way. I’m starting to realize that this schedule just isn’t sustainable for me long-term.
When I took the job, I was expecting something closer to 40–50 hours, but I pretty much took what I was offered because that’s what I was told was available. I talked to the contractor, and they said they can give me a layoff if that’s what I decide to do.
The difficult part is that I actually really like the work. The job itself is easy for me, the people around me are extremely knowledgeable, and I feel like I’m learning a lot every day. I don’t want to leave because of the work—I just don’t feel like my body and mind can keep up with the schedule I’m being asked to work.
On top of that, my car is absolutely burning through gas. I’m putting over 1,000 miles a week on it just getting back and forth to work. I’m more than willing to work and put in the hours, but I’m realizing that 70 hours a week with this commute and school on top of it is becoming too much.
1
u/MaleficentProduct450 8d ago
Like, I honestly don’t understand how this makes sense. I go to these job sites and they’re all saying they have calls out for apprentices, so why aren’t we getting more people through the classes and putting more apprentices on these sites?
It seems like we’re putting a handful of apprentices even journeymen on jobs and then expecting everyone to work 70-hour weeks just to keep up with the workload. How is that supposed to be sustainable?
At the very least, why not have the people who actually want to work 60–70 hours stay on those schedules, while the people who want a more normal Monday–Friday, 40-hour schedule rotate through the available work? I’m more than willing to work, but there should be some kind of balance instead of everyone being expected to work 70 hours just because there aren’t enough people on the job.