axlecounter
Member
Last thing I want is restart where we left in the recently closed topic about working at VT, but I'm really curious: what does a typical roster look like there?
I wouldn’t want to work for Virgin..........
In fairness, how is that relevant to this thread where someone has asked about typical rosters for Virgin? I for one would be very keen to see them if anyone in the know is willing to post them.
I was disappointed by the way the other thread went, and this one is in danger of going the same way.
There seems to be a great deal of negativity and bitterness (jealousy?) running through the threads discussing Virgin!
Don't take everything I say here as fact, because I'm no driver though I have gathered some information over the years. I too would be interested in this information myself though, so if I'm wrong I'd appreciate being corrected, and if I'm right I'd feel more confident in my knowledge.
Sundays inside/outside
This is contentious across the entire industry. Ours is Sunday inside and that means our 4 day week includes Sundays. Other TOC's have Sundays outside and that they will either never work a Sunday again (giving more quality time off) or that Sundays are by some form of contractual obligation and that the Sunday is a 5th day of work.
Rest Day patterns
Only once in my entire career has my TOC had a rest day pattern. That was a 16 line rotation and you could predict your rest days forever. You get consistent long weekends every X number of weeks and it leads to a better quality of life. Rest day patterns are considered to be a better roster. The tricks you can pull with AL can be really beneficial.
Roster balancing
Difficult one to approach tbh but rosters can be well-balanced pretty badly at times. Due to the service patterns at some TOCs there may be some weighting towards an increase in Weekend work, Early shifts (peak cover) and even a heavy weighting on Bank Holiday work (as at my TOC) If you have a TOC where you work more weekends then your work/life balance gets seriously skewed. This is also heavily affected where Sundays are inside or not.
Someone in another thread mentioned the East Grindsteads. My route knowledge is pretty good and I sign a diverse amount of routes. Doing just one or two routes day in, day out would make Sisyphus look like a cry baby. It can get soul destroying. Some people however, love it. Each to their own tbh but its also a consideration when changing TOCs'
35 hr week over a 4 day roster + Sundays.
This entire post is irrelevant
What you are describing is NOT a roster and in context of the aforementioned thread pretty much completely wrong. Sorry.
Yeah but No but Yeah but No but... are you happy though? Can't I tempt you to the amazing Virgin? lolSundays in or out ?
Ours is in, so when your rostered a Sunday you get 3 days off that week. I haven't worked a 5 day week in some time.
The whole 5 day week for a deferred RD week has always intrigued me. 1 week off every 5 sounds great on paper but a 4 day week has changed my life way to much. A hard one fo rme to decide which way to swing.
10hrs - No "£$%$%$% way, never again. 09:45 was my maximum and to go back to that would kill me slowly. Maybe its the Metro in me that just sees another 30 stops
We have no time allowances as they were absorbed into the base salary but personally I think that has come out at a loss.
In fairness really the OP asked a question which actually may have been asked in the locked thread.
No I’m not negative/bitter (jealous) towards Virgin/Stagecoach and like Red I’m proud of where I work which is why I said I wouldn’t want to work for Virgin.
Like I say fair play to Red but there are other good companies to work for.
Ok, I get how this week looks like, but how will the next (and the next) look like RD-wise? Will it be with the same RD or different? Or does that mean that each week you could work any four out of seven days of the week, (eventually) respecting the 2-1 RD?This entire post is irrelevant
What you are describing is NOT a roster and in context of the aforementioned thread pretty much completely wrong. Sorry.
You have the Master Roster which outlines your link working and your base hours and days that you are required to work. Typically that's will be :
Sunday RD
Monday XX:XX - XX:XX (duty #)
Tuesday XX:XX - XX:XX (duty #)
Wednesday RD
Thursday RD
Friday XX:XX - XX:XX (duty #)
Saturday XX:XX - XX:XX (duty #)
In the above example you have a 4 day week with split rest days. The duties/diagrams you work each day has little bearing on the overall issue at hand. What a favourable week would be is :
Sunday RD
Monday RD
Tuesday RD
Wednesday XX:XX - XX:XX (duty #)
Thursday XX:XX - XX:XX (duty #)
Friday XX:XX - XX:XX (duty #)
Saturday XX:XX - XX:XX (duty #)
That way when you keep the RD's grouped you get a better quality of time off between worked days. That's just covering the issue of split rest days...
Here we have a "12hr minimum-but can get down to 11hr once every 4 days-why not down to 10hr sometimes" :roll:The other issues become :
Time between shifts (rest periods)
Monday 16:35 - 01:35
Tuesday 13:38 - 22:15
You meet the 12hr minimum between turns but your fatigue level is pushed to the limit; especially if you consider travel times.
This is still something I can't seem to understand:Sundays inside/outside
This is contentious across the entire industry. Ours is Sunday inside and that means our 4 day week includes Sundays. Other TOC's have Sundays outside and that they will either never work a Sunday again (giving more quality time off) or that Sundays are by some form of contractual obligation and that the Sunday is a 5th day of work.
Could you give an example? Pattern as in fixed days of the week off or as in 4 on 2 off 4 on, etc. ? AL?Rest Day patterns
Only once in my entire career has my TOC had a rest day pattern. That was a 16 line rotation and you could predict your rest days forever. You get consistent long weekends every X number of weeks and it leads to a better quality of life. Rest day patterns are considered to be a better roster. The tricks you can pull with AL can be really beneficial.
Meaning that each week you do only early/late shifts?Shift pattern
My TOC works the standard A/B shifts with Early/Late rotations. Early is considered 00:01 - 11:59 booking on time and Late 12:01 - 23:59. This means that you can book on for an early shift at 11:58 and then work 9hrs and that is considered an early shift :/ Some TOCs work a 3 shift rotation. I'm not sure how that works tbh but GTR work it.
The post is about the Virgin roster, but for what & who.... Is it Drivers or onboard staff? East Coast or West Coast?
Thanks!35 hr week over a 4 day roster + Sundays.
Most depots (except Polmadie) work a 5 day week and have every 5th week off as Rest Days.
Roughly 50% Sundays and 50 (ish) % Saturdays.
On and off times are very depot specific so can't comment really.
Early book on and night shift allowance paid per shift as appropriate.
Sundays paid at time worked, minimum 6 hrs.
RD's minimum 8 hrs + turn out (£80-odd per shift).
Minimum turn length is 6hrs and the maximum 10.
The spare weeks can be a pain as they have a floating RD. If you get booked a weeks work you take that weeks RD, if you get booked daily you retain the spare weeks RD. We don't have Saturday RD's on spare weeks so you can only gain a Saturday RD, not loose one. You won't know either way until the Tuesday before.
I choose to take my Sundays off so in nearly 40 years footplate its the best part-time job I've ever had!
The post is about the Virgin roster, but for what & who.... Is it Drivers or onboard staff? East Coast or West Coast?
Ok, I get how this week looks like, but how will the next (and the next) look like RD-wise? Will it be with the same RD or different? Or does that mean that each week you could work any four out of seven days of the week, (eventually) respecting the 2-1 RD?
Here we have a "12hr minimum-but can get down to 11hr once every 4 days-why not down to 10hr sometimes" :roll:
Sundays in: does it mean just that one of your 4 work days may be a Sunday?
Sundays out: I had a big WTF face when I first heard of this and I pretty much still have...does this mean that some TOCs have no trains on Sundays? Or only that some drivers don't do Sundays (for less money?) ?
Could you give an example? Pattern as in fixed days of the week off or as in 4 on 2 off 4 on, etc. ? AL?
Meaning that each week you do only early/late shifts?
Thanks!
Chris the ref posted the Roster it is in the Virgin Trains Drivers thred which is currently on page 35 of railway jobs and careers. (Don't know how to post link)
I'd also be very intrigued to hear, how does the money/T&Cs in the UK compare with Switzerland?
Sundays outside. You work 5 days Mon-Sat with 1 RD.
After 4 weeks of that, you get a week of RDs.
Earlier start 03:38. Latest finish 02:15 (based on the link I have from a couple of years ago)
100 Drivers. 5 links of 20. Link 5 sign Longsight and Euston, which is what put me off applying.
Just so people are aware...... there are people at Virgin who wouldn't touch the long weekend every 3rd week pattern with a barge pole and I dare say they have families and private lives too..... just a thought.
I for one have worked to BOTH patterns now and can safely say I've felt just as tired and spent just as many days passing my family like ships in the night on the 3 week cycle as I have on this....... I've also felt just as flogged going into a long weekend off as I have on this too.
Neither shift pattern is a paradise..... the important thing is the work load whilst you're in and the family time when you're off...... on my new pattern I feel as though I'm doing half the workload...... I'm home at more sociable times so seeing more of my family during work times and now I get a whole week off where I can take and pick the lad up from school...... help him with his homework....... take him on longer holidays without worrying about using ad hoc rest days etc....... I'm in much better moods at home and in work..... and I've received an improved salary for the privilege!...... oh and I've NO split rest days either ��
Horses for courses obviously but having now done both patterns it's a no brainer for me!