What is your preferred work pattern?

> Seen some jobs on boats, 12 hour shift everyday for 14 days then 2 weeks off! Imagine stacking holiday pay, could easily get a month off fully paid!! Depending on where that is (and industry), your holiday allowance may be consolidated into the normal two weeks off. That said, for UK coastal/ferry/offshore it's also not unusual to have 2 additional weeks off per year but that is usually part of a leave rota with everyone else on board so you don't get full flexibility on when to take it. If everyone has young kids then school holidays are definitely a premium period. Often the leave schedule will be set up for the full calendar year in advance if it's a fairly stable/permanent gig. If living onboard, the 14 days on often turns into 15 as you need to be on board for 336 hours until the other crew comes back, and then travel to/from the port. Joining/leaving times can also be at odd hours and if you need to travel far/early/late could involve finding local accommodation for a night each time. You can also "lose" a day or two either end between winding down after coming home and getting ready to go away again. Not to mention those two weeks away are quite a bit different than just being out for the day at work, you *will* be missing family events, birthdays, weddings etc. if they are not actively planned around your working schedule. Actually work wise, the 12 hour shifts aren't too bad, that typically also includes an hour for lunch and other breaks. And with effectively no commuting on board, most of the 12 hours off is yours - you could easily get 10 hours sleep most days. It's worth remembering that many positions may require night cover and so you do nights on a rota, which like any night work takes it's toll and getting used to.