Work hours for pilots, sailors, rig workers? Not 9 to 5ers!

[Pippin]

I would like to ask how people like pilots, sailors, oil patch workers, etc., calculate their work experience when they do not work a "normal" Monday to Friday 9-5 work day? When you are only allowed to count 35-37 hrs/wk approx per week it just doesn't work for some employees who might work the equivalent of a full year in six months (without overtime). Any suggestions for those who work 13 hour days, four to six months without days, then get several months off?

 

[SMCANADAVISA]

I would like to ask how people like pilots, sailors, oil patch workers, etc., calculate their work experience when they do not work a "normal" Monday to Friday 9-5 work day? When you are only allowed to count 35-37 hrs/wk approx per week it just doesn't work for some employees who might work the equivalent of a full year in six months (without overtime). Any suggestions for those who work 13 hour days, four to six months without days, then get several months off?

It is the length of employment that counts which means for sailors etc even if they are not at work physically clocking hours but their employment is active with the same employer it would be counted as period of employment. My mariner cousin works when on voyage he is employed and once ashore his contract terminates. After few months when he feels like sailing he takes up another employment which may or may not be the same employer as the previous one. So the crux is that even if you are dormant are you still legally bound by a contract with the employer? Think of persons on long leave like Maternity or LTD. They are bound by contract still and even receive benefits in some cases. Hours can be anything above the minimum set by CIC.

 

[SMCANADAVISA]

Just wanted to add that I have heard CIC calls for timesheet in order to validate total hours put in and the type of job performed. This is especially applicable to oil rig workers.

 

[jes_ON]

If you have an alternative work schedule, your employer should describe the the usual work schedule is for full-time workers in your letter of employment. Where this is the norm for a particular industry, CIC will be able to accommodate it.

You don't need to "calculate hours" - anything over 30 hours per week (or the equivalent in an alt. schedule) is full-time. Just document that you work full time -

 

[Pippin]

My issue is that it is WORK EXPERIENCE that is being measured. So the actual hours worked should be considered. For argument sake, if two people work 2000 hours, one over a 12 month period and the other in 7 months out of 12, how is their actual EXPERIENCE any different?
An example to consider: a person works 4 to 6 months, 12 hours daily with no days off (yes, this is a common cruise ship contract). That person would work between 1440-2160 hours in that contract, excluding any overtime. Compare that to the "minimum" 30 hour full time week and the work hours would be between 480-720 hours in that same 4-6 month period.
Has anyone been given credit for their actual hours of work experience?
Thank you jes-ON for your information. There is still the issue that crew would have to work almost three times as many hours as a 30 hr week person to get credit for one 12 month year (and it would take more than 12 months as they often have breaks of several months between contracts). There is a clear discrepancy here.
In the case of a fly in/ fly out position working 14 days on and 14 off, they would technically get credit for only 6 months work per year even though they worked 168 hours in 4 weeks compared to the minimum 120 hrs/4 wks.