Another 4/10 Gripe

Just a quick addition to my gripes about people wishing they had the 4/10 work schedule that I have.  It's clear that they have no idea that I actually lose at least 8 hours of vacation each year because of it.  The reason I lose a minimum of 8 hours each year is that there are 8 holidays which always fall on days I work and I am only given 8 hours for each holiday.  That leaves me two hours short for each holiday and I can either make it up during the week by staying longer each day or I can cover it with vaction time.  I already spend enough time at work as it is; therefore, I spend a minimum of 8 hours of vacation each year to cover holidays.  As I've said before, 40 hour work weeks stinky no matter how they're sliced.  One might ask why, if I'm so dissatisfied with 4/10s, don't I ask to be put on 5/8s again?  To be blunt, CSI needs 10 hours of IT coverage every weekday and there are only two of us in the department.  The math simply requires us to be on a 4/10 schedule and so I deal with it.

What would really make 4/10s bearable in my eyes?  Allowing me to do away with my lunch period so I really am here for only 10 hours.  That would improve my travel time dramatically and return to me almost all the benefits of a 5/8 schedule.  Unfortunately, as CSI is required by law to provide me with a lunch breakk, they also require me to take a lunch break and, no, they won't let me take it the last hour of the work day!