If a job on the manufacturing side at the yet-to-be-built Foxconn plant in the Village of Mount Pleasant sounds appealing, be prepared to work 12-hour shifts.
While not commenting directly on the matter, Foxconn has told transit planners to expect large shift changes between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., and 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., meaning most workers at the Foxconn LCD plant in Racine County will be on a 12-hour work schedule.
When asked about work schedules, a Foxconn spokesperson said in an email response this week that hiring details would be announced at a later date.
Twelve-hour shifts in manufacturing are not uncommon, said Steve Duquaine, Director of human resources for Rustoleum, a paint manufacturer that has a plant in Pleasant Prairie. He said the company converted to 12-hour shifts four years ago, and only lost one worker in the process.
At a public meeting last month on road expansion near the plant, John Bieberitz, a transportation consultant who'd been hired by the village, said he'd been told to plan for a pair of shift changes between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., and 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. seven days a week. He compared the anticipated traffic congestion around the plant to what's encountered during a Thursday afternoon Brewers game at Miller Park, with 4,000 to 7,000 vehicles coming and going.
Sign up for daily news!
Stay informed with WPR's email newsletter.
The longer shifts reduce overtime and allow companies to better utilize expensive equipment, Duquaine said. A selling point for workers is more time off, with employees getting as many days off as they work.
However, recruiting new hires can be a challenge for some companies, especially when they’re going after highly skilled workers, Duquaine said.
"That's because the more skills a person has the more options they have," he said, adding that companies that offer good benefit packages and working conditions have fewer problems.
Groundbreaking on the $10 billion Foxconn plant that could employee up to 13,000 workers is expected to take place this spring.