3 Reasons Why Riggers Often Leave Offshore Drilling Rig Jobs
While offshore oil rig jobs are indeed lucrative and attract many young and able bodied men to make quick money, these are not without their drawbacks
. It is often seen that the oil rigging industry records a high labor turnover in terms of attritions and lay offs and most people who jump into the fray without weighing the pros and cons often find themselves disillusioned when they actually go to work in remote places and in some very hostile work environments. The reasons for this high attrition of labor in offshore oil rigs are as follows.
*The principal drawback in an offshore oil rig job is that you have to be away from home for terribly long periods of time. Since offshore rigs are not easily accessible to land, their distances from the main land are huge and commuting can only be done by helicopter or other means of air transport. That makes it all the more difficult to maintain contact with home, family and friends and you will have to learn to shun their company for an excessively long time. For a person who loves human company and is more used to a regular ten to five job, working on an offshore oil rig may not be the ideal thing at all. This is also one of the man reasons why most people leave after a few months unless they are contract bound.
*Many people who leave their oil rig jobs after a short term have said in their exit interviews that it was more like a confinement rather than a job. This is true as an offshore oil rig is like a mini city in the middle of nowhere and that too, an ocean which severely restricts your mobility. For young people used to the comforts of city life, this amounts to being banished or even being locked up in a cage. Even if you are moving from one platform to another, it's the same story everywhere and unless you have the mindset to accept it as it is, life could be very difficult.
*Offshore oil rigs work in shifts where work hours are very long. For those used to more regular work hours, this could be very taxing indeed. Since shifts extend to almost twelve hours which may also double if the need arises. So chances of resting and rejuvenation those tired muscles are somewhat limited. The job is certainly not for those used to regular working hours and this again forces many people to leave for more comfortable alternatives.
These drawbacks are just basic and can surely be overcome with a little grit and determination. It's after all a well paying and secure job and one shouldn't miss the opportunity to make some good money when it comes his way.