Thanks for lookin' out for the family guys, 34-40. I used to do the same thing; my kids were grown and gone, so I tried to cover holidays and weekends, on calls and emergencies, and even night shifts for the guys who had kids at home. To be honest, it wasn't entirely magnanimous, I got paid really well for the overtime and shift differentials that were generated; but no one complained, and management allowed it, so it all worked out. I was just paying it forward, to use a modern term. When I was going through my second/third apprenticeships, my kids were still in school and sports. I had a "Stud", or Lead Journeyman who would always take the slack so those of us with families at home could "tend to family stuff", as he called it. He also would not let his apprentices pay for their own coffee or donuts, or lunch if we had the treat of eating lunch off site, so I did the same with my charges when I got in that position.