How do you quantify your work?

Basically, I work at a printing outfit, in quality control, so I check samples from the various machines. It's pretty easy for me to figure out if I'm busy or not by the size of the pile on my work table. If I never clear the "todo" pile, it's been one helluva day. That also usually means I didn't even glance at the bag department, which as much as it's not a good thing, is another sign of when I've had a pretty busy day.

I consider myself having a good day, when despite being behind all day, I can still catch up and leave the table clear for the next shift. Considering that we're currently shorthanded, that won't be happening for a while probably.

I could also factor in how many breaks I take, but that's not always a good indication, as often times on busy days I simply force myself to stop and take a break, so that I don't overwork myself. But if I wasn't on my feet all day, it would probably be a better indication of workload.

On a more obscure note, I do tend to quantify my workload based on what particular jobs might be on the machines. Certain customers require more testing on their products, so if those jobs are running, more work for me. Get a few of those running on the same shift, and you've got yourself a crazy day. If we're just running straight simple no nonsense labels and typical fare, well, those are my cruise days, where I can take it easy and not put in too much unpaid overtime. ;p

Jam it back in, in the dark.