Topic: climbing stairs in maintenance

Being new as a tech, I was astounded that I was asked to climb over 90 flights of stairs during a days work at a 3 story apartment complex. I think the supervisor has it in for me. Does this sound unreasonable as part of a days work? I appreciate any input.

He only "has it in for you" if he's asking you to climb stairs for no reason.

Having managed three-story properties with no elevators, I can tell you it's absolutely common to log lots of miles going up and down. You can't put off service requests, preventative or turns just because they are on the top floor. What you can do is plan your day so that you are hitting everything building by building and floor by floor and not wasting those precious steps. Make the most of your time and be efficient. If your supervisor doesn't get it, show him how much time you can save (and more productive you can be) if you aren't wasting and extra hour or so in the day getting a work out. Just be sure you aren't violating Fair Housing and giving those residents on the first floor preferential treatment or avoiding/procrastinating on the top-floor units.

We had a porter who would call out the next day if he walked around the property. Unfortunately things happen all over a building so you will end up walking a lot. Just don't call out the next day claiming you walked too much the day before. It didn't end well for him.

Agree 100%

If I was "after" any of my people, they would know it up front, and they would know why...flights of stairs and 3 story buildings tend to go hand-in-hand. Beats the daily 20 or more floor climbs I used to do when in hi-rise construction for 8 years...

As maintenance is a physical activity, there are parts of the job that are just that; a part of the job. Some properties I worked required multiple stairwell climbs, walking long distances, pushing/pulling/carrying heavy objects, reaching and holding awkward positions and other types of physical activities. To be honest that's one of the things I loved about being on site. (Sometimes, I kind of miss it now.)

To make it more endurable, invest in good footwear. I used to go through inserts in my boots regularly, and knew it was time to replace them when my knees would hurt at the end of the day.

Plan your trips up the stairs and make use of boxes, cart's and/or dolly's whenever possible to decrease the amount of trips. (My favorite is still a 5 gallon bucket)

Some basic stretching before the day begins can help as well... You just might be able to cancel the gym membership!