Working conditions vary considerably by occupation and employment setting. Meter readers spend a good portion of their workday traveling around communities and neighborhoods taking readings, either directly or with remote reading equipment. The work of dispatchers can be very hectic when a large number of calls come in at the same time. The job of public safety dispatcher is particularly stressful because slow or improper response to a call can result in further destruction of property, serious injury, or death. Despite provocations, the dispatcher must remain calm, objective, and in control of the situation.
Dispatchers work in surroundings that are typical of office jobs.
They sit for long periods, often using telephones, computers, and two-way radios. If much time is spent at a video display terminal, as is increasingly common, they can experience eyestrain and back discomfort. Dispatchers generally work a standard 40-hour week. However, evening, weekend, and holiday work is common because many service providers operate around the clock. Some employers rotate dispatchers among three shifts to divide daytime, weekend, and holiday work equally.