Pro's and cons of shift work?

Housework*Fairy

Hi all

I'm considering applying for a job which is shift work (in a call centre environment). It is 24/7. I've seen a copy of a rota and it's on a 10 week rota basis looking something like this (not sure if it will format well)

Week 1 22×07 22×07 22×07 22×07 RD RD RD 37
Week 2 RD 07×16 07×16 07×17 16×02 16×02 16×02 58
Week 3 15×23 RD RD 16×02 21×07 21×07 22×07 47
Week 4 RD RD RD RD 07×17 07×17 07×17 30
Week 5 07×16 15×23 15×23 10x18TD RD RD RD 33
Week 6 22×07 22×07 22×07 22×07 RD RD RD 36
Week 7 RD 07×16 07×16 07×17 16×02 16×02 16×02 57
Week 8 15×23 RD RD RD 21×07 21×07 22×07 37
Week 9 RD RD RD RD 07×17 07×17 07×17 30
Week 10 07×16 15×23 15×23 16×02 RD RD RD 35
Total Hours 400

I've never worked shifts in my life before, so just wondered what the pros and cons are; if you are a shift worker would you like to be able to go back to ordinary office hours etc?

The other think I'm wobbling about is that it's 20 miles away so I'd be stuck if my car ever gave up the ghost BUT I'd be pulling in around £280 a month more on the lowest payscale so the extra money is tempting.

I'm at the moment viewing it as a 'foot back in the door' and would hope for jobs in my local area to eventually come up (most jobs are internally advertised only now) so it wouldn't be a long term thing.

Thanks for listening

custardy

The main plus is being out of sync with everyone else.
so you can do stuff when its quiet,not in demand.
of course if all ytour friends are 9-5,its a big con.

wapow

Pro's
Pay is more than standard hours.
Get things done during days.
Might get a longer holiday week one month out of three because of shift.

Con's
Can mess with sleeping patterns.
Can make you unhealthy and you may incur bad habits.
Your mates are on normal shifts except you.
You're too tired to get things done because the shift is messing with your body.
The distance is an issue regardless.
The constant change in timings means you cant have a daily routine.
Your hobbies will die away slowly as you find that you think youre always in work even though youve had time off.

Rockporkchop

It's a means to an end but I wouldn't choose to do it for a long time. If it is a foot in the door for you then it's worth considering.

Pros
Better pay
In for deliveries etc during day
Might get a longer holiday week one month out of three because of shift, or slightly longer holidays than the norm.
Easier commute due to less traffic etc

Cons
Sleeping patterns all over the place - really difficult to sleep during the day in broad daylight even with earplugs/black out curtains and when you finally drift off you get unwanted visitors or the phone rings and then you are up for hours
Can make you unhealthy as you crave stodge to keep you going and eat meals at weird times so I have put on weight and seem to have constant backache
Can also make you prone to depression
Friends are usually on different shifts so you miss out on loads of social engagements, particularly ad hoc meet ups
Constant tiredness - I always have grand plans for getting things done during the day but can barely think straight most of the time
Agree with wapow - the constant change in timings means you cant have a daily routine.
Definitely agree with wapow - your hobbies will die away slowly as you find that you think you're always in work even though you've had time off.

I now work evenings/nights instead of shifts as it was killing me, and the only reason I do it is to save on childcare costs. When they start school I will be straight back to normal hours and a normal life again.

What are you like generally when you are sleep deprived or have a change in routines? Do you need much sleep?

scooby088

Even though getting things done is a plus the con is work is always on your mind, and afternoon shift and night shift is like a dead mans shift, although i did like 6-2 2-10 shift.

Person_one

A huge plus for me is that you don't get that 'counting down to Friday' mentality or that Sunday night descending dread!

For some people, a regular routine drags you down and having mixed up weeks and midweek weekends suits better. You don't generally find out until you've done a few months of shifts though.

Personally, I wouldn't go back to the mon-fri 9-5 unless it was for health reasons.

wapow

It all depends on how you handle stress and if you get healthy sleep.

I know plenty of people who do shift and theyre fine with it. Their immune system is good and when they sleep they get a good refreshing sleep.

My sleep is broken and not very refreshing so i cant really handle too much chop and change.

Do it short term anyway, first 3 months you wont feel it. Thats enough time to think about what you want to do.

TheSandman

You'll get diabetes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17680882

Obviously it's only a heightened risk you may well never get it but just like these medical trials, you're exposing yourself to increased health risks for cash. It's up to you what price you put on your health.

I myself have never worked shifts but have worked nights for nearly three years and need out. While nightshift has given me quite bad sensitivity to sunlight which will hopefully subside once I get back on days I've also found myself drinking large amounts of sugary drinks which have screwed my teeth, you may well suffer this.

It could also depend on how well you sleep or who's in your house. Doorbells, phones dogs, lawnmowers, cavity wall insulators can and do drive you up the wall some days.

Mrs_Arcanum

DH has done shift work for most of our married life 20+ years & has not got diabetes (he works at a diabetes testing strip manufacturers so gets tested regularly).

The art is to try and make your daily routine as normal as possible (maybe swapping breakfast & dinner so that on nights you evening meal is really your breakfast). Getting up early after your last night to get you back into a day shift is helpful. Also eat bananas on nights - the extra potassium helps you cope.

Blackout curtains are a must, as is sleeping in the quietest room in the house.

Lincoln_Imp

I have worked shifts for 30 years and can honestly say i would hate to do 9 to 5 hours
Some people like them some dont ,you wont know until you have tried it

getmore4less

Those shifts look like they may not comply with the WTD.

Check the holidays are done correctly.