Worried about partner's erratic working hours

LegacyUser

I guess this is more of a Personal Issue as it hasn't affected our relationship but I'm worried about the hours my partner works.

He works in a factory and does shifts. The problem is the shifts are structured in such a way that he'll work:

- a set of days from 0900-1800 then a couple of days off
- then a set from 1400-2200 then a couple of days off
- then a set from 2000-0600 then a few days off

This plays havoc, as you can imagine, with his sleeping routine, i.e. he has none. It was different when he was younger I think, but now he's getting older (early 40s) I'm worried about the toll this will take on his health. He's started suffering from migraines which I believe, and he agrees, are connected to his non-existent sleep rhythm.

We've talked about it and he says it's worth it for the shift allowances he gets but I don't agree. The money won't make or break us and I think his health is so much more important than a bit of extra money.

Or maybe I'm worrying over nothing?

Has anyone else worked these kinds of shifts? If yes, how did it affect you?

Thanks!

omahaid

Gardai work similar shifts

- 0600 - 1400
- 1400 - 2200
- 2200 - 0600

My old man did it in the Guards for 35 years and it doesn't seem to have affected his health. Maybe some of the people in the Emergency Services forum can tell you of their experiences.

I worked night shifts for 8 years (security guard) while I was in college. Doesn't seem to have had a negative affect but I'm a bit younger than your OH.

Squiggler

Working regular shifts, always working nights, or working alternating shift patterns where one shift is sustained for weeks or months is generally deemed to be ok.

But the OP is talking about a constantly changing shift pattern.

OP, there have been studies done about the effect that working 2 week shift rotations (2 weeks nights, 2 weeks days) had on nurses, and the results weren't good. What your husband is being asked to do sounds crazy and unhealthy to me, not to mention the impact it would have on quality of life and work-life balance.

liger

I work different shifts on a daily basis, with little notice, an "early" week could look like this:

04.30 - 10.00
06.00 - 15.30
07.30 - 19.30
06.00 - 11.00 and anywhere in between with a day off.

late weeks,

10.00 - 20.50
15.30 - 01.00
23.30 - 05.30

All short notice and i'm early 30's and i can tell you i have no sleep patern at all. I try to eat healthy when i can and exercise as much as possible but some days i am just walking around like a zombie.

Been doing that for 5years now.

LegacyUser

Yes, it’s constantly shifting (pardon the pun). I’d have no problem with him working nights or another regular odd hour shift, it’s that he can’t sleep properly at ALL is what worries me. It seems like when he comes off nights and goes on to days and afternoons, just as he starts to get some good sleeps, he’s back on nights again and back to square one.

Squiggler wrote: »

OP, there have been studies done about the effect that working 2 week shift rotations (2 weeks nights, 2 weeks days) had on nurses, and the results weren't good. What your husband is being asked to do sounds crazy and unhealthy to me, not to mention the impact it would have on quality of life and work-life balance.

That’s my impression too, that’s it’s odd and unhealthy. We manage in the quality of life area well enough as we don’t have kids so we can both (more or less) go with the flow, it’s more the headaches and the lack of sleep that concern me.

I guess I’ll have another talk with him. Thanks folks.

LittleBook

I'm a great believer in the power of sleep and would definitely think that a messed up sleep pattern over a long period of time would HAVE to have some kind of mental and physical impact.

I suspect your partner simply doesn't know what he's missing!