Moving to shift work

Minevah

I've been offered a fantastic job opportunity,however the new role would be shift work...
Am I crazy to consider a move from my current 9-5 job into a shift based role?
Has anyone had experience of this?

Procrastastudy

Minevah wrote: »

I've been offered a fantastic job opportunity,however the new role would be shift work...
Am I crazy to consider a move from my current 9-5 job into a shift based role?
Has anyone had experience of this?

I liked the flexibility when I worked in Retail - meant that I didn't have to take morning/afternoon off for appointments etc. I suppose it depends what hours we're talking about and how much lovely dosh...

dave1982

Shifts are better esp if they are 12 hrs ones

cursai

youll get used to them.......over time......like a limp.
Do they include night work. If not, its not shift work.

NIMAN

Been doing 12hrs shifts for guts of 17yrs now.

The days off are great, especially when the weather is good. It also is great that you can take a shift off and get maybe a fortnight holidays. It suited my life when I was younger, as I could socialise any night during the week with colleagues.

Now, after so long, and a couple of children, I do find it tiring. Maybe its just so long in the same job has disillusioned me, but I remember a neighbour (who also worked shifts for a couple of decades) telling me when I started, "you never get used to them". And he was right. They can catch up on you if you don't take your sleep seriously, and you can find yourself exhausted in the middle of the day on your time off, and ready for a nap!

I have not worked 9-5 for 17yrs, and tbh I am not sure if I would take a 9-5 job now. I would miss the shift allowance and the days off (weekends are so short!). With children now it suits me and cuts down on childminding costs.

One thing to note though, 'normal' folk who work 9-5 do the majority of their socialising at weekends. And I just don't mean drinking, but also kids stuff like sports and clubs and childrens parties etc. You may well find that you're working when everyone else is meeting up, it can make you a bit of an outcast at times.

But hey, go for it for now, and leave in a few years if its not for you. Best of luck.

jd83

I work shift work and love it. Its nice having days off in the middle of the week. If I need a weekend off I can usually get it. They do take there toll on you. If you do take the job invest in some blackout curtains and threaten whoever you live with that if they wake you up during the day after a night shift you will return the favor

Apparently working nights is bad for you so eat healthy and get lots of exercise, its easy to go down the route of eating crap at night in work and becoming a couch potato at home. As the other poster said make sure you get proper sleep.

Wishbone Ash

I have been doing shift work for 26 years and would find it difficult to go back to the inflexibility of a Mon to Fri roster. So much more flexibility with shift work, the perception of more time off (due to shifts) and generally better paid. It's also better suited to those with a long commute as they work less days.