jackboy wrote: » The secret to working shift is routine. Sleep is vital. If you have no children this should be no problem. If you have children then it is important that you have a very supportive partner as they will have to fully look after the children when you are on your sleep time. Diet is also vital. You must eat healthy and eat light when you are on night shifts (absolutely no stodgy food). Excercise is also critical. You must be physically fit for shift and exercise will also help with sleep at strange times. Again a supportive partner who will give you the free time for this is required. So, sleep, good diet, exercise and a supportive partner are required. This is a lot to have right. You need to be a bit selfish. If not, shift work will physically and mentally destroy you.
Orderofchaos wrote: » Worked shift work for 20+ years and can totally relate. It knocks the stuffing out of you, ruins your physical health and made me quite cranky and unsociable. I took a day job about 1 year ago, it's more stressful and the money is not as good but I feel a whole lot better and get to sleep with my wife at night :-).
Shefwedfan wrote: » I worked night many years ago, didn’t have any issues and used to love the extra cash....got older so just got myself promoted to standard 9-5 I know a lot of people who work with my wife and they only work night shift...they can do a couple of night per weeks and then free rest of week. So it suits them perfect. Maybe I’m wrong but the common theme I see is at the core you don’t like your job? Most people posted on here that seems to be an issue Not sure what the comment about 20k? So are you saying you not happy, it should be in press etcbut if they pay you 20k extra everything will be ok?
dar_cool wrote: » Another pharma working shift here and love it. We get heavily compensated for shift. Ours works out at 55% in total. Salary just under 100k, Means my wife can stay at home with kids. We live outside of Dublin and I drive the 35 miles to work. Have 4 days off every week. Wouldn't change it for the world
sparksfly wrote: » I work for a pharmaceutical company, shifts for over 25 years. I work 3 days one week, 3 nights the 2nd week, 12 hour shifts. We work an extra 9 hours the third week bringing the weekly average hours to 39 hours. No weekend work unless by choice. It puts our gross salary close to 85k. I have to say I and my wife love it, she works 3 days in a separatej ob. I have the advantage of living in a rural location with grown up kids so it's very quiet. I can also sleep pretty much anytime I lie down, day or night. Getting work done around the house is no problem. Accessing services like the credit union or even the barbers is easier on a Tuesday or Wednesday. The time off and the overtime rate of pay means we go away very regularly for mini breaks without using annual holidays. I'm lucky again in that I am mentally contented with this lifestyle and appreciate that It won't suit everyone but having a working plan regarding sleep, eating times, days away etc is vital.
Strumms wrote: » Yep know what you mean... people see the shift pay and think ‘great’ but it IS a life of feeling jet lagged and of decreasing energy. Those days off you can’t spend enjoying because you are out on your feet....if there was fûcking fit for purpose employment law in this country shifts and schedules like those would be outlawed....
scudzilla wrote: » I've been on nights now for 13yrs, my shift pattern is 4 13hr shifts one week, 3 the next. Have a rolling roster of 3 on, 1 off 3 on then 3 off, 1 on, 3 off. My boss is sound and if i ask for the 1 on i work off he gives it me so i have 7 off. I love working nights, main benefit is there's less idiots around :pac::pac: I get paid extremely well and the company are very good, Nights suits me at the moment but am looking at a M-F Promotion within the next 18months. Nights is all about routine, i finish at 07:00, home by around 07:30, stay up with wife and child until they head off at 08:50, bed by 9 and i'll sleep like a baby until 4. Hardest part of nights is the timing of sleep on your first day off. I'll still go to bed around 08:50 but get up at 3pm, try not to nap on the sofa and come 22:30 i'll be completely bolloxed and will sleep through til 8am. IF i don't time it right i'll be wide awake at 2am looking for me dinner
salmocab wrote: » I finished last Monday morning my last night shift after two years of it. Done a continental shift of 7 days 7 nights and 14 off over 28 days and whilst the time off was great it was killing me. I did nights either 3*12 or 4*12 at a time and I was basically jet lagged for most of the time. Paid a extra 16k or so for doing it but it wasn’t worth it.
antiskeptic wrote: » What is the benefit of a 24/7 economy? The argument is, the economy. I mean, it makes business sense to run an expensive production line 24/7 than leave it idle and depreciating. The actual result? Well we've very sophistcated cars, McDonalds Happy Meal toys, flat screen plasma tv's, bottled water and an endless plethora of equally necesssary stuff to make us happy. I've often thought the trick of getting women on the career path was Capitalisms greatest recent coup. It now takes two wage earners to buy a house and raise a family where it previously took just one. It isn't an argument about who stays at home, its that no one stays at home. What a lovely societal experiment that is, replacing a millenial long model of children in the embrace of family and community to one in which their formative years are spent in industrial creches (a.k.a. hatchery grow houses - a place where chicks are raised for the processing line)
lufties wrote: » Good post. If the media addressed then there would be a huge shortage in people willing to work shift. I'm coming from the view of an aircraft technician, running around changing wheels/brakes, problem solving on you feet at 4am. I'm physically and mentally exhausted at the end of a shift. Add the fact that I sleep for about 4 hours during the day also. There is already a shortage of aircraft technicians, and companies wonder why. In my opinion there is a plethora of reasons, one being night work. However that's another topic altogether. I've worked for British airways in the past, and the nightshift compensation was about 7k per year. Realistically it should be 20k imo. However, they have you by the short and curlies, as Aircraft technician work inherently involves night work anyway. So theres little or no getting away from it if your in this profession. I'm not having a moan, so much as a Frank discussion. Working nights has led me to bad places, and led me to some unhealthy habits
limerick17 wrote: » I've been working nights for the past two years in factories etc and the effect it has had on my well being is enormous. Never want to do anything, constantly run down and miserable, basically a shell of the person I was before starting nights. It also has an effect on relationships etc as your always narky. Basically in my opinion it is not worth all the money in the world as your health is more important. The only time I think it's worth it is for someone young looking to save up for a year or two but in the long run it will wreck you.
ush wrote: » I work day and night shifts. Two weeks day, then two weeks night. 07-19 and 19-07. The night shifts are fine. Its switching back to day that kills me.
