STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

jacL · Coach

LONG work question--need opinions!

halleybird · Hermes

This is a tough one... if you change to this shift, would you be able to change back if you didn't like it? How long would it take before you could change back?

I used to work 3-11:30 when I worked at a newspaper. I thought it would be the greatest work hours (I am not a morning person either), but I hated it. I felt like I didn't have enough time to get anything done, because I'd go to bed around 1 and get up around 10-11. I felt like I had no time off.

If you work this overnight shift, will it be weird adjusting on your days off? Will that interfere with you & your boyfriend (you'll be used to being up all night)?

HeatherLynn · Gucci

I personally say go with the days. There is a reason they offer that shift more money- bc you don't get to see friends/family, it messes up your internal clock, and no one really wants to work it.

I would talk to your bf and see what his thoughts are, but I think you would be much happier if you go to days. One of your complaints about 2nd shift was not having a social life, well you still won't have one if you take third shift.

Good luck with your decision.

member · Hermes

ITA w/HeatherLynn. I know you and I have talked about this before, but I think you should go to days. I also agree that taking 3rd shift, you still won't have much of a life. You'd be working until 7:30am each morning, and then you have to go home and get sleep. Sleeping until 2pm would only give you 6 hours of sleep and then you'd be home until about 10pm - still doesn't give you a whole lot of time to spend w/R or your friends (like me). R doesn't get home, until what 6:30/7 every night? Doesn't give you much time w/him. Most people work 9-5 type jobs, so I still don't think you'd be really getting in any quality time.

I like HL's suggestion of talking to R first and seeing what his thoughts are. I know you HATE mornings, but I honestly think you can get used to it faster than you think and that you'll be happier in the long run.

ETA: I also think the night shift supervisor being difficult is something else to keep in mind - that combined w/the overnight shift, does not sound like fun.

PM me if you need to talk, and let us know what you decide

-- Edited by shopchicago33 at 21:53, 2006-05-01

Aurora · Marc Jacobs

I agree with HL and ShopChicago. I'd stick with the day shift. The extra $1.75 an hour wouldn't make up for a difficult coworker/boss and the weird hours. Plus I love cuddling with my bf and I wouldn't give that up for anything.

Metric · Gucci

I agree, I'd take day shift. When I used to work nights (I did a 9 month stint in a kitchen where my hours ranged anywhere from 12 noon to 2 am) I totallly had no life b/c I didn't feel like hanging out and then going to work while my friends were partying was in full swing. And also on night shift I gained so. much. weight. It was horrible. I read somewhere that night workers are more likely to gain weight, it messes with your metabolism or something.

Good luck, I know its a tough decision.

jacL · Coach

Ahh, I thought I had my mind made up and now I am so confused all over again!

HalleyBird, I thought second shift would be perfect also, but I realized it does not allow you to have a social life at all! If I didn't like the midnight shift, it would be awhile until I could switch shifts again--basically I would have to wait until we were looking to hire someone new then I could switch shifts again and we would make the newbie take my old spot. So maybe a year?

HeatherLynn, I will actually be able to see friends and BF a lot more because I will actually be home on weeknights and not have to work any weekends--I currently work almost every other weekend so that cuts into social time a lot too. I figure I will have the same amount of social time on weeknights working either days or midnights because I would either be going to bed at 10:30pm (to get up at 5) or leaving for work at 10:30. And NO WEEKENDS!

Metric, I actually find myself eating better when I work the midnight shift (I do it occassionally right now). It is actually working the in-between shift that I am on now that makes me eat really bad.

ShopChicago33, either way I will be able to hang out with you more!

Aurora, the money is actually a big factor right now because I have so many bills and lately, I have really been thinking of buying a condo in the city or buying a house in the suburbs, in a few years. The boy and I have zero savings so this could help a lot.

There is one other girl my age who works the midnight shift and she loves it for all the same reasons it appeals to me. She also said that although the supervisor can be troublesome, if you just show her that she doesn't get to you, she will stop bothering you.

So there, I think I took all of your helpful comments and retaliated--sorry! I really do appreciate the help and these are great things to take into consideration, but I still want to do the midnight shift!

My BF's only concern is that he will still have to take me to work every night (he currently picks me up every night--I do not take the bus this late), which is a bother to him, but I think that is more of a selfish reason than anything, though I did say if he really doesn't want me to do it, I won't. I totally trust him to be fair in his choice.

Can I just ask my Magic Eightball?

member · Hermes

I kinda think you thought you had your mind made up to take 3rd shift, but you're looking for people to talk you out of it

As for the money - how much more a year does it add up to be? That's what you have to look at it...is it worth it?

As for R wanting you to take day shift so he doesn't have to drive you - that's selfish! Don't worry about that...don't make your decision based off of that either. I know he works all day, but come on!

Anyhow - the decision is up to you, but I still think you should go to day shift. Would it be a year that you'd be stuck on days too, if you didn't like it?

poptart · Coach

I think this is a no-brainer. Really, the only benefit to the midnight shift, as I see it, is the money. You can adjust the other things (like eating healthfully) once you adjust to your new schedule, right?

In my experience, once you start making career decisions based solely on financial considerations, you always end up getting into positions that aren't satisfying, and then you feel stuck there.

I say take the day position.

Let us know what you decide!

Ritz · Dooney & Bourke

ITA with poptart.. i just think a day job makes more sense than a night shift, at any time

if you need more money, could you maybe pick up a fun/easy weekend/1 night a week job? like at a boutique or something?

and, (maybe i'm just selfish too! but) i don't think it's that selfish of your bf to not want to take you to work at 11 pm.. that means that he has to plan every night around you, has to be home from going to a game/to the bar/out with friends in time to take you.. it's almost like a curfew (in my opinion, please don't take any offense to this!), which isn't fair to him. and, is he driving you to work? taking the el with you? b/c then that is costing money as well (gas, time, etc.) so take that into consideration when you are thinking how about the $1.75 an hour benefit... there is also the safety issue involved with working at night.. you two could both avoid that if you worked a day shift. i just think that if the issue is making/saving more money for the both of you to buy a condo, you two should definitely agree on how you do that, or it could cause problems..

this is just my opinion and you have to do what is right for you, but i personally think a "normal" lifestyle/work day and getting to sleep with your bf and have nights free is worth way more than $1.75/hour extra with a difficult boss, particularly since it is for a year at the minimum

jacL · Coach

Well, I have another 12 hours to make my decision, but I think I am going to take the third shift (overnight) position over the day shift. I talked to all of my friends who are Medical Technologists, like me, and Registered Nurses who do currently or have at one point worked this shift, and all but one say that they would take the overnight shift and even the one who was against it said she thinks if anyone can be comfortable working that shift, it would be me. I don't get the disparity between them and all of you. Maybe hospital employees are more inclined to like working nights??

Ritz, one thing you said bothered me and is making me think--you are right, my BF will have to schedule every night around me, as he currently does, but it would be nice for him to not have to do that anymore. I guess I didn't think of that because as it is now, he rarely hangs out with anyone but me, maybe only once a month (he just doesn't know many other people yet, but I guess him not having to take me every night would help improve his social life too). And, actually, he drives a free car and gets free gas through his company so him driving me to work is beneficial, money-wise.

After talking to him again, he no longer has any qualms about me taking the overnight shift. So I think I will.

ShopChicago33, I think you are right in that my mind was already kind of made up but I wanted to see if anyone could talk me out of it. I don't think anyone did...but who knows what I will say in 12 hours?

shopgirl82 · Chanel

i know you already made your decision, but i just wanted to add (hopefully to make you feel better....)

the money differential isn't worth it (R.N's get a bit more, that's weird), if you hate the supervisor and your body hates you for taking the shift, but overall i think it's worth it to do nights. no weekends is HUGE. especially since summer is coming. i work nights and while i swore i never would, it works out great for me. i work 12 hour shifts, and going in at 11 instead of 7 is also HUGE. it's weird to sleep during the day, but i also think i don't sleep as much. i guess my body is used to not sleeping as much. it's nice to be able to run errands during the day because you can get things done quicker because the stores aren't as crowded. also, it's an easier shift. the hospital is unusually much quieter (normally) so i find i'm not as stressed at work. when i worked days i would get up at 5, and be so tired all day and was almost always in bed by 9! plus, you have to run around a lot more during the day because you have to get so much more done and you don't want the evening shift to come in and complain about stuff you didn't get done (hello, days runs their butts off!). and one final thing worth mentioning, my mom worked 11-7 when we were little and we never saw a day care. so....if you think about having kids (i'm sure that's a ways off), it's a WONDERFUL shift to work.

-- Edited by shopgirl82 at 09:30, 2006-05-03