I’ve worked 2nd (afternoon), swing (evening), and 3rd (overnight) shifts for the majority of my life. I recently moved into a training position where I’m Monday through Friday, 8am to ~5:30pm (I get OT while I’m cleaning up and writing reports).

As much as the 2nd/swing/3rd shifts screw with your life in other ways, the difficulty in scheduling any kind of life services outside of working hours is maddening. Doctor’s appointment? Nope. DMV? Maybe Saturday, if you’re lucky. Chaperone your kids field trip? Hahahhah no.

I don’t want to burn sick time for a doctor’s appointment (I need to save those for when my kid is actually sick), and I sure as hell don’t want to use up a “vacation” day for it. How tf are you supposed to get anything done?

  • hardcoreufo@lemmy.world
    4·
    12 days ago

    I do 12 hour shifts, 3 days on 3 off then 4 on 4 off pay periods. The 3 days off don’t feel like enough so I don’t know how people work with 2 days off. 12 hour shifts do make it hard to do anything when I get home though.

    • Tower@lemmy.zipOP
      1·
      11 days ago

      I did that shift for just under a year, 6pm to 6am. Because it was overnights, first day of your weekend was shot catching up on sleep, and it was tough to do anything on the last one knowing work was coming up. But those 4-day weekends every other week were definitely nice.

      • hardcoreufo@lemmy.world
        3·
        11 days ago

        I did the over night shift for 3 or 4 years. Those were lost years for sure. Its been much better doing 6am to 6pm. I still need the first day off to just relax, but it doesn’t feel like a wasted day anymore. Just a lazy one.