A Comparison Between Working Days or Nights
Posted: Wednesday, May 06, 2009
by Jami Wright
In today's business world there are a lot more companies extending hours. Is there really a difference between working day or night shift? Absolutely. Most individuals want to work the earlier shift. Why? Companies with multiple shifts use shift realignments to increase productivity because the shift you work makes a huge difference for most people. This article will talk to the pros and cons for both shifts in a call center environment. You may find similarities in most industries but this will be tailored to call centers as I have been a manager for this industry for about 13 years. One of my biggest disappointments was when someone resigned due to the shift they received. I would do my best to help them analyze the pros and cons that fit into the situation they were in and work with them to design a plan to help them become more successful in hopes that they would get a better shift bid in the future. I would still lose people, but I would also keep some and that would be good for both the employee and the company.
1. One of the biggest pros to working a day shift is day care. Most parents like the morning shift because their children are in school and if they are not in school then it is easier to find day care. Most day cares charge extra for later hours if they even offer this as an option.
2. Generally most companies work that typical 8-5 Monday through Friday. Case in point our news media starts the drive hoe at five. The major news comes on at 6pm and 10pm. Prime time television starts at 7pm giving families time to get home, each supper, and relax before the first show comes on. This also means that the majority of spouses work in those hours as well, making this a great pro. Working similar shifts makes it easier to have a smoother home life and allows families to build their family unit as well.
3. Getting noticed. Because of the amount of leadership during the day shift getting noticed and making a mark is more noticeable. Most companies will tell you that a promotion is based on experience and interview. Which is true for the most part. But having been a hiring manager if I had two candidates that were equal in the interview and experience arena but one had worked on more projects for me I would be more inclined to go with the individual that had already proven their selves.
4. You have a better opportunity to go out with friends in the evening. But be careful if you have to work the next day because it may be hard getting up in the morning.
Day Shift Cons:
1. Doctor's appointments are difficult to schedule if you work Monday through Friday. This means you will need to take a partial or whole day off to get an appointment. If you have kids this can really add up. Losing time at work can impact your pay if you are unable to use PTO/Vacation/Sick time.
2. The majority of the management team in companies work the day shift. In the companies I have worked in as a manager you needed to work the earlier shift to attend the meetings that were being held. However, for some employees the pressure builds to do a better job when your boss is there. Employees I have worked with in the past have told me that there seems to be a higher standard during the day.
3. It is harder to get a day shift, in general. This means you have to be the best of the best to move into these roles and stay there.
4. Lunch hour is more hectic if you are going to a restaurant. This seems minor to some people but it amazed me how this came up in a poll for how to make our center the "Best Place To Work."
Night Shift Pros:
1. If you commute a long way or only a few blocks traffic is a big factor for people. A person only has to turn on the news to hear about another road rage incident to see that. Most night shifts start in off traffic hours and end in off traffic hours which makes an easier commute for people.
2. Most companies pay a shift differential to reward employees for working a later shift or working on the weekends. This can increase your paycheck and help relieve some stress at home in regards to paying the bills.
3. Most part time shifts are available during the evening shift. It is harder to find a part time shift during the day time. If you are only looking to get out of the house for a few hours and bring in a little extra cash a part time evening shift may be perfect for you.
4. Students enjoy evening shift as well because it works around their class schedule. Another type of worker that enjoys the night shift would be someone working a day job.
Night Shift Cons:
1. The one thing I disliked about working night shift was I missed my favorite t.v. shows. However, with tivo and other technological advances this is not a big one anymore.
2. It is harder to go into work sometimes. You have had a great day enjoying the sun that just came out after a week of rain and now you have to cut your afternoon short and go into work. This is difficult for some people.
3. In general there is a higher absenteeism rate for the evening shift so you may have to work harder because everyone who is supposed to be there is not there for the evening.
4. It is harder to go out with friends. If the majority of your friends are working the typical 8-5 shift you may find it harder to go out with them during the work week.
In general the best shift for you would be the one that works around your needs. If you have a family you may prefer a day shift if you don't you might like the more laid back night shift. This is only a short list of pros and cons to help you get started on thinking this way. If your company hired you in at the night shift but you need a day shift, work with your leadership to discover ways you can move up to that desired shift. Hopefully this list helps you to remember in the interim that there are some positives to working any shift.
Another thing to remember is that not all situations are the same. You may live in a town where they roll the carpets up at 5 pm but still have to work until 10pm. This would put a different perspective to working day or night shift. These lists are only made to help you analyze your own situation and get you thinking about what works for you.
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Top-level comments on this article: (5 total)Hi Jami.Thank you for a very informative article. I enjoyed reading it. Thanks for all the tips.Best regards,NenitaThank you Nenita I appreciate the time you took to read my article. Jmai
Hi Jami, this is great information. You give the reader a lot to consider regarding shift work. I would encourage you to go back through this article and edit the typo's. I had to go back several times and reread while inserting the proper word in my head.Taking extra time to proofread your work several times even after posting helps to catch all those little mistakes. I do it all the time :-)Anyway, good job. Thank you for sharing your expertise. Blessings to you! Teresa
I worked in an airline call centre for 16 years. I always preferred day shifts, not only because it freed up my evenings for social time, but because I was dealing mainly with business travellers during the day. In the evenings it would be mostly people out shopping for flights and prices, but not really serious travellers.
Jami,I haven't had to think about dayshift / nightshift for a long time; however, many years ago when I was young, I worked third and second shift. Third was difficult because I never felt like I got good sleep. And "no" you never get used to working 3rd shift like some people think. For me, after three years I was convinced I'd never work 3rd again. And I didn't. My second shift job was a nightmare. I worked mostly alone in a hospital computer room. And once a month we had to take two twelve hours shifts Sat. and Sun. That was terrible. I hated it. The best time to work for anyone is 1st shift. Our bodies are programmed to be awake during the day and to sleep at night. It's not natural to do otherwise, but I understand why people choose to. Good article.
I personally prefer the day shift on weekdays and night shift on weekends. It kind of balances out, unless I have big plans for the weekend then it will have to be flexible.
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