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-- How have you gotten used to a changing schedule?
-- How has it affected you (quality of life, errands, etc.) to have a changing or variable schedule.
I ask because I'm about to have a Mon-Fri, weekends and holiday's off job for the first time in 25 years.
I LIKED having weekdays -- I could make doctors appts, take the car to the shop, grocery shop when there's no crowd. It was great. BUT I NEVER could get weekends off. That was mainly the worst thing about it. That they 2-3 weekends I would want off per year, I could get those off with taking PTO, and sometimes THAT was refused.
Now, I'm going to holidays off. Holidays? What are those. Weekends off. AND office hours.
I've framed of being off when friends/family are off. Now missing family events. Being able to go evening events. But that also means shopping when most people shop, having to take off to do certain appointments, etc.
How has it affected you (quality of life, errands, etc.) to have a changing or variable schedule.
1) For decades I had what friends and family have said was a "crazy work schedule": (at a 24/7/365 workplace)
-- Schedule only posted three weeks ahead
-- Days off AND shift -- could change from schedule to schedule
-- So -- even though you schedule might get into a pattern -- you REALLY only had three weeks advance notice of days off and shift
For example, 95% of the time I worked 4p to midnight, ALL weekends, had two weekdays off. That could be my schedule for two months. Then when someone else was on vaca I'd be put in their slot for a week. Then back to mine.
So you could never really, really make any plans...say take classes, buy tickets to a concert. You could have the same seed for 6 months. And as soon as you sign up for a 6-week cooking class or college semester...boom...your schedule could change....and you'd have no idea how how many classes you might miss.
And again I worked nights, AND weekends. So weekends off. NOR any nights off (for dinner, concerts, evening classes, etc)
2) So I left that job after 21 years....and the only thing I could get was at yet another a 24/7/365 workplace!
THIS TIME....your schedule, and shift, and days off could change eery six months.
3) NOW, I'll soon be going to Mon-Fri, 9-5 "a normal life." It will be an "interesting" change.
So whatever your situation has been, how have you gotten used to a changing schedule?
I didn't either when I was younger.
But more than 20 years of missing weekend- and other family events, getting no holidays and no weekends off was enough for me. It took me yeeeears to want to have an easier time getting time off.
I didn't want much. Two, maybe three, weekends a year. And the job couldn't even allow for that.
21 years of PERFECT attendance, and I couldn't get a weekend off.
I just didn't want to miss any more family reunions, or not be able to go to the very, very rare concert I might want to attend. I'd have to get someone to work for me to attend family funerals for goodness sake.
My first position out of college, many years ago, was working afternoon shift (Monday-Friday) at a data center that operated 365/24/7.
I initially was not fond of working afternoon and early evening, but eventually got used to it.
This position also required infrequent (2-3x a year) change of shifts & work days to fill in for staff who were out on vacation, etc.
I was requested to fill in on several night shifts (aka “graveyard shift”) and that’s where my system had difficulty adjusting to working all night and sleeping during the day.
I eventually applied & transferred to a “office hours” (no shift work) type of position within the same company.
If the schedule changes gradually, like weekly, it's not too bad. But if it's rapid changes, its extremely tough mentally and physically over time. worse than simply working long shifts IMO. I dont think the human body is designed to cope with it very well.
Example if you're doing a 5AM start on monday and tuesday, then swing to a 5PM start wednesday, then 10AM start thursday, then back to a 5PM start friday. it'll wreak havoc on your body.
So whatever your situation has been, how have you gotten used to a changing schedule?
I opted out of that type of schedule in my 20's. Retail, Fast Food, Call Centers etc try to work you to death with low pay and no quality of life to plan things you want to do, no thanks!
I didn't go for working in places where it was 24/7/365 because working say, 830-5 a few days, 1030-7 a day or two and then 3-11 is a bad time for me. Unless its 5 days of the same schedule. My body hates mid-shifts, so I won't do them. I like graveyards or early morning shifts the best.
I worked 4-midnight for the vast majority of the last 20 years. And wasn't sure how I would adjust to very early mornings.....as in 3:30/4a.m.
But I adjusted to it easier than I thought. I just go to bed no later than 8p and some days as early as 6p.
I'm sure the subconscious psychology of being thrilled to have my evenings free -- if you call going to bed before 7p having evenings free -- negated or lessened the focus on the trade off of getting up at 2 or 2:30 a.m.
I still work EVERY weekend and EVERY holiday -- for now. But I feel getting off at noon allows for more of a social life, than working 4-midnight.
I’ve worked some crazy shifts. Probably the worst was 10:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with Mondays and Tuesdays off. I was in my 20s, single, and a bit of a partier. Do you know how hard it is to go to work at 10:30 on Saturday night?
Mr. Dokie spent his entire career working non-traditional hours. Even when he was on days, it was 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. I always tease him he has never driven in rush hour traffic.
I worked deli with Walmart. Come off a 4-11 shift and open a 7am shift. God that was a pain. Then you'd have a 40 hour week, then two or three 28 hour weeks....I was so happy to have a solid shift and hours not flexing or changing.
Being a journalist, it comes with the territory, but your body never gets used to it.
I worked 9:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. for three years. Some people at my station have been working overnights for 15-20 years.
I think, though, the worst "changing shift" stretch I had was a time when I worked during the day, 9:00-6:00 p.m. for two days, then had to turn around and work 5:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for the next three. I did that for about a year. Someone else is doing that shift now.
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