There’s a good chance that at some point in your life you will consider working third shift. In fact, you may have already thought about it or may have even worked third shift already. Even if working a third shift job is a last resort, there are some things that everyone should know about working third shift.
The Advantage of Working Third Shift
Working third shift does have it’s advantages. While there are few advantages to working such late hours, it’s still nice to know that it’s not all bad. If you ever find yourself working third shift there are two advantages that you can almost always count on, no matter where you work. First of all, you will almost always get paid more for working late hours. After all, very few people want to work third shift. Many people avoid this shift because they don’t want to give up sleeping at night. For these reasons, companies will pay more money if you’re willing to work third shift.
The second advantage to working third shift is the laid back atmosphere. Many companies let their rules slide a little bit when it comes to their third shift employees. Why? Companies are just happy to have third shift workers that show up. Obviously, keeping sunrise workers is not easy. Many employees take the job thinking they can handle the late hours, only to quit a few weeks later. But why do so many people quit third shift jobs?
The Disadvantages of Working Third Shift
Unfortunately, the disadvantages of working third shift far out way the advantages. The biggest disadvantage to working third shift is the health risks. When considering a third shift job, many people may think about the lost sleep, but few think about the other effects that it may have on their health. First of all, your eating schedule will change. Many people who work third shift only eat one or two meals at the most. This causes their metabolism to fall and for them to put on weight. Other risks include stress, increased blood pressure, and sleep changes. Now you may be wondering how changes in your sleep patterns would a health risk. Many people who work third shift either sleep too much to too little. Not getting enough sleep can lead to mistakes at work which could be dangerous. Too much sleep is bad for your health because you aren’t taking the time to do other things that are good for your body, such as exercising and eating a balanced meal. Are health concerns the only disadvantages to working third shift? No.
Other disadvantages that come with working third shift include boredom, risks, and not having enough time to enjoy life. Depending on where you work, a third shift job can be extremely boring. For example, working as a night auditor is a constant struggle to stay awake as you wait for a customer to request something. With such a boring and quiet atmosphere there are also risks you must consider. Many businesses are robbed during late night/early morning hours. Also not getting enough sleep often leads third shift workers to be involved in car wrecks. Last, but not least, many people think that an advantage to working third shift is having the whole day off. Unfortunately, working third shift usually means sleeping all day. When you get off work, most businesses haven’t opened yet and by the time you wake up, most businesses are closing.
There you have it. Working third shift is far from glamorous and as you can see the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages. Even if you’re considering a third shift job, simply because it pays more money, you must realize that the disadvantages will quickly catch up with you and the job will, more than likely, end sooner than you expected.
