To you shift workers

[littlegold]

Hi all,

I have been undecided about this for a few months so I thought I'd see what other shift workers think.

So a few years ago (before I had my baby) I was on a ward working various shifts; days and nights, but I struggled with the nights so I moved to a day unit where I work mon-fri so shifts vary between the hours of 7am-9pm (8 hour shifts).

Since the covid break out, I have been moved back to the ward working 12 hour day shifts but with the promise of no nights.

Now I am back on the ward I realise that I have really missed ward work and I'm enjoying working less days and spending more days off with my baby. The ward manager has asked me to go back permanently but that they can't promise no nights if I do as a lot of staff also don't want to work nights, even though I stated it would interfere with my childcare as my partner would need to leave for work before I would be home; so they have suggested I work a weekend of nights once a month for example (which is a lot less than I did previously).

My question is, do night shifts work better for those with young children? Or would I be silly to give up a job with no nights and weekends (despite the pay being less due to no enhancements)?

[jadealisha]

Can your child/children not go to nursery ? If I have a 7.30pm-8am shift my partner gets our girls ready for school and nursery and drops them off before he starts his 9am-5pm job. And again if I work 7.30am-8pm or 12pm-8pm he gets them from after school club and nursery.
I pay for my nursery age girls to go to nursery Monday-a Friday (just because it doesn't work at much different to 3 or 4 days and that way there places are always secure and I don't have to contact the nursery every 4 weeks with my shifts) most of the days I have off in the week they are home with me, depending on how tired I am or if I have excessive amounts of house work to do, or they get dropped at nursery but for only a few hours. I contact my schools age daughter after school club every 4 weeks so I only pay for what I need (she's 9 so she's lots of help at home lol), they are quite flexible when it comes to healthcare workers after school club contracts.

Although sometimes I don't get to see them for more than an hour each day for 2/3 days, I'm off for the other 4-6 days (if my next shift is mid the next week) I love it, it beats being in a rush every day finishing work at 5pm but then again my partner is a super dad so if didn't take care of the children and the home equally I'd struggle.


X

[littlegold]

Hi @jadealisha, thanks for your reply.

My daughter goes to nursery on a Thursday but unfortunately they don't offer flexible days. Obviously this was easy to work around on the day unit as I worked 4 out of the 5 days in the week so I worked a regular Thursday; and my mum had her the remaining 3 days.
I'm sure my mum wouldn't mind having her after my night shift so I could sleep but I think I'd feel a bit guilty knowing she is at my mums whilst I'm in bed.
I think I'd go back in a flash if it wasn't for the nights. I didn't used to enjoy them either but I'm just wondering whether they might actually make my life easier with childcare etc as I'd be working less amount of days?! x

[Whaleandsnail6]

I have done permanent nights since my youngest was 1,so for about 8 years. It fits in better for us as I do 3 12 hour shifts. The first night, I tend to stay up for most of the day and grab a nap if I can for an hour or two, second and 3rd night the kids are either at school/dad's day off whilst I sleep and after the last night, I sleep till lunch then get up and spend the rest of the day with them. I won't lie, it's tiring and I am getting fed up of it now, especially my fist night with such little sleep but for now, being around for school runs and the option of getting up during the day for school concerts /sports days etc works for us. It also helps that I'm really only not around for 2 full days rather than 3 so my husband can work his shifts around that easier.

[jadealisha]

@Whaleandsnail6 do you have the children at home with you when your off work? If you do that sounds extremely tiresome! We pay for nursery 5 days a week so I can pick and choose if they go or not, if they do go they never go from 7.30am-6pm but I always do the school run for my 9 years old ok my days off

[Whaleandsnail6]

No, I have them on my days off but when I'm sleeping between shifts they are either at school or my husband works his days off for when I'm in bed. The first and last nights I do, I spend most of the day with the kids but the days in the middle of shifts, I aim to get a full day sleeping.