Would you look at an example of my rota please?

[MurphysColeslaw]

I work in hospitality, six 9 hour shifts one week, four 9 hour shifts the next.
An example of my rota..
Day 1 is 12-9
Day 2 is 2-11
Day 3 is 2-11
Day 4 is 12-9
Days 5 & 6 are 9-6
My eating and sleeping patterns are all over the place .
Would you find this tiring or am I a wuss?

It averages out as 45 per week over the 2 weeks which is about normal I think. If you’re finding it too much, can you look at a different role where there is a more even work pattern rather than shifts? Or speak to your manager & ask to do shorter shifts? I would find 6 in a row hard going.

100% I would find it tiring. You've got no real evenings off all week and your 12-9 shift days leave you two very unsatisfying little bits of time off either end rather than a decent chunk. You must feel like you are always at work.

All I can suggest is try to grab a bit more of your life back by planning something useful or fun in the mornings/lumchtime of the 2-11 days. School days finish from 2.30 onwards so frame it to yourself that you have nearly the whole school day to yourself before work those days, and make the most of them. It must be very hard to do in practice though after working the evenings before. I expect I would end up needing to sleep.

Personally I would find it hard to sleep around those hours, so wouldn't have taken the job in the first place.

However, I would discuss with your manager to see if a compromise can be met, such as shorter shifts or more consistent within a given week, although I note the working range is 9:00 to 23:00 Hrs, which isn't unusual.

Assuming the rota is compliant with your contract, you may be better suited to a job with more consistent hours.

I should add this is not a fixed rota, a week might be any variation of these shifts.
I might do 3 lates, 2 mids and one early, its very variable.
I'm relieved you don't feel I'm being a wimp.
I have felt quite ropy of late, crushingly tired, headaches, very irritable.
Had some blood tests, low b12 elevated something else, so that on top probably isn't really helping?

Ultimately, I think I'm going to have to leave, there isn't an option to change hours (management position) I just needed to know if other people would find it tiring or if I was just a flake?

If it’s a lateish establishment then that’s pretty normal for a shift rota. Thats why hospitality is largely a younger persons game.

No, far too many hours and I disagree that 45 hours a week is about the norm! I would be exhausted working those hours, and even more so for the fact that it’s late into the night. I would be a wreck after a couple of months of that, if I survived that long, and am always amazed that there are people that do it.

Do you have kids? Many years ago, I used to work similar hours and actually quite enjoyed it, but I could sleep in as late as I wanted to in the morning. I can imagine that if you have kids, sleeping in isn’t really an option.

Why are they doing it that way round?

it’s been shown that shift work is best managed earlies- lates, as it’s tough for your body to go from a late shift to an early.

i’d suggest you ask for:
two 9-6
two 12-9
two 2-11

or some version where your shifts get later and you’re not getting up early after a late.

days off to recover and reset to getting up early.

I don't think you are being a flake, but if I did, so what? It would not mean you should just put up with feeling rotten. You've got one life, you don't get a single day of it back. If it is not working for you, that is all the reason you need.

@Plimtoemin Yes, you're right I suppose, that's as good a reason as any.