AIBU to speak to my manager?

[Inkdrinker]

Hey everyone 😀

I started a new job in June as a support worker, I absolutely love the job and the staff. The only issues are the night shifts.

The shifts are 8am-8pm, 10am-10pm and 8pm to 8am.

The shifts are exhausting but I deal well with the day shifts but the night shifts are dreadful. I have 3 kids and I am completely wiped out the following day. It triggers my migraines and has had a massive effect on my mental health for the following days.

I'm thinking of speaking to my manager but then I haven't been there very long and I'm not sure whether I should mention anything at all or just try and suck it up as it is part of the job after all.

i would say it’s unfortunately part of the job. Most people would prefer not to do nights / shifts of given a choice.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking really.

I think I'm just a bit burned out after doing 3 night shifts on the trot but thank you lol for confirming my suspicions before I made a fool of myself and speaking to my manager 🤣

OP it does take a little time to
re-condition and get used to nights. I would say most jobs similar to this one will have nights requirements are standard. If you don’t do them, then who does? DH is 56 and really struggling but he still does some because no one likes them.

I do think I need to give myself some time to get used to them. I went from not working due to bad health to being able to work full time and it has been a shock.

I absolutely love the job and supporting people. I'm just hoping I'll get used to the nights because it's killing me at the moment. Xx

There are support work jobs which don’t involve nights. Some companies split their shifts and have day workers and night workers, for example. If it’s really an issue for you, I’d look at exploring other options.

My mums the manager of a care home and she has staff that prefer nights so she gives them the night shifts and the other staff do the days and only cover the nights if someone is on holiday or off sick. She would rather you spoke to her and said you were struggling and try and help you buy maybe only have you do 1 or 2 in a row instead of 3 than lose you. Theres a massive shortage of carers currently and she would rather try and accomodate you where she can than have to recruit.

Thank you all.

I think it's just been a shock to the system. I'm not going greave the job, I absolutely love it and I would definitely speak to my manager before I even considered leaving.

I think I just needed some sleep tbh

We’re the hours disclosed to you before you accepted the role? Or have they been changed since you started work there? What are you wanting the manager to do?

Night shifts are not easy and they take a lot of getting used to.

I don't think you can avoid night shifts, but there could be ways of reducing the impact. Number in a row, finish time perhaps? If you were to do certain days, when help with the children is available?