As I stated in my first blog entry, I Do Shift Work Up And Running there are all types of shift work, retail being one of them. Although I have had many opportunities to interact with retail shift workers, I can say with a red face that I did not appreciate the unique difficulties that retail shift workers can encounter. Dealing with the public is a given. There are other difficulties as well.

My first observation was the differences in terminology. For me a three shift rotation is days, swings, and graveyards. For her it is open, close, and overnights. This is puzzling. If there is an overnight shift, why would you open or close? It must be a carryover of terms from the days when stores actually did close at night.

Her schedule is a very odd shift schedule. It appears it is based on .. something or other. I will not attempt to explain it. It would be a useless endeavor for me, and boring for you. The point is, there is very little that I can see that allows for a normal routine.  I have worked shift work for thirty years or so. She has done it for just the last few years.

I feel like a scientist observing a human behavioral experiment. No, that is way to self important. This is more like watching how a fish in a bowl reacts when you put the towel on and take the towel off the bowl at all hours of the night and day. They forget when to eat. Often they just swim in random circles, occasionally bumping into the side of the bowel. Sometimes they seem to not have a direction at all. They are fixed in a half sleep state that knows not what to do next, or what they were doing previously for that matter.

The subject of my observation is a very intelligent woman. This was not normal for her pre shift work. This is extremely encouraging for me. I now know for sure I’m not an idiot. I’m a shift worker. Just today she awoke from a day of rest to prepare for yet another overnight (remember, that’s graveyards). She came into the kitchen and started washing a dish or two, then disappeared. My beautiful wife later begin to finish the dishes when her friend reappeared to finish the task. My wife said, "I thought graveyards kicked in and you headed back to bed”. My grandchildren spoke up almost in unison, “That’s what grandpa does”. Encouraging indeed.

So I wonder what other unique difficulties do retail shift workers deal with. In the chemical plant environment, I have thought about terrorist attacks, fires, explosions, releases and the like. Although these things happen, they are very rare. I would guess they are less likely than a convenience store being robbed.

I remember early one morning several years ago on my way to work when I stopped to get gas. There was another car there and when I went to the window at the booth, the lady was terrified and begged me not to leave. She thought the other man there was carrying a gun. I live in Texas, this is not all that unusual.  Never the less I hung around until he filled his car and left. The mental stress was obviously very hard on her.

What stories can you share? How have you dealt with retail shift work? As you think about that, I will continue with my observations of my guest subject.

When I first started working shift work, we had three eight hour shifts per day. I worked seven day shifts with four days off, seven graveyard shifts with two days off, then ended the rotation with seven swing shifts with one day off. When the shift rotation was explained to me during my interview for the job, the four days off were described as a “mini vacation each month”. Not a bad description, but it failed to address the problem of compound fatigue. You know, the body shots that take their toll a little at a time and eventually put you on the matt.

The swing shift was the worst for me. My body had a very hard time recovering from the swing shift. I tended to stay up very late, and would sleep until time to go to work. Family life was non-existent when I worked swing shift. I can see how a single person could thrive, but it just is not for me.

After a couple of years of vigorous debate, a large majority at the plant finally voted to try the 4 on 4 off shift that was popular at some plants. This scheme calls for twelve hour shifts of days and graveyards, in sets of four. We have on call periods following the day shift set. I find this to be much easier on the body. The down side is I often work twelve on and four off. I have to say I prefer the extra days worked to cover vacancies over working twelve and sixteen hour shifts for seven days. Overall, I see more of the family, and my health “feels” better.

Chime in. What shift work scheme do you work? How does it work? What makes it good, and what makes it bad. Is it easy on the body, or does it take a toll on your health?

• Off days during the week - This seems to be a commonly expressed advantage. The lakes, golf courses, shopping centers, theaters, doctors offices, etc. are less crowded. This seems like an advantage to me; however, I find myself taking advantage of the less crowds without the company of those I care to share the advantage with the most.  Maybe it’s a wash for me.
• Opportunity to see life from a opossum’s point of view - Of course it’s an advantage. How else are we to fully understand the deep thoughts and motifs of nocturnal creatures. Only by studying what we don’t understand can we fully grasp what we might be curious about. Yes, that works! (Doesn’t it?)
• A shorter life span - We may have to work on this one a bit. Will not have to work as long as someone with a day job? Less time to watch the world go down hill? Can’t get as deep in dept, or less time to worry about being in dept? Retirement funds running out? No worries. They will last longer than you. I’m not sold on it as an advantage, but you decide for yourself.

I hoped to find something better than the default editor for my blog site. I will see if this is the answer. 

I Do Shift Work » I Do Shift Work, Up And Running

I’m not complaining.  Shift work has provided my family a pretty good life. It could have been better had it not been for a few foolish mistakes on my part, but all in all, I think there are be a great number of people who would change positions with me in a hurry.

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