Hey! Well-structured work schedule is crucial for productivity and work-life balance. It can greatly impact our professional success and personal well-being. There are many types of work schedules, and just to name a few:
- Flexible work schedule. It has become a company’s most attractive package for the present and potential employees. But the schedule may not be feasible for most companies if they need to liaise with other companies. Or maybe, if they provide services. Imagine going to an open shop, but you cannot buy because the staff’s not there. LOL.
- Fixed work schedule. Some people call it NORMAL WORKING HOURS. Typically it is an office job which requires one to work Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm. The employees under this type of schedule usually get off days during weekends and public holidays.
- Rotating work schedule. It is a typical work schedule for industries such as hospitality, health care, and retails. Not very preferable.
Normal Working Hours = Work-Life Balance?
I worked for both fixed and rotating work schedules before. And I honestly think that both have their own pros and cons. The fixed work schedule allows people to schedule their lives better. Most people carry out events on weekends. Hence, they can attend the functions during their off days. Schools are off on weekends too. Therefore, families can spend time together during weekends. To keep it short, these employees’ main concerns are off days on weekends and public holidays. LOL. Some say that normal working hours allow people to have a work-life balance. Sorry, that’s when they’re wrong. I think that’s an utter BULLSHIT.
For a start, they work 5 days and get only 2 days off. IS THAT EVEN ‘BALANCE’? They spend their time stuck in the traffic everyday, and even weekends! Except for civil (cough) servants, these employees either need to take off day, half-day, or spend their lunch time to settle things like going to the post office, bank, etc. They can’t go back if there’re urgent unfinished tasks. So they’ll spend more hours at work. Plus, some employers believe that employees working overtime are good employees. Some employees think that they’re good employees for doing overtime. So 8 am-5 pm work is not even relevant.
Perks of Jobs With Shifts
Of course, those working under rotating work schedules may have difficulties returning to their hometown during festive seasons or attending functions during weekends. But do you know how much time and petrol these people can save? A LOT. Because the working hours are less common, they face less traffic = less commute time. No need to get smushed like a sardine on public transport. LOL. Plus, the schedule is usually quite flexible if they have a good supervisor and teammates. Although it’s not recommended, they can still change the shift if there’s an urgency, provided that someone will cover it. And usually, if they’re unable to finish a task, the person working the next shift can continue the task. So if their shift ends at 7 pm, they just need to check out and get out. LOL!
Understandably, some people are just curious about how to spend more time with family by working shifts. But usually, with proper planning, the shift employees can spend more time with their families. Like my friends, they can still go to the mall or vacation with their family. Even better, the places they went were less crowded, and some enjoyed further discounts because most places have promotions to increase weekday sales. But it all depends on the family members too. Only people with supportive and understanding family members can survive the rotating work schedule. Before accepting my new job offer, I asked my husband if it was okay with him, and he supported me. We rarely attend functions, we hate the weekend traffic, etc. Should not be a problem for us. Probably it’s a good career option for me, at least for now. Let’s hope it will not become an issue in the future. Haha.
Hopefully…
..this article can convey that it’s not necessarily unfortunate to work on shifts. Nurses, police, and firefighters also work on shifts. Any work schedules have some pros and cons. But as for the family members, try to be more understanding and accommodating. The person who will wake up EARLY in the morning, face the traffic, do the job, etc is not you. But you’ll be one of the people who will also enjoy the paychecks, right? So, please remain silent.
Thanks for reading!