If you’re working, what is your preferred shift?

[Croconaw]

My desired shift will always be late evenings or overnight. I’ve worked shifts 5:00 PM to 1:00 AM. I’ve also worked 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM. I loved both.

I currently work overnights and I’ve been for five years. I slightly prefer the late evening shifts I had from 5PM-1AM, which I’d done for a bit of time.

 

[_Rainy_]

I typically work from 8-1 not enough for full time, but I’m building up to more hours. I work from 9-3 on Saturdays, but I prefer to go in at 8. I’d prefer to not have any days off and just work 5-6 hours a day because I really don’t mind going in most of the time. I like getting up and then having the rest of the day free. My job is easy to call off when needed and I can have some control of my hours which is ideal.

 

[Bluelady]

My ideal shift would probably be the typical 9-5.

Back when I briefly worked for Toy R Us, I was an overnight stocker. That schedule didn’t work for me because my family is loud and sometimes inconsiderate.

When I worked at another retail store my shifts would be either 9 am - 6 pm, or 11 am - 8 pm. I enjoyed the 9-6 shifts more because it felt like more could be done in a day.

Currently, I work from 12 pm - 9 pm. I don’t like this schedule because it only gives me 2 hours to do whatever it is that I have to do before my family goes to sleep. After that, I have to tip toe around my room and pick a quiet activity to do until I fall asleep.

 

[LadyDestani]

I prefer working an evening shift because that suits my ideal sleep schedule. I like going to sleep around 3-4am and waking up around noon. So if I don't have to go into work until 4 or 5pm, that gives me plenty of time to wake up naturally and then take care of any chores or errands before work. Getting off work at 12 or 1am still gives me a couple hours to unwind and do my hobbies (reading, writing, gaming) before falling asleep.

Unfortunately, I've only had two jobs with my preferred schedule and they only lasted a year or two. Most of my jobs have been the typical 8am - 5pm which I hate. The only schedule I would hate more would be an early morning one. I wouldn't even be able to function if I had to wake up before 7am.

I've never worked an overnight schedule, but I'm sure I'd like it better than having to wake up in the morning.

 

[Bloodflowers]

I don’t work anymore but when I did I always worked part time during the day. I always dreamed of working nights. I feel more comfortable, creative and energetic at night but unfortunately society functions during the day.

 

[Midoriya]

I’ve worked a variety of different hours over the years with different jobs. Last year I had a part-time position that basically let me set my own hours and do as much as I want in a week so long as I met certain goals. I doubt I’ll have a job like that again. More recently, I’ve had to go in at 5 a.m. for work… and… I am just not about that life.

As for hours I prefer, honestly 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. would be ideal for me. Too bad I’ve never had a job like that before.

 

[amemome]

I hate working LOL! I can't really keep my focus for the whole 8 hours they want me to be working so honestly none of the work models really fit with me. My most ideal would be start and 9am and end when I'm unable to be productive anymore.

 

[oak]

I honestly believe all shifts are too long and should be shortened, or the work week should be less days to improve life quality for humans. Back on topic though I work the late afternoon shift of 4pm-1am. All shifts have their downside but waking up at 8am for work is the worst because then there's a wave of traffic to battle. I wish I'd never have to work again lmao

 

[LuchaSloth]

It's all the same, honestly.

Being stuck in the same place for 6, 8, 10 hours or more every day just sucks. You waste a ton of your life doing it.

If you work nights and weekends, then you miss having a social life. If you work daytime hours during the week, then you miss life in general. If you don't work at all, then you have time but no money. And if you do work, then you have money but no time. It's an intentionally manufactured cycle to keep people grinding...and it's literally the worst thing about society (especially in America). I'm not lazy. Far from it. I actually enjoy to work (when I want to - when it benefits me). But employment is set up so that it doesn't benefit you.

 

[-Lumi-]

I prefer morning shifts although maybe I've been working the wrong mornings if they're usually done around 1/2 pm, lol. When I was a preschool teacher my favourite shift was either the opening shift (I'd be in slightly before 7am and I'd be done around 4pm) or the shift just after the opener from 7:30am - 4:30 pm. 8-5 wasn't bad but it just felt so much longer as did the closing shift when you're in from 9-6.

When I was a pharmacy assistant I preferred 8-4 or 9-5 as opposed to 9:30-5:30 and I absolutely dreaded my night shift. That was mostly because at night it would really just be me and the pharmacist and I wasn't very confident in my role but I also just don't enjoy nights. If my shift starts at 12 pm (or anywhere around that time) I just feel like I've completely lost the day. I don't feel comfortable going out and having a busy morning when I know I'll be on my feet until late at night and still working again the next day.

I agree with @LuchaSloth and @oak that as a whole shifts and work weeks are just too long. I love working with kids but I think it's ridiculous how long the shifts can go. I've worked 7am-5pm before and that's brutal when you're around toddlers all day and need to be on high alert all the time. It's also rough for the babies too, when parents have to work long hours and as a result need to leave their children in care for long hours that's rough on them. I'd have kids who'd get drop off when we'd open and wouldn't be picked up until we closed and that's such a long day.

And my shifts weren't even that long when compared to other professions. I can't even imagine working 12 hr healthcare shifts regularly. I have a friend who works in a care home and her shifts are insane. It's beyond me why anybody thinks we should be putting healthcare professions under such long shifts - how are people supposed to be working at their best when they're no doubt exhausted? Even when my friend has days off she needs to sleep for so much of them just to regain her energy so she can be ready to work again.

My 7am to 4pm was a good shift when compared to other jobs but even then I'd be so done out. I could maybe go out for dinner after but not regularly and I'd usually save that for Friday's when I knew I'd have the next day off to sleep in. I'd typically come right home after work and just be done out. I'd prep crafts or whatever but I'd be sitting the whole time so that wasn't the same - I didn't have the energy to go out and see people let alone have more intensive hobbies. It's ridiculous.

 

[-Blue-]

I prefer the morning shifts because I get up early anyway and then I am done and can use the rest of the day for whatever I want to. When I have to work later in the day, it feels like you really can't get into much of anything and are waiting around for the shift to start. I don't go to bed too early either, so I have a bit of night life. I feel like this shift is more fitted for me and it works.

Would I prefer not to work at all and be financially comfortable? Of course, who wouldn't want that. I'd still be active and get into what I would want to. But I also don't hate my job and I like it well enough for what it is.

 

[Parkai]

I hate closing, usually late morning to early evening so I can wake up late and still have time for myself.

 

[Stella-Io]

The two jobs I've had had quite different schedules.

First and old job, I worked my way to be a closer. This meant I would come in at 3pm-5pm then leave at 10pm or 11pm. I absolutely HATED openings, 6am-3pm, with a BURNING passion. I abhorred waking up very early to do somethin I hated. Customers were so dang rude in the morning to, like it's too early for this. So I trained to be a closer. When the closer I was training under retired, I was automatically put as the new closer since I was so good at doing it. I did everythin really fast, clean and almost always left at 10 or 11 sharp, whatever time the store closed at that day. I'm a night owl, so I was always well rested and alert when I came in for the day. I have sleep issues that make me randomly wake up for no reason, unable to go back to sleep for hours on end, or at all. I also can have trouble falling asleep, which could take me hours to do so. When I got home from work after a closing I was still ert and not tired, staying up for a few more hours before I went to bed. Also, if I woke up early enough, I had enough time before work to do some stuff, like errands or shopping.

With my current job, I work from 7:30am to anywhere between 1 or 5pm. It varies day by day. It's a small business, unlike my corporate first job, so schedules are different.
At first I thought I would hate having to wake up early (even thou it was still later than my first job). But it turns out, I don't mind it as much as I thought I would. I still have sleepless nights that cause me to wake up not well rested for the work day, but the work load itself is much easier at this job. Plus, there's dogs at this job, so I get doggie kisses alot
Most of my day now is spent at work, so I don't get anytime to do somethin before work, and rarely after work, unless I get out early. However this job has guaranteed days off, unlike my chaotic inconsistent old jobs schedule, so I can actually plan stuff in advance now.

 

[~Kilza~]

I would prefer just not working at all, lol. Since that's (sadly) not a viable option, I end up preferring the standard 9-5 working hours. It gives me enough time to sleep in, go to work first thing, and then once I stop working for the day I have plenty of time to myself and am able to do whatever I want. This has been helped further by working from home, since I lost an hour a work day having to drive to/from work, so reclaiming that hour for my own purposes is huge. As well, since I have flexible hours I usually end up front-loading my week so that way I don't have to work as long during the back-half of the week.

 

[Dwayne Johnson]

i've never had the opportunity to do it but i wouldnt mind a 6 to 1 shift, ive been used to waking up early from a young age so the time wouldn't bother me at all, plus ending at 1 gives you the rest of the day to yourself, honestly i think it would be perfect for me but sadly most jobs stick you at 9 to 5 with not much wiggle room

 

[deana]

I've worked a lot of different shifts at different times and I actually really like 7am-3pm. I used to work that shift sometimes when I worked at a 24hr grocery store and it was nice because the mornings were pretty slow paced which sort of gives you time to wake up and then you still get to leave nice and early. I've also done late shifts working until midnight and I didn't like those at all because you get home WIDE AWAKE from being under the bright florescent lights.

Edit: I posted this too early when I wasn't done lol ANYWAY
The big problem I had with that grocery store place though (and to a lesser extent at my current job) is that I don't have a set schedule. So I would sometimes be scheduled to work late one night and early the next morning at it's the absolute worst. The law here is that you need 8 hours between shifts but once you factor in travel time, eating, and getting ready it's just not enough at all.

In a super idealized dream world where I could make my own perfect schedule that would suit me best, I would work 9am-2(3)pm, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. No weekends and no Wednesdays. I like having midweek days off because it's so convenient for stuff like dentist appointments and it gives a chance to rest up before continuing the rest of the week. And working for 5 or 6 hours is just so much more pleasant than doing a full 8. Of course I think finding a job that would be cool with this would be very difficult.

 

[Envy]

I've only ever worked 4am to 1pm or 10pm to 7am and I despise both shifts. It's unnatural. I wake up naturally around 6:00am to 7:00am every morning, so a 9am shift would be perfect. And I dearly hope I get something close to that. Those weird shifts mess with me.

 

[cornimer]

I work from home so I have flexible hours, but typically I do the majority of them from 10am-6pm.

 

[LittleMissPanda]

My preferred shift will always be early mornings, typically from 5am - 12pm (or sometimes from 6am - 1pm)

For several reasons: I'm already up by 3am naturally. It's my internal alarm clock even though I have my phone to go off at 4am, I'm up and awake by 3am. I get ready starting at 4am so that by 4:50am I arrive at work. Also, since I handle the morning shift I get to leave early, which I like because there's plenty of things I need to get done at home/run a few errands, etc. If I have free time, however, I spend it either drawing, writing or playing games.

Where I used to work three years ago, my schedule was too erratic thanks to my careless, inconsiderate boss. I used to work mornings but then suddenly got switched to either afternoons or late evening. I don't like being out late. Thankfully where I work now my schedule is a lot more stable (but there are times I do have to work a double shift thanks to incompetent co-workers)

 

[mayor.lauren]

Personally, I like the mid shifts. Don't have to open, don't have to close. It doesn't get better than that!

Of the options you listed, I would say the 9-5. I think it's closest to what I usually work, and I like my hours!