There are many professions that require workers to work the night shift or on the weekends. You might be providing an essential service in a hospital or aged care home, working in a public bar, or even as a pilot on a transcontinental flight.
For those who can handle the alternative lifestyle, working the night shift can be a great way to earn a living.
There can be many benefits of working the night shift and some may even surprise you.
How Can You Benefit From Working The Night Shift
Benefits of working the night shift include fewer distractions at work, earning more money, greater autonomy in the workplace, and an enhanced sense of comradeship.
In this article, I list 17 reasons why you may want to work the night shift, highlighting the advantages of this way of earning a living.
1. A bigger paycheck
For many people, working the night shift does not fit with their conventional lifestyle.
Because of this, many employers will pay a premium to encourage their employees to work the night shift. Research published by academics from Union University and the University of Mississippi found that the difference in the amount of money that ends up in your paycheck, known as the paycheck differential, is a significant motivator for people choosing to work the night shift.
2. A calmer workplace
In many types of work, the night shift is a slower, calmer, and less challenging version of the day shift. For those of you who prefer less rather than more interaction with the public and their colleagues, working the nightshift is certainly a great option. Essentially, it is a less stressful workplace option for those of you who prefer calm to chaos.
3. Fewer distractions and disruptions
During the night shift, many workplaces will have only a ‘skeleton’ staff on duty. This means that there will be fewer people to interact with and get distracted by. Fewer distractions, for the most part, equate with greater productivity.
4. Greater workplace solidarity
People who are thrown together in challenging situations will often bond quickly over their shared experiences. Night shift is not necessarily difficult, but it does present a unique set of experiences such as:
- Few or unusual customers
- Little or no supervision
- Long, quiet hours
- Being awake overnight
And if you enjoy the low-key atmosphere of a night shift, you will be ready to cultivate fast and long-lasting friendships.
5. Opportunities to showcase your leadership skills
Working the night shift often comes with fast-tracked leadership opportunities. Oftentimes, there will be less supervision than would be normal during the day shift. This means that you have more chances to demonstrate that you have the qualities of a leader, such as:
- Time management
- People management
- Performing well in a crisis
- Good decision-making
- Overseeing others
- Responsibility
Working the night shift is often the most unpopular shift to work. If you prefer the night shift, less competition means that you have more opportunities to climb the corporate ladder and let yourself shine.
6. Less time spent in the car
The daily commute can be a slog for many of you, especially if you find yourselves in your car or riding on mass transit for more than 30 minutes to get to work.
According to the 2019 Global Traffic Scorecard, drivers in the United States lost more than $88 billion due to tailbacks (slow-moving traffic) and traffic jams. And money was not the only thing that commuters lost. Almost 150 hours were wasted per driver in large American cities where traffic is the worst.
That’s time that could be spent with loved ones, exercising, getting out into nature, or spending time working on your passion project. You could even use the time to do more work and earn more money.
If you work the night shift, you will avoid the peak-hour traffic chaos that many people have to endure.
7. You can build your skillset
When you work the night shift, you are often asked to perform a range of tasks that would normally be covered by different people in different roles.
This means that you have the opportunity to participate in different roles, learn new skills, and enhance your overall skillset.
Not only will this help you cement your future at the company, but it will demonstrate your commitment to improvement.
8. You can further your education
When you work the night shift, you have more hours in the daytime to get things done. While you might just want to catch up on that much-needed Zzz, you can also spend the time furthering your education.
Working the night shift often makes it more convenient to schedule classes, seek certifications, and upgrade your training.
9. You have greater autonomy
Working the night shift often means working with less supervision. This means that you have more freedom to complete the tasks that best suit your working style, pace, and abilities. If you prefer to work without micromanagement, the night shift just might be for you.
10. You can how you’re a team player
In research published in the journal of International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, working the night shift was less popular than alternative shifts. Interestingly, this was not because of the shift itself, but some of the negative consequences such as poor eating habits and insomnia.
For this reason, it is not particularly popular with many employees.
If you’re willing to work the night shift – even willingly volunteer for it – you are demonstrating excellent teamwork qualities that will undoubtedly help you succeed in the company.
You might even be able to leverage our loyalty to get other perks, like your choice of days off.
11. You don’t mind bending the rules
Although I’m not advocating doing anything wrong like breaking company rules, working the night shift means that you have the opportunity to bend the rules without getting into trouble.
For example, you might be able to:
- Listen to your choice of music in the office
- Wear casual clothing, including sneakers
- Eat at your desk, when you would otherwise be advised not to.
12. You have more free time during the day
With a regulated night shift schedule, you will have plenty of time – aside from catching up on your sleep – to get things done during the day. From attending appointments to getting the grocery shopping done, you will also have the time to do other important daytime activities such as volunteering at your child’s school.
13. There are no meetings to attend
Most companies schedule meetings when most people can attend. With fewer people working the night shift, you’re less likely to have to spend part of your working day in meetings of questionable value.
14. You can save money on food
By and large, food providers like restaurants and cafes close overnight. Even some supermarkets and hospital cafes, which might operate overnight, will often have limited stock.
So, working the night shift is a great way to save money by bringing your main meal to work from home, rather than spending money to buy it.
15. You have a good excuse
There are times when you need a good excuse to avoid a social situation. When you work the night shift, you will always have one ready. You can simply say ‘I’d love to, but I work the night shift and I have to get some sleep’.
16. You’ll have time for a side-gig
If you work the night shift, you might be part of the 24 million part-time or contract workers in the United States. That’s about 17% of the employed workforce.
Working the night shift might give you the time and opportunity to pursue another money-making activity such as a side gig or other part-time work.
17. You can avoid the early morning starts
Research conducted at the University of Munich and the University of Oxford has determined that teenagers and young adults struggle with early morning starts. This is largely due to their biology, where they need to go to bed later and wake up later. If you struggle to get up in the morning, working the night shift might be the solution to your problem.
Is working the night shift right for you?
The night shift is not for everyone. Some people are never able to adjust to working throughout the night and sleeping during the day, while others have important nighttime responsibilities which make it impractical, such as looking after children.
However, you might be the perfect candidate for night shift work, especially if you agree with any or all the following statements:
- You don’t mind working different shifts during the week
- You don’t have trouble sleeping at irregular hours
- Your family will not resent your schedule
- Your social life won’t suffer
- You are happy with a high level of autonomy
- You enjoy workplace responsibility.
It takes a person with a specific set of qualities to thrive while working at night. Otherwise, there are many good reasons to get out of the night shift or quit a night shift job for good.
Likewise, some people will like to work weekends, while others may not. Everyone has their own preference, but it is important to know how to tell your boss what you want so you will be able to maintain a great relationship at work.
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