Many workers have to work the night shift such as; security guards and service station attendants, and medical professionals like doctors and nurses.
- For some, it’s a welcome respite away from the normal hustle and bustle of a nine to five job.
- For others, the night shift wreaks havoc with their health and personal lives.
There are many reasons why you might request to not work the night shift. This includes having a young family, having health issues that are negatively affected by the night schedule, having a spouse who also works the night shift, and clashes with your personal life such as custody arrangements.
Why Do You Want To Get Out of Night Shift
Working a night shift can be disruptive to one’s body clock and lead to fatigue and sleepiness during the day. Working a night shift is not for everyone as the average human body can only operate for a certain range of hours per day.
According to an online survey conducted with 1,378 participants by hqhire.com.
- 81% of the participants prefer to work during the normal working hours of 9 am to 5 pm.
- 13% of the participants who are early risers prefer to work from 6 am to 3 pm.
- 6% of the participants who are night owls prefer to work during the wee hours of the night from 11 pm to 7 am.
Working a night shift is not for everyone. The average human body can only operate for a certain range of hours per day. For most people, that range is 9 am to 5 pm. For others, it might be 6 am to 2 pm or in the wee hours of the night from 11 pm to 7 am.
For most people, night shift work restricts their ability to operate optimally which leads to sleep deprivation and all its negative consequences. It can be incredibly exhausting and disruptive to their daily routine.
If you are looking for reasons why you might want to avoid a night shift, or get out of working the night shift permanently, below are some valid reasons you may consider using.
Best Excuse Not To Work Night Shift
If you want to get out of working at night permanently, whether it’s just for one shift or permanently.
The following are some good excuses you can use which can help you when you talk to your manager or shift supervisor about the change in work arrangements.
Good Excuse Not To Work Night Shift Permanently
1. You have a young family
If you have a young family, establishing a healthy and consistent routine is a great way to guide them in their first few years of life. And if you or your partner is pregnant or needs to breastfeed, you need to be available every one to three hours for a newborn and two to four hours as they get older.
This is hard to do if you work the night shift, especially when the schedule is likely to change with little notice.
2. It negatively affects your health
The American Psychological Association records that there are many social, health, and psychological hazards associated with working the night shift. These include:
- Restlessness
- Sleepiness on the job
- Fatigue, worsens mood, decreases cognitive abilities and reflexes, and makes you more likely to get sick
- A reduced ability to concentrate
- A disrupted metabolic state
Not only can this play havoc with your own health, but it can be potentially dangerous for others as well. For example, we all share the road with long-haul night-driving truckers, put our lives in the hands of pilots and rely on medical practitioners to provide top-notch care at all times of the day.
If you’re a night worker, poor workplace scheduling and a personal unhealthy attitude to the importance of getting a good night’s sleep can cause major health problems.
This is caused by our circadian rhythms which are our body’s mental, physical, and behavioral changes that occur over a 24-hour cycle. It is a response to the light and dark we are exposed to each day and can be disrupted when we stay awake overnight and try to sleep during the day.
Even if you manage to sleep well during the day, you can experience dangerous levels of fatigue if your circadian rhythm is misaligned. This won’t be the case for everyone, but if your doctor believes that working the night shift will have a negative effect on your health, it is a legitimate reason to avoid working at night.
3. You have insomnia
If you have trouble falling or staying asleep and feel fatigued most of the time, you might have insomnia. For the most part, this is caused by:
- Poor sleeping habits such as watching a screen before you go to bed and eating late at night
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Too little exercise
- Certain types of medication
- Chronic illnesses or diseases
If you are scheduled to work the night shift, your symptoms will likely get worse. Not only will this be detrimental to your health, but it will reduce your ability to complete your tasks at work in a productive and competent way.
You can use sleeping pills to handle insomnia, but this is just addressing the symptoms, not the cause. For proper treatment, you need to improve your sleeping habits and perhaps undergo cognitive behavioral therapy. This cannot be done when you work the night shift.
4. Your partner already works nights
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 52% and 58% of households have both partners participating in the workforce. This includes those who work full-time, part-time and casual work. If there are children in the picture, their parents and carers need to coordinate their schedules so that at least one of them is at home overnight to care for the children.
If your partner works the night shift in their profession, it’s reasonable to request that you don’t have to. Not only would it be very difficult to secure a regular babysitter for such a schedule, but overnight nannies can cost up to $90 per hour, which would be prohibitive for most people.
5. You need to care for a loved one
If you need to care for a chronically ill or terminally-ill person, you should not have to work the night shift if you are needed at home. Many people can hire a nurse to care for their loved ones at home during the day. However, at night, the cost and availability of such care can make it impossible for many people.
6. It clashes with a child custody arrangement
In 2020, 37.6 of marriages ended in divorce. It’s not unusual for employees to have to abide by legally-mandated child custody arrangements and, for some people, this means looking after minors overnight when they have custody.
7. You work the late shift at your other job
For a lot of jobs, no matter whether they’re casual, part-time, or full-time, there are a number of different possible shifts that you can be rostered on to work. If the workplace is organized, you will know well in advance what days and times you are likely to work.
There will be times, however, when you might be called in at the last minute to take a late shift.
This could be because:
- The person who was scheduled to work is ill
- There was an error in the original schedule and they are short-staffed
- There are more customers/orders/ work to complete than anticipated and more people are needed
If a night shift roster clashes with your other job or does not allow you to get adequate sleep in between shifts, this is a legitimate excuse to get out of the night shift. You can even press upon your employer that when you’re more refreshed, well-rested, and not fatigued, you will be more productive.
Good Excuse To Miss Night Shift At The Last Minute
8. You are ill
If you’re ill, there’s nothing you can do if you need the time off work. Of course, you can probably push through with a headache and a sore throat, but if you’re struggling to perform your duties, or are likely to be contagious and might infect your co-workers, staying away from work is a good idea.
This excuse is also appropriate if you have to look after a loved one such as an elderly relative or child.
9. You have car trouble
Most of us have been left in the lurch by a flat battery or damaged type. If for whatever reason, you can’t use your car to make your night shift, you can request to avoid working at night. Without door-to-door transport, your commute might be unsafe if you have to rely on public transport.
How to successfully get out of the night shift
It does not matter why you’re requesting to not work the night shift, if you follow these guidelines, you’ll have a good chance of being successful.
Be armed with knowledge
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that up to 15 million Americans work the night shift, either on a permanent or rotating basis.
There is a lot of easily accessible yet authoritative literature discussing the health effects of working the night shift. No matter your reason, if you read up before you approach your manager or shift supervisor, you’ll be better able to make your case with confidence and enthusiasm.
Tell the truth
As this article discusses, there are many reasons why you might want to avoid working the night shift. Be honest when you talk to your manager or shift supervisor because you’re more likely to get what you want if you stick to the truth.
Just remember, you do have a reasonable right to privacy so you don’t have to divulge every bit of personal information, just what is necessary to make your case.
Provide proof
That being said, you do need to provide whatever proof or documentation that you do have to support your request to avoid working the night shift.
- For medical issues. This could include doctor’s certificates, medical records, and medical bills.
- For custody arrangements. This could include official court orders and police reports.
- For schedule clashes. This could be a copy of your other workplace schedule or that of your partner. You could even provide your other boss’ phone number so they can confirm your schedule.
Do it in advance
The more time you give your manager or shift supervisor to arrange the schedule, the more likely you will be to succeed.
The most important thing to remember is, to be honest, and show gratitude if you’re successful.
Make a Change
If all things fail, it might be wise to get a better job that doesn’t require you to work the night shift. Getting out of the night shift can benefit you in many ways, ranging from health, and finance to relationships with your loved ones.
If you’re looking for a way to improve your career or simply want to get out of the night shift, there are a few things you can do.
- First, research your options and find a position that better suits your skills and interests.
- Second, network with people in your field and learn as much as you can.
- Finally, stay humble and be open to new opportunities.
With a little effort, you can land a great job that will benefit both you and your career.
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