Advice for the novice cashier.

Post Reply New Topic

I am a cashier for a clothing store that does decent hours, 8 am to 6 pm. I have been a decent cashier for years at various places, but I have never accepted midnight shifts before. I hear terrible things about doing midnight shifts and what they do to you long term. I have been offered midnight shifts for better pay at a local 24-hour cornerstore. The extra money is very tempting as my current job is minimum wage.

The advice I seek is thus:

What do midnight shifts on a five day basis do to you?
Does the midnight shift help in avoiding talking to people?
How bad are sleep issues in the long term?

I worked the 11pm-7am shift off and on for years. The longest period was about 3 years. At first it was hard to sleep during the day - it used to take me about 6 weeks to be able to sleep well in daylight. During that time I stayed awake at work by walking around (which you'll probably have to do anyway, restocking stuff and such chores) and by opening the window near where I sat to get some cool night air (you'd have to go to the door for that). Once I could sleep well during the day I started going to bed at noon and staying there til 8pm. Being an aspie I didn't have a lot of things to do during the day, but if one of my few friends wanted to go out to eat or to see a movie, we could do brunch or we could have a late dinner or movie. I kept the same hours on my days off, so my body was completely adjusted to sleeping days. At one of my night jobs the entire place had Friday and Saturday nights off. I'd be in the breakroom Sunday night and hear the other employees talk about sleeping a couple hours on Friday day then making themselves get up to do things so they could switch to daytime hours/nighttime sleeping so they could socialize easier with their non-nightshift buddies/families. On Sunday night they'd all be whining "Oh my God I'm soooo tired!" Well, of course they were. If you stay to the same day sleep pattern all the time you'll be fine. And I had very few social demands on the night shift, there are fewer bosses around to get on your back, the dress code may be a little more relaxed - I loooved the night shift! The stories about health problems from working nights concern the people who don't stick to the same sleep hours religiously. I had no health problems from working nights. I'd be concerned for you about the possibility of a holdup, though - none of my night jobs were in retail.

Hope this long post helps!

I've never worked a 3rd shift, or midnight shift as you call it, and I never would. When would you sleep? When you got home from work, or would you stay up during the morning and afternoon and then sleep until it was time to get up and ready for your shift? It all depends on your lifestyle I guess and how you spend your off time. Also, how safe is the neighborhood where the 24 hr store is located. It could be dangerous. Also, how much business do they get on that shift that would involve cashiering? They would probably have you doing a lot of other stuff like cleaning, stocking shelves, preparing the store for the morning. That would be a lot harder work than just tending the cash register. I've heard that third shift workers are more prone to depression.

What do midnight shifts on a five day basis do to you?

Depends on how active you are in your personal life. If you like going out and about, maybe have a few friends you regularly enjoy company with, it will likely be difficult.

Does the midnight shift help in avoiding talking to people?

Only in frequency as there are obviously fewer people; it's likely the people that come in will be just as engaging as those during other shifts.

How bad are sleep issues in the long term?

Here are some good tips:

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wel ... asp?id=217

http://www.sleepdisorderchannel.com/shi ... tips.shtml


I personally would stress a solid diet as that makes such a world of difference--particularly one high in a wide array of vegetables to help combat the stress the body may encounter.

Thank you guys (and girls if any answered) ! I think I'll take that job... an extra dollar an hour is worth rearranging my life, so I can actually have a life.

Good luck then, with the new job. It would be interesting if you post back here and let us know how it goes for you.

I have worked the overnight shift at a motel and liked it. My particular circadian rhythm is more suited to sleeping late anyway. Having to deal with fewer people is a big advantage for me. The biggest potential disadvantage is crime. You have to judge the crime level of the neighborhood, as this will vary. Good luck!