The Change Mariner

Working the night shift leaves time for living

Miami Herald

... An increasing proportion of the American labor force is working an alternate shift instead of the traditional 9-to-5 workday. The biggest change is that half of the 24 million shift workers now are in white collar occupations, says David Mitchell of Circadian Technologies, a shift work consulting and research firm. On average the night shift pays more: an additional 84 cents per hour.

Here's another interesting fact: 40 percent of single moms work the night shift, according to Mitchell.

Michelle Lashley, a single mom, says she has reasons other than just family needs for preferring the night shift. She says working 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. at American Express' center in Weston allows her to take classes for her master's in business administration.

At night, Lashley, 38, supervises associates who are processing credit-card payments. When the sun rises, she heads home to eat breakfast with her son, get sleep, pick her son up from school, and tackle her homework and his. Her Sunday through Thursday work schedule gives her time for school on Friday nights and Saturdays. Her parents spend the night while she's at work.

''It wasn't a hard adjustment because I'm a night person,'' Lashley says. ``It's worked out better for my life and my professional goals.''

Posted by Norm M. Wada at October 30, 2003 11:52 PM | TrackBack
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