Working the Day Shift: Pros and Cons

What are the different pros and cons in Working the Day Shift?

There’s no question about the fact that the BPO industry has more than blossomed in the Philippines. Call center services here have always been – and continue to be – an extremely prolific venture, which is why it’s a common topic for conversation for a large majority of the country’s professionals today.

Understandably, those who have worked in the call center industry will have differing opinions on what it’s like. But the one major factor that unites the experience for many is its pressing need for time. Centers have to deal with the challenge that comes with having to deliver top-notch customer service 24/7, which means that their agents have to always be available regardless of their, or their client’s, time zone.

For many, this translates into having to cover the infamous “graveyard shift.”

It’s just as its name implies – those who work during the graveyard shift often have to come in to work at night. The exact time varies, but it usually begins anytime from 10-11pm and finishes at around 6-7am.

Due to the unorthodox hours that these agents are required to work, extra perks and benefits are available for them to sweeten the deal. While that may be enough for some, others still prefer to take on the good old day shift instead.

Now, there are a lot of reasons why they might do so; maybe it has to do with them wanting to maintain their natural sleeping pattern. Or maybe they simply want to work when the rest of the world is as well. It can be hard to get things done if you’re awake while everyone else isn’t, after all.

But for those who remain undecided on which shift they prefer, it’s important to remember that both have their own sets of advantages and disadvantages.

Let’s focus on the days shift in this article. Here are its pros and cons:

Why Call Center Agents Prefer Working the Day Shift

You may think that taking on the day shift just seems like the “normal” thing to do, but for many, there are other reasons why they’d choose it over the night shift. Here are some of the most popular:

• “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

People have always operated mainly during the day, so why go against the flow? Coming in when the sun is bright and early ensures that the world is just as awake as you are.

• It Keeps Your Body Healthy

One of the biggest arguments for taking call center day shifts is that it’s less dangerous to your health. Of course, this isn’t the complete truth – take your lifestyle and habits into account as well. But there’s no denying the fact that taking the night shift does come at the cost of your Circadian Rhythm, seeing as you’ll have to completely turn your body clock around to accommodate your new schedule. That could further lead to other health problems if you’re not careful.

• It Leaves You with Leisure Time

Call center agents who take on the day shift have the advantage of being able to spend the rest of their days any way they want. They can go anywhere, do anything, and be with anyone because they’re all open and available.

Agents who are in the night shift, though, have to deal with living their lives while the rest of the world is asleep. Shops are closed, people are tucking in for the night, and doing anything too rambunctious is sure to upset those who are trying to get any degree of shut-eye.

Cons of Working the Day Shift

Though the day shift can bring you a lot of liveliness in what you’re doing and more opportunities to relax in your own time, it also has a few disadvantages that can impede your progress, which should, therefore, be deeply considered. For your enlightenment, here are some of the disadvantages you can encounter in the call center line of work during the day time:

• Heavy Traffic

Heavy traffic is one thing people want to avoid at all costs, whenever they are traveling to and from their workplace. In the Philippines, most especially, traffic remains to be an infamous hassle for professionals, who frequent the roads.

In most cases, heavy traffic causes agents to get stressed, which is not a good thing when they need to be answering phone calls. It could also de-energize them.

• Loss of Night Differential

More and more people prefer the night shift because of the night differential. This is because it can essentially increase their salary. In the Philippines, the law states that anyone working between the hours of 10pm to 6am should receive a night difference in their pay. This has, then, lead to many being encouraged to work the night shift instead.

• Dealing with the Heat

Let’s admit it; the climate here in the Philippines is pretty hot. This is why agents in the day shift are not only battling heavy traffic but also the heat when they travel towards their offices – the reason why they are so stressed and haggard when they get to work.

Apart from that, the heat could also cause the agents’ immune system to go haywire, making them susceptible to many sicknesses and diseases. It also does not help that they only find solace from the heat right after they enter their really cold offices.

Key Takeaway

Truth be told, agents working in the day and night shifts receive equal advantages and disadvantages. In the end, you decide whether your shift is good or bad for you. Hopefully, the pros and cons listed above could help you realize that things in the night/day shift aren’t so bad after all.