Pulling my first 'Sickie' advice?!?!

If they are going to be your regular shifts, and you can't cope with starting that early then I think you need to look for another, more suitable job.

Shift work is tough. But its separate options, trying to discuss that your working pattern is bad for your health and 'pulling a sickie'. Don't blend the two as this could lead to trouble. I am not a big fan of pulling sickies as it lets colleague down, in some ways is cheating your employer and encourages them to put in place repressive policies to counter it. This said I guess if you do it infrequently you will get away with it. I would try to talk to your manager about the issues and see if anything can be accommodated - cant guarantee there will be any sympathy. Its not easy being a manager either. And join a Trade Union an see if there is a representative who could give you a bit of support. You could also consider other job option which give you a better quality of life.

I have been at my retail job for 5 months now and there are still 3 things that bug me every time, 11-12 hr gaps in between shifts, 6 AM starts and 10 hour shifts, I know this all comes as part of a shift job but out of the 15 or so full time workers at my work, I am 1 of 2 people who get regular 7 PM finishes followed by 6 AM starts, then followed by a 10 hour shift doing car park, I have spoke to many people about the fact that it makes me ill and I can't do it all the time because it literally ruins my whole week.

Anyways today I am in 1-9, tomorrow 9-6 and then Monday 6-2, that literally means I am going to have no free time after I finish work today and tomorrow, my whole weekend ruined, as a full time worker I don't feel like it's right I am put on these shifts, at my last job, it was usually the part timers who were put on the bad shifts, anyways every time I have a 6AM start I turn up half dead, feeling so sick and it happens every time, but this time I really can't be bothered for it and am tempted to pull a 'Sickie' for my Monday shift, I have not had one day off since I started and I don't have a problem with getting up for a 6 start as I can go to sleep at around 9 the night before, but it's just I spend the first 3 hours of the shift with a very bad headache and half asleep, do you think I should bring this up when I call up? I am thinking that I will probably call up, say that I have a really bad migraine and have a cold, but should I also say something about the fact the 6 AM starts are getting too much?

Sorry it's such a long thread and I know I put more effort explaining the situation then I actually needed to, believe me even thinking about puling a sickie makes me feel guilty, but my next few shifts will ruin me for the whole week and nobody seems to be listening to me when I tell them that I can't do a 6AM start, I would much rather do an 8-5 then 6-2.

I have been at my retail job for 5 months now and there are still 3 things that bug me every time, 11-12 hr gaps in between shifts, 6 AM starts and 10 hour shifts, I know this all comes as part of a shift job but out of the 15 or so full time workers at my work, I am 1 of 2 people who get regular 7 PM finishes followed by 6 AM starts, then followed by a 10 hour shift doing car park, I have spoke to many people about the fact that it makes me ill and I can't do it all the time because it literally ruins my whole week.

Anyways today I am in 1-9, tomorrow 9-6 and then Monday 6-2, that literally means I am going to have no free time after I finish work today and tomorrow, my whole weekend ruined, as a full time worker I don't feel like it's right I am put on these shifts, at my last job, it was usually the part timers who were put on the bad shifts, anyways every time I have a 6AM start I turn up half dead, feeling so sick and it happens every time, but this time I really can't be bothered for it and am tempted to pull a 'Sickie' for my Monday shift, I have not had one day off since I started and I don't have a problem with getting up for a 6 start as I can go to sleep at around 9 the night before, but it's just I spend the first 3 hours of the shift with a very bad headache and half asleep, do you think I should bring this up when I call up? I am thinking that I will probably call up, say that I have a really bad migraine and have a cold, but should I also say something about the fact the 6 AM starts are getting too much?

Sorry it's such a long thread and I know I put more effort explaining the situation then I actually needed to, believe me even thinking about puling a sickie makes me feel guilty, but my next few shifts will ruin me for the whole week and nobody seems to be listening to me when I tell them that I can't do a 6AM start, I would much rather do an 8-5 then 6-2.

Shift work is tough. But its separate options, trying to discuss that your working pattern is bad for your health and 'pulling a sickie'. Don't blend the two as this could lead to trouble. I am not a big fan of pulling sickies as it lets colleague down, in some ways is cheating your employer and encourages them to put in place repressive policies to counter it. This said I guess if you do it infrequently you will get away with it. I would try to talk to your manager about the issues and see if anything can be accommodated - cant guarantee there will be any sympathy. Its not easy being a manager either. And join a Trade Union an see if there is a representative who could give you a bit of support. You could also consider other job option which give you a better quality of life.

And this folks is what happens if you don't work hard at school. I admire you for sticking with the job and actually working though.

You need to quit tbh or drop some hours tbh

Jobs that take over your life and make you feel ill etc are just not worth the few extra coins in your pocket

I call the phenomenon you are describing as yo-yo shifts. I believe yo-yo shifts are particularly bad for the health (experience from being a trade union rep in retail and seeing health effects on members).

There's been a lot of research about the possible health impacts of shift work https://www.nhs.uk/news/lifestyle-and-exercise/shift-workers-more-likely-to-report-poor-health/ , here's a recent big one.

My questions would be the structure of your department. So presumably you are on a flexi-contract? If you aren't then why are you doing it? Is everyone else on your department on the same contract? Is there a daft reason why you are on these shifts e.g. 'fairness' between colleagues on labour matching? You've already commented on this a bit so it doesn't add up. Is it some dumbass business reason like you are seen as able to do something at 6am like opening up or flighting and someone else hasn't been trained?

Or do they just see you as a 'soft touch' and it'd all kick off if hypothetical worker Bob who has been there for 15 years doesn't fancy a change and doesn't want to learn anything new? I have my suspicions. Managers frequently take the path of least resistance, so it means doing the choice that has the least problems, even if it might be bad for the business or not make that much sense.

If you value your health more than the money (not a situation everyone can do), then I would not do a sickie, but seriously consider handing in a request for flexible working that specifically states going down to four days and 30 hours.

You are also allowed to opt out of Sundays.

2) I am on a flexi contract, like many workers, but honest as I said, most of these flexi workers aren't exactly on the same shift each week, but they do very similar shifts, I just seem to be given whatever they feel like giving me, I know alot of workers have refused to start before 8 AM, like up untill recently at John Lewis they paid time and a half on sundays, I know some people who joined after then refused to work on Sundays for the specific reason, I think I just need to speak up abit more and ask why it seems to be me getting the worst shifts, but yeah, as you suggested I feel like it's because although I struggle, I just get on with whatever task I am given.

3) I personally value my health more then money, I know people aren't as fortunate as me, but I am 19, live at home with my dad and don't pay rent, so to be working full time at my age I like to think I am doing pretty well, with that being said unlike alot of people my age, I pay my way for alot of things, but I will definitely look into going down to 30 hrs, somebody who I work with recently did the same and he said he felt so much better, also I opted to work out of sunday last month, but for some reason it takes 3 months for it to kick in

11 -12 hour shifts is incredibly normal, as are 6 am starts and 9 pm finishes. Your shift pattern sounds very normal to me. I hate to sound harsh but you're coming across as whiny and work shy. I have worked in retail for more than 10 years and have never pulled a 'sickie' for any reason other than actually being sick. If you get a reputation for pulling sickies or complaining about shifts, your managers will not look well upon you when/ if you need a favour. In my job i have set hours but these are liable to change and i haven't done my 'normal' shift in weeks cos the bosses have decided they need me in at a different time. I do as I'm told so on the occasion if I want to switch a day or do a slightly different shift they usually will allow it.

2) This screams path of least resistance from the manager.

3) Do it. The only downside is this, in retail now, it is incredibly rare, incredibly rare to get full time jobs. Once you go down, you won't go back up again hours wise. However by the time you may want more hours, you may have moved onto something better.

I've been there, so I opted out of Sundays in retail and felt so much better for it. I got out of yo-yos, then I got out of early birds. Then I negotiated my way out of weekends. Then I left entirely.

Seen so many people of a variety of ages procrastinate on dropping hours. Given so much advice on dropping hours, not met anyone that regretted it, partly because when people are asking I think they have already thought of it loads.

It does take takes 3 months to kick in to opt out, although if you weren't informed of your rights, that's not the whole story...

Local conditions can be funny. At the supermarket I used to work at the larks on checkouts used to have very bitter fights about who was given the 6am-2pm shifts. There's sometimes an element of good/bad luck.

I am just gonna go on until I really need to change, I think after all the moaning and whatever I will be fine, but I will bring it up to one of the managers, not happily, but I'd be contempt with doing an average of 6-2 every day with an odd 7-3, just something that I can get used to, something where I can relax when i am home.

Dropping hours would only be a positive for me, although I have said it to friends before, i could not do any less then 30 hours a week cause itd get so boring, I really only plan to stay here for a year, but if I end up dropping hours I will probably stay for longer.

11 -12 hour shifts is incredibly normal, as are 6 am starts and 9 pm finishes. Your shift pattern sounds very normal to me. I hate to sound harsh but you're coming across as whiny and work shy. I have worked in retail for more than 10 years and have never pulled a 'sickie' for any reason other than actually being sick. If you get a reputation for pulling sickies or complaining about shifts, your managers will not look well upon you when/ if you need a favour. In my job i have set hours but these are liable to change and i haven't done my 'normal' shift in weeks cos the bosses have decided they need me in at a different time. I do as I'm told so on the occasion if I want to switch a day or do a slightly different shift they usually will allow it.