Shift work and compatibility

Irregular working hours, early or late shifts, night shifts or weekend work - this is part of everyday life for many parents. Shift work is part of the job, especially in healthcare, retail or industry. But how can this be reconciled with a stable family life?

With good planning, support from your environment and openness at work, you can create space for your family even with changing working hours. Here you will find helpful approaches for your everyday life.

A clear overview helps everyone: Record your shifts, important dates for the children and time together in a calendar - whether digital or classic on the kitchen wall. This way, everyone can see who is available and when.

Regular arrangements in everyday family life - for example at breakfast or at the weekend - also create structure and help to make conscious use of time.

Shift work is often easier to manage if you share tasks. Talk to your social circle at an early stage: perhaps neighbors, grandparents or friends can help out occasionally - for example with drop-off and pick-up, babysitting or in case of illness.

Work can also be shared fairly within your own household. Older children can take on small tasks, the partner can compensate for any extra workload - all in an open exchange.

Classical opening hours do not always fit in with shift work. It is therefore worth looking for childcare options that cover off-peak times or are more flexible - for example with childminders, in daycare centers with extended hours or via municipal programs.

Some youth welfare offices offer referrals or keep lists of available childminders. Employers can also help to find suitable options or enter into partnerships with childcare facilities themselves.

Not every shift can be avoided - but there is often room for maneuver. If your family situation requires it, speak openly with your manager. The more specific you can be about what you need, the easier it is to find a good solution together.

The best way to achieve fair and family-friendly shift planning is to be involved in the organization yourself. After all, no one knows the reality of your life and the processes in the company better than you.

Possible approaches for more compatibility:

• Desired shift schedules or the right to have a say in the distribution of shifts enable better planning in everyday family life.
• Annual working time accounts or other flexible time models create more leeway, e.g. for days off after periods of stress.
• Further training or qualifications open up new areas of work for you - even outside of fixed shift systems.
• Reducing night or weekend work, where operationally possible, can be a great relief, especially with young children.
• Voluntary and spontaneous swapping of shifts: If you can swap shifts with colleagues voluntarily and at short notice, this gives you more freedom and helps you to better balance family and work.

Open communication within the team and with the manager is crucial here. Work-life balance works best when it is thought about and implemented together - with trust, consideration and clear agreements.

Various measures and ideas for organizing shift work can be found, for example, on the website of the German Social Accident Insurance.

If everyday life is irregular, you need fixed anchors. Even short rituals - such as having breakfast together after the night shift, an afternoon off during the week or a video call during the late shift break - can be valuable for the family feeling.

Recreation also needs space: consciously plan times when you can relax - alone or with the family.