In Malaysia, finding and securing a job with decent pay and a work-life balance is always known to be very difficult. Because of this, many Malaysians have turned to working night shift jobs for generally higher pay and also work from home jobs to reduce expenses on transportation and petrol as well as to save travelling time and effort.
Due to the pandemic, more work from home and night shift jobs are available to us. Nevertheless, for those who are used to working day shifts, normal hours jobs, have you ever wondered what it is like to work at night when most people are asleep?
WORLD OF BUZZ has gathered opinions from a few Malaysians who are currently having a night shift, work from home job to give you insights on how it is like to work during a completely opposite time as compared to most people. Let’s start with the pros first before we talk about the cons.
The pros
23 years old Steph, who graduated from university last year, said that night shift jobs generally pay more than a daytime job. “As a fresh graduate, to be able to find a job with more than 3.5k per month is almost impossible. But this job provides more security than other jobs because of the pay, as I am responsible for paying different kinds of bills now that I have entered the working world,” she shared.
She also added that because she often burned the midnight oil during uni days, she was confident that she could do the job, despite of the graveyard shift. “I am also very glad that it’s a work from home job, I don’t have to worry about the traffic every day while going to work,” she added.
Annya from Kuala Lumpur also expressed her appreciation for the job. Other than the higher salary and flexibility, she was interested in what it is like to work the night shift. “This is one of the special experiences and achievements that you can never get from other industries like IT, admin job or sales,” she said, adding that she enjoys the peace and silence while working alone at night.
Besides, Annya is also glad that she does not have to deal with office politics now with this job, and that the break hours are relatively more flexible.
Another Malaysian who prefers to go by the name K, said that the job is great. “I like this type of job because it’s very chill and well-paid,” he stated. K lives alone, therefore he mentioned that the night shift job is relaxing, and he is happy that he gets to have a couple of hours of free time in the day, where he can do anything he likes.
The cons
Steph shared to WORLD OF BUZZ that during the first few months of working at night, she would have emotional breakdowns in the middle of working. “At that period of time, I was going through a lot of things, mostly family problems, and perhaps because humans are more emotional at nights, I would cry sometimes because I felt lonely and helpless,” she said.
Besides, she added that because of the odd hours of her work, she does not get to meet her friends, or even have social interactions often. “Other than the fact that it’s a night shift job, working from home also makes it hard sometimes. When I feel lonely, I could only text my friends and my colleagues without actually meeting them. I also avoid going out in the morning because I need to rest, and I’m afraid that I will get too tired for work at night if I do,” she said.
Steph also said that she is considering quitting the job. “The word ‘resign’ is always on my mind, my parents always ask: ‘won’t you feel like a vampire? you are awake while other people are asleep and vice versa’. Due to both my physical and emotional health, I figured maybe resigning is the best choice although I have already worked for more than a year,” she added.
When asked about how it is like working at night, the first thing Annya shared was, “Quite suffering and struggling when first started with the sleeping pattern, I took some time to get used to it, there is no one who can help but yourself”. Annya said that health issue is the biggest reason that causes people to leave or not apply for such jobs.
“Some of the reasons that may cause people to leave include the frustration of not communicating with other people enough, living totally opposite as compared to others, and always staying up with only a laptop and some notes,” she added.
K said that effort should be made to continue holding on, or ‘tolerating’ the job. “There are some tips to deal with the stress of the job, for instance, my working space is now equipped with a comfortable gaming chair and air conditioner,” he shared.
According to him, the comfort of the self while working is really crucial if one wants to work from home and work during the graveyard shift. He would also burn scented candles while working as the candles have a calming effect.
For the past several years, many websites like Time, Forbes and health-focused websites have been publishing about the negative effects of working night-shift jobs, especially in the long run. Not only that it will post damage to the brain, but the body will also be more prone to diseases and health conditions like diabetes, not to mention the negative emotional effects it will provide due to a lack of human interactions.
If you are also working a night shift, work from home job, do get your body and emotional well-being checked often, and do things like pampering yourself once in a while to calm down and get through it. What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
Also Read: My Fellow Malaysians, It’s High Time We Stop Addressing Suicide As ‘Stupid’ & ‘Selfish’
