National Third Shift Workers Day is a holiday designed to give those hard-working individuals who work the overnight shift the recognition they deserve. While most people are sleeping, third shift workers are manufacturing products, loading trucks for outgoing deliveries in the morning, keeping the streets safe, and keeping hospitals fully staffed. There are far too many jobs that require third shift workers for their continued operation to list here, but one thing we can do is recommend that everyone celebrates this holiday on the second Wednesday in May and show their appreciation for their work.

The History of National Third Shift Workers Day

National Third Shift Workers Day was founded by Jeff Corbett to recognize third shift workers. Although we’re unsure of when it actually became a holiday, we know that it was being observed sometime before 2020.

Facts About Shift Work That Most People Don’t Realize

During our research on shift work, we came across some fascinating facts about working the overnight hours. While some people might have known about some of the facts we’ve listed below, we think some of them will be a big surprise to most people.

A Lot of Different Jobs Have Shift Workers

When people think of shift work, they tend to think about factory workers and fast-food workers. However, many people across different fields have to do shift work. Which industries have shift workers? Let’s take a quick look:

• Healthcare
• Bakeries
• Law Enforcement
• Security
• Nursing Homes
• Prisons
• Transportation
• Warehouses
• Emergency Hotlines
• Customer Service Centers

The Negative Side of Shift Work

Although there are some benefits of working the night shift for many people, such as higher pay and having time to run errands during normal business hours, there are also a lot of negatives associated with shift work. Let’s take a quick look at some of these negatives and how they seriously impact shift workers’ lives.

Health Concerns
Many shift workers suffer from a variety of health issues due to their bodies’ inability to cope with going against their natural sleep schedule. These issues can include chronic heartburn, inability to sleep during the day, and even high blood pressure.

Safety Concerns
Shift workers are also more likely to have an accident than other workers, not only on the job but also when they’re home from the job. This is often due to a lack of attention that’s aggravated by the reversed sleep schedule.

How to Observe National Third Shift Workers Day

Observing this day is as easy as thanking a third shift worker in your life. If you don’t know anyone who works the third shift, then feel free to use the hashtag #NationalThirdShiftWorkersDay to thank all the third shift workers who might come across your social media accounts.