Daylight Saving Time is a hit with night shift workers
Many complain about the lost hour of sleep, but night shift workers win when clocks spring ahead
Most people complain when Daylight Saving Time kicks in. Who wants to lose an hour of sleep? But there's one group of people who rejoice when clocks spring ahead to Daylight Saving Time: Night shift workers.
"I'm into the time change in the spring when I'm working, for sure," said Lori Quinn who often works nights as a nurse at Vancouver General Hospital. "The general consensus for shift workers, when they're working, is that it's great because you end up working one less hour and get paid for what you're normally supposed to be working."
For part time server London Metcalfe, changing the clocks ahead an hour is "great news." He began his overnight shift at The Naam restaurant, in Vancouver, unaware that Daylight Saving Time was beginning in the middle of his shift.
"I'm not a hundred per cent sure how it works, I just showed up. I didn't even know it was time change tonight."
"I'm not really sure if I'm going to get paid an extra hour, or get paid less an hour," said Metcalfe, "I'll see on my paycheque, I guess."
Sgt. Drew Grainger with UBC RCMP doesn't work the night shift, but the detachment is staffed 24 hours a day. The officers working overnight usually put in 12 hours shifts.
"They work hard, and those 12 hour shifts are long, so they're pretty happy to get to go home an hour early [when the clocks change]."
Grainger says the officers are paid for the full shift.
Night workers lose out in the fall
"When the time change goes back in the fall, those members who are working the overnight unfortunately have to work the extra hour," said Grainger. "It's not always the same guys, it's really luck of the draw."
Lori Quinn says the time change in the fall back to standard time stings for the night workers.
"In the fall, yeah, if you're working the night shift you're a little bummed out because you're working an extra hour, and getting paid for the 12."