Grave yard shift hours are usually from late evening to early morning. The specific hours depend on your job, one common example being from 12:00 AM (midnight) to 8:00 AM.
What’s the origin of the phrase ‘Graveyard shift’?
The phrase “graveyard shift” is a synonym for night shifts. According to Phrases.co.uk, the first mention of the phrase “graveyard shift” was in the newspaper, The Salt Lake Tribune, in June 1897:
The police changed shifts for the month yesterday. This month Sergeant Ware takes the morning relief. Sergeant Matt Rhodes the middle and Sergeant John Burbidge the graveyard shift.
The Salt Lake Tribune (June 1897)
The phrase originated in the United States and has been used since the late 1800s. Michael Quinton, a famous etymologist and writer described the graveyard shift as:
Graveyard shift is an evocative term for the night shift between about midnight and eight in the morning, when — no matter how often you’ve worked it — your skin is clammy, there’s sand behind your eyeballs, and the world is creepily silent, like the graveyard (sailors similarly know the graveyard watch, the midnight to four a.m. stint).
Michael Quinion (2000)
Graveyard Shift is also the title of a horror movie from 1990, directed by Ralph Singleton. The movie is based on the short story Graveyard Shift by Stephen King, which was published in 1970, then republished in King’s short story collection titled Night Shift in 1978.
The 3X12 Night Shift
I personally work a 3X12 shift from 7 AM to 7 PM. The 3X12 shift simply means that I work three days per week, 12 hours per day. I work a desk job and my 3X12 shift is consecutive. I can’t complain, considering I have a 4 day weekend.
In addition to a 3X12 shift, it’s also common for night shift workers to have 4X12 shifts, or have alternating shifts.
Stats on Night Shift Workers
Night Shift Statistics
Back in 2004, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics published a report stating that almost 15 million Americans work a full time night shift. This number has certainly increased in the past decade and a half since the 2004 report. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, any shifts outside of the 6 AM to 6 PM timeframe were considered “irregular.”
Night shift workers often do crucial jobs in sectors including healthcare and security. Most night shift workers are nurses, doctors, police officers, firemen, security guards and more.
Google searches for the phrase “graveyard shift” have gradually increased since 2004:
What do you think about the graveyard shift? Leave a comment below.