10 Disadvantages With Working On Weekends

Sure, there are many advantages that can come with working on weekends. Though, there are also many negatives as well. Many people can relate to the struggle of working on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Here are 10 disadvantages of working on weekends.

1. FOMO

Nobody else is working except for you. At least, that’s what it feels like. You check your social media pages during your breaks at work just to see your friends enjoying Sunday brunch together or attending that crazy party you heard so much about. It seems like everyone you know is enjoying their weekend while you’re stuck in the office, withering away from both boredom and stress. FOMO is a real emotion. Missing out on important events in your life can be emotionally taxing.

2. Workaholic Tendencies

Think of it like the snowball effect. If you decide that working on weekends occasionally is for you, you’ll start to find yourself working more and more as time goes on. There’s a reason why employees are called “workaholics” because your job can become addicting to you and lead to some very unhealthy habits. Before you know it, you’ll be working every single day without a break in between. This could lead to ulcers and hair loss, which may not be worth the overtime you might be getting.

3. Lack Of Interaction And Energy

When working on weekends, you’ll find that there are very few people around you. Of course, you’ll be more productive with fewer distractions around you, but it can be very lonely at work without any coworkers around you. It’s also harder to feel motivated without any positive energy to keep you pumped about the work you are doing. The vibe is just glum and you’ll wish you were at home watching Netflix instead of trying to finish some dull tasks at your job.

4. More Customers

For those who work in customer service, working on weekends is the busiest. There are way more customers who seek retail services since, unlike you, they are off on weekends. That means you’re dealing with long lines, lots of activities on your feet, and way too many interactions with unfriendly and impatient people. You don’t get paid enough to deal with this many people and you’d rather still be in bed than to deal with an angry customer, especially if the manager is off duty.

5. You Can’t Go Out Of Town

Those fun getaways that you used to take are over. Working on weekends will make all your mini-vacations seem like a distant memory. You can’t go anywhere fun. Even if you went on a trip during the week, it’s not the same. Your friends have their weekends off, so why shouldn’t you? They’ll be at the beach on Saturday and you’ll be in your office answering phone calls and filing paperwork. If the roles were reversed, you’d be enjoying a coffee at a cafe alone. Either way, it’s a lose-lose situation.

6. You Can’t Go Out On The Town

Forget traveling. You can’t even travel downtown for your favorite drink at your favorite bar. Even if you’re off of work on Saturday night, you know you can’t stay out too late if you’re working Sunday morning. Suddenly, you become the grandma of your friend group. They’re taking shots and chugging beers and you’re flossing in the bathroom and picking out your work attire for the following morning. Guess you’ll just have to hear about it through the group chat or on social media.

7. Nobody Will Cover Your Shift

If you’re trying to get a coworker to cover your shift, they will avoid you like The Plague. You want just one Saturday off just to go on a picnic with your significant other? Forget it. The ones you work with seem to scatter like roaches. Miriam, from your department, would rather keep her Saturdays than give one up to you. She’s a sane person who understands that working during the week beats working on weekends by a long shot. She’s no fool and you’re starting to feel like maybe you are.

8. Everyone Else Is Too Busy When You’re Off

You’re free! You’re finally free! Unfortunately, it’s on a Monday and all of your friends, family members, and your significant other are all with their cups of coffee at their respected jobs. There’s no one to hang out with when you’re off from work. It’s just as lonely as working on weekends. You don’t see coworkers when you should and you can’t see loved ones when you’re able to. Nobody has time for you when it’s convenient for you. You can kiss your social life goodbye at this point.

9. Your Days Off Aren’t Always Lazy Days

Everything that you couldn’t do on a weekend is suddenly being crammed into your Tuesday day off. You’re trying to get an oil change for your car and clean your garage, something you feel like you’d feel more relaxed to do if it were a weekend, but not on your way day off before you work the next four days until you hopefully get an additional day off. If you had a consistent work schedule, your life would be much saner. It’s so much more difficult to be productive on a weekday than a weekend.

10. No Supervisor To Turn To

As I mentioned before, working on weekends could mean that there’s no supervisor or manager on site. While some might see this as a good thing, since you’re able to have more independence, this can also be a huge issue if you’re in the middle of a crisis that requires someone from higher up. Feeling helpless at work is one of the worst experiences you can ever have. When you’re in need of guidance, don’t expect to find any on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. You won’t find any, trust me.