Unusual Shifts

Recently, I got to go work in a girls grouphome. One night, after I had shifted on at my regular place, I got a call saying that the night shifter at one of the girls homes couldn't work at that location because of a recent event. She was the only staff member there, and they asked me how many people there were at my location. Well, it was just me, so the idea was proposed that me and the other night shifter would trade places for the night.

Now, it's really common for females to work in male homes, but it's much rarer for males to work in female ones. Typical issue, the social services is flooded with women, so they can pick and choose where to put their men, so they put us where we can be "positive male role models" and where a little extra physical strength may be appreciated in an instance of physical aggression. But since the vast bulk of the workforce is female, the female-only homes are usually staffed by women only, and the male homes are mostly staffed by women as well.

Some female homes will have one male staff member, which the girls refer to as their "male staff" as if that's a job title. But at the place they were sending me, having a male staff was almost unprecedented, and I may have been the first male night shifter in their history. The whole thing was a last-minute arrangement.

Now think of these circumstances. I'm called in last minute in the dead of night. All the girls are asleep at the time of the arrangement, so there hasn't been any opportunity to let them know they're having a male night shifter for the first time. Among my night shift expectations, normally I'm supposed to do room checks to make sure no one AWOLs. Imagine how that would look, creeping into the house in the dead of night and sneaking into teenage girls rooms and looking at them while they sleep, when half of them don't even know me.

Thankfully, the evening staff was very emphatic that I was not to engage in the usual expectations. She basically told me not to do room checks, not to clean, and in an emergency, not to do any physical interventions, just call 911. Basically, just position myself in the living room and seem as not-creepy as possible so that the house isn't technically unstaffed.

First night, I didn't see anyone. Me and the other night shifter were texting back and forth, which was a pleasure. It almost felt like I wasn't working alone for once.

Then they needed me to be the night shifter at the girls place again, since the situation hadn't completely resolved. This time I encountered three of the girls. First one that saw me, a huge grin split across her face and she was like "Oooooh, who are you?" which was not the reaction I was expecting. I told her I was a substitute night shifter from the boys house. Then she wanted me to gossip about the boys there, but I told her I wasn't here to gossip and she needed to get her glass of water or watever she was doing and go back to bed, which she did.

Nice feeling to be listened to. At the boys home, I'd likely get a response like "YOU THINK YOU'RE BIG I OWN THIS HOUSE!!!".

Second girl just came and stood in front of me and stared until I introduced myself. Then she said "Are you even allowed to be here?" to which I responded that I'd been asked here by head office, so I guess so! She relaxed a bit, I apologized if I was making her uncomfortable. She said I wasn't, asked me my name again, I told her, she introduced herself and went to bed.

Girl three took a glance at me, went into the kitchen, grabbed a bowl of potato chips and went to bed. She's not allowed to have those, but since I'm scared crazy of having accusations put against me, if the girls first thought is that there's a new staff so maybe she can get some potato chips out of it, and not there's a weird guy in the house, I'm just like you go girl. Not picking up that conflict.

That morning, I got a text saying that the boys at my regular spot were all awake and throwing a riot. As soon as morning staff came in, they drove me over to the boys house so I could yell at them.

Next day the issue was resolved and I could return to my usual station. I was happy to. Girls scare me. A boy is generally more likely to try and break your nose, but a girl is more likely to make a false accusation that could damage you professionally. I'll take my chances with the boys.

Then this week, the kids went camping. For some reason, that did not mean my shift was canceled. This means that, for the first three days this week, I was looking after an empty house. I'd come in at midnight, watch the empty house until 9 AM and leave. PAid at my usual rate. Easiest money I ever made. I had some chores to do, but really, didn't even fill a night.

I got some big news! I'm GOING TO UNIVERSITY! Starting this September, University of Waterloo, doing Social Development Studies, working toward my Bachelor of Social Work. I get about a year shaved off because of my transfer credits from Social Service Worker at Conestoga, and I even get a few extra because of Human Services Foundation. I just gave my notice to Hatts Off, I;'m going to stay on their relief list. This means that I'll still have three jobs while I'm in University, haha. But definitely reduced hours and a lot more control of the schedule.