Working Night Shift in Sanitation: My Experience in a Donut Production Facility

Back in November, I applied for a sanitation worker position at a donut production facility. I had no prior experience, but I wanted to try it mainly because of the night shift hours. Those hours worked well for me because they allowed me to take my daughter to school during the day.

On my first day, I met with the sanitation lead. He explained that for my first two days, I would be packaging donuts so I could get an idea of how production worked. He also explained that when production workers went on break or lunch, the sanitation crew would step in to cover for them. I was completely fine with that.

At first, packaging donuts was a bit difficult, but after a while, I got the hang of it. After those two days, the sanitation lead explained what my regular duties would be. He told me the job was laid back and that I could take my time. In the beginning, my tasks included cleaning sinks, emptying trash cans, cleaning bathrooms, sweeping and mopping the office floors, breaking down cartons in a large machine, and cleaning the cafeteria tables and chairs. I never complained about these tasks. To me, they were necessary because no one wants to work in a dirty environment.

I was the only woman on the sanitation crew. All of my male coworkers were respectful and kind. When I needed help, they never seemed annoyed. They were calm and willing to assist, which made the environment more comfortable.

As time went on, the sanitation lead assigned me to work in the sanitation room. That was where we washed equipment and large machines from the production lines. I was trained by a coworker, and honestly, I liked the work. What I did not like was how physically heavy it was. While I did not mind working independently during the weekdays, Saturdays were much harder. On Saturdays, production workers did not come in, which meant we had to clean all the equipment from both lines. I was often left alone to wash around thirty large trash bins used for fallen donuts and about twelve heavy carts. It felt overwhelming.

What frustrated me most was the expectation to work faster while being left alone. If leaving exactly at 12:30 a.m. on Saturdays was so important, I felt help should have been sent my way. In sanitation, I believe cleaning equipment thoroughly is more important than speed. I even asked the sanitation lead if he expected me to finish everything within thirty minutes, and he told me no and said it would take the entire shift. That made the pressure feel confusing.

One day, I was sent to help on the production line. That day, I felt extremely overwhelmed. The sanitation lead repeatedly told me to hurry up, calling my name over and over. I was already packaging donuts quickly, and any donuts that passed me could easily be picked up by the person next to me. Still, the constant pressure embarrassed me. I ended up going to the bathroom to cry and stayed there until almost the end of the shift.

Later, the sanitation lead told me he needed to speak with me. When we met in a room with a production lead present, I immediately began to cry. I think it was a mix of frustration, exhaustion, and feeling unheard. The sanitation lead told me I was not doing my job correctly and that I needed to work better under pressure. I tried to explain that it felt like I was being singled out, since I rarely saw him speak to the rest of the crew the same way. I was also told that on a previous Saturday we had to leave late because I was still washing equipment, which upset me since I had been left alone all night.

That same Saturday, the sanitation lead did not come in at all. I worked alone in the sanitation room with no help for most of the night. The only time I received assistance was after the rest of the sanitation crew finished their areas. I often wondered what the point of hiring multiple people was if no one was sent to help when the workload was clearly too much for one person. Whenever a new worker joined, they were usually placed with the rest of the crew, and I wished someone had been assigned to work alongside me.

Another small but real part of the job was constantly smelling like flour. It followed me home every night and became a reminder of how physically demanding the work was.

Overall, while the experience taught me a lot about working night shifts and sanitation, it also showed me how important support and communication are in physically demanding jobs. And despite everything, I did end up liking some of the donuts the company made.