Well said and totally agree with you, having one shift worker and an early starter in our house, I have an idea what it can be like.

(lol, it's also why I'm often prowling the boards in the wee small hours, staying awake to wake my daughter up, or waiting for her to get home).    She was a baker by trade, so for years was at work every morning at 2.30am.  She changed jobs & is a train guard now and so of course works all different hours, sometimes starts at 3 or 4 am, sometimes finishes at 2am, can virtually start at anytime of the day or night depending on the roster - and can work 10 or 11 days straight.

She is abused, spat at, has all sorts of things thrown at her, has been held at knife point, has witnessed the results of attempted & successful suicides - Friday nights & weekends of course are the worst, so yes, she deserves every cent she earns, as do all the people (including your good self ) who work crazy shift hours around the clock and work in positions most of us could not stomach - fulfilling jobs most people would reject because of the hours and/or conditions.