Shift Work: Positive and Negative Effects

Published as
Papers of Environmental Study

Name: Peris Gultom

NIM: 3333170032

Major: Industrial Engineeering

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

UNIVERSITY OF SULTAN AGENG TIRTAYASA

2017/2018
Shift Work

Shift work is an increasingly widespread practice in industry and services. There are many work
schedules that are called shift work. Shift work involves working outside the normal daylight
hours (i.e., outside the hours of approximately 7.00 A.M. to 6.00 P.M., the time period during
which many people in our society work a 7- to 8-hour shift. Shift workers might work in the
evening, in the middle of night, overtime, or extra-long workdays. Twenty-four-hour operations
usually are divided into two or three shifts. Start and end times depend on the length of the shift.
Day shift (also called morning or first shift) starts from approximately 5:00 A.M. to 8:00 A.M.
and ends from approximately 2:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. Evening shift (also called afternoon or
second shift) starts from approximately 2:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. and ends from approximately
10:00 P.M. to 2:00 A.M. Night shift (also called third, graveyard, or mid shift) starts from
approximately 10:00 P.M. to 2:00 A.M. and ends from approximately 5:00 A.M. to 8:00 A.M.
Many shift workers rotate around the clock, which involves changing work times from day to
evening or from day to night. This rotation might happen at different times of the week or at
different times of the month. Many industries rely heavily on shift work, and millions of people
work in jobs that require shift schedules.

Professions participate in shift work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 15%
of full-time wage and salary workers in the U.S. work on shifts outside the traditional daytime
schedule. Most shift workers are in service occupations, like protective service (such as police
and firefighters), food preparation and serving, healthcare, and transportation.

When asked, people state many reasons for working on shift schedules. For examples, shift work
is the nature of the job., shift work allows for better arrangements for family or childcare, shift
work is the only option available, shift work is a personal preference, shift work is vital in many
industries, and industries rely on shift workers to provide important services off-hours.

In a modern industrial society where continuous operation is essential in many industries and
commercially desirable in others, it is inevitable that a number of people have to work when
others are asleep or enjoying their leisure. It is socially reasonable that the load of antisocial
working hours should be spread as fairly as conditions permit and so shift work. Few people,
although there are some, positively prefer to work on shift, especially at night, so that for the
majority, shift work is a trial to be borne cheerfully or tolerantly according to the individual
circumstance.

Because of its inherent popularity, there has grown up around the subject of shift work, a belief
that it cannot do us any good and is probably likely to do us harm. Although the community
often benefits from such work practices, shift work can be hazardous for both the workers and
the community.

It is well known that shift work disturbs sleep/wakefulness and may increase the risk for certain
health problems. Sleep disturbances reduce physical fitness, and chronic fatigue and health
troubles may significantly influence work ability. They are also important contributing factors to
human error and consequent work accidents and injuries.

The negative impact of shift work on health is mainly attributed to the disturbances of the normal
circadian rhythms of physiological functions. Family and social variables has been investigated
by shift work researchers include quality of family life, spousal relationships, relationship with
children, and activities in voluntary organization. Because of side effects, work productivity also
tends to be lower.

Positive Effects of Shift Work

Higher total earnings where premium wages are paid for certain types of shifts (e.g. shifts
involving night work). By getting higher total earning we could fulfill our needs easily for daily
life

Longer periods of free time if paid time off is granted in lieu of shift work payments. Shift
work can be admitted as replacement time of normal work, so when it comes to normal schedule
we could ask for free time longer than other employee who dont do shift work

May potentially save existing jobs and/or reduce precarious employment.

Negative Effects of Shift Work

1) The Changing of Circadian Rhythm

There is a well-documented circadian (24-hour) rhythm that governs many of the major
biological functions of the human body. Disturbance of these cycles is responsible for several of
the most upsetting physical and emotional problems evening and night workers experience.
Although several studies have found rhythmic adjustments to a new work schedule may occur
within four days to two weeks," several considerations suggest that such ready adaptation may
not be commonplace. Many systems in the body are active at certain times of day and are not
active at all at other times of day. Usually the most activity happens in late afternoon or early
evening. The internal circadian rhythm affects how alert people feel. This alertness affects their
ability to perform. When working the night shift, a person is at work when his circadian rhythm
is low and asleep when it is high. Such a schedule means that a person is trying to stay alert
when his or her circadian rhythm is low. On average, this is not the best time of day for
performance. Often night workers do not get enough sleep during the day to combat height time
fatigue and sleepiness. Also, day workers sometimes must woke up early to go to work. This
might cause them to cut short their sleep, which makes them feel tires during the day. This low
point affects physical activity and the ability to concentrate.

2) Loss of Appetite and Irregular Eating Habits

Shift work can interfere with regular eating and digestive patterns by changing work and sleep
times frequently. So, it is not surprising that this could lead to nausea and other stomach
problems. However, digestive problems also could be caused by lack of nutritious food so weight
could be lost significantly. Besides that, on night shift, we will have habit to eat junk food
because we will have no option and junk food is kind of unhealthy food to be consumed.

3) Inefficiency of Performance

Human error is often cited as an important factor in work accidents and this may depend to some
extent on sleep related factors and circadian rhythm. The shortening of the sleep period caused
by an early start at work has also been shown to be associated with an increase in errors and
accidents in transport workers. Some studies also report that workers on night shifts make more
mistakes than day shift employees and that this is particularly true for rotating shift workers and
another study found that only the rate of serious accidents is higher at night. In terms of
performance, a person who has been 24 hours without sleep is equivalent to a drunk with a blood
alcohol level 0.10 percent.

4) Family and Social Life

Workers who engage in shift work or who work long hours can experience considerable
disruption of family and social activities. Family and marital responsibilities can be severely
disrupted by shift work or long hours. Childcare, housework, shopping, and leaving a partner
alone at night can all lead to marital strain and family dysfunction. A spouse may begin to feel
ignored and disliked so it can lead to a higher rate of separation and divorce. The most serious
family disturbance is that many people who work evenings and nights are less able to spend time
with their children, so children may begin to feel that their parents dont care about them enough
to be around more often. The time that shift workers spend with their families may prove less
satisfying than it could be because the worker's fatigue from poor sleep or lack of sleep can
prevent normal social activity. Also, sexual activity is still another aspect of family life that is
sometimes disrupted by shift work. Generally shift workers participate in fewer voluntary
organizations than daytime workers.

5) Lack of Adequate Sleep

Sleep duration of less than 6 hours is regarded as short sleep. Taking more than 30 minutes to
fall asleep is defined as difficulty in getting to sleep. Lack of adequate sleep and poor quality
sleep have been implicated in a number of adverse health and safety consequences, including
physical disorders, nervous problems, and deficits in mental and psychomotor performance
which can lead to on-the-job accidents. Lack of adequate sleep can lead to heart attack which is
very dangerous and serious problem of shift work.

6) Fatigue

Fatigue is tiredness that results from physical and/or mental exertion. The level of fatigue
experienced will depend on the workload imposed by a job, the length of shift, previous hours
and days worked, and the time of day or night. Monotonous work or work where a high level of
attention and alertness is required can also increase fatigue. Fatigue is a common complaint
among those working abnormal hours. It is particularly noticeable after the night shift, less so on
the morning shift, and least on the afternoon shift. Fatigue can affect relationship with family and
friends who may not understand the shift workers physiological upset, edginess, tiredness,
moodiness and depression. Fatigue may lead us to treat people badly for example we could be so
mad easily, because fatigue can make our mood changed into bad and sensitive feeling.

7) Environmental Security

For employees coming and going at night, security becomes an important consideration. With
fewer potential witnesses at night, employees could be seen as easier victims.

References:
1. Shift Work and Working Long Hours: Risk and Risk Reduction by Nellie J. Brown

2. The Effect of Shift Work On The Live of Employees by Peter Finn

3. Influence of Shift Work in Process Industry on Workers Occupational Health,

Productivity, Family, and Social Life: An Ergonomic Approach by Kishor K. Dhande and

Sunil Sharma

4. Pysco-Physiological Effects of Shift Work of Railway Employee: An Ergonomic

Intervention by Divya Singh and Seema Kwatra

5. Shift Work and Flexitime: How Prevelent Are They? By Earl F. Mellor