54. Shiftwork and work hours

An employee’s work hours arrangements can have a significant impact on how they experience their job, how well, and how safely, they perform at work, and on their health. Working shifts can affect not just an employee’s sleep, but many other aspects of their psychological and physiological wellbeing. Females and older workers appear to be especially susceptible to the negative effects of shiftwork. The impact of shiftwork can be mitigated by appropriate schedule design, manipulation of the body’s sleep/wake mechanism, sleep hygiene practises, and strategic napping. Working long weekly hours (e.g., overtime) can prolong exposure to harmful elements in the workplace (e.g., stressors) and reduce opportunities for recovery between work days. Flexible work hours can help mitigate the impact of work demands on the employee’s health (e.g., by helping them manage the interface between work- and nonwork-life), but also carry potential risks (e.g., if the employee chooses ‘unhealthy’ work hours).