Since the recession, the number of people working night shifts in the UK has climbed to more than three million, with the figure set to continue growing with each year. Yet, in light of numerous new research, it seems that working during the evening can have a significant impact on employees’ health and wellbeing.
An official report published by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) explains that there is a ‘body of evidence’ to prove that shift work is linked to issues such as depression, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, obesity and breast cancer, among many others. Along with these health risks are the social impacts; shift work often affects home relationships, with employees struggling to achieve a work-life balance.
It’s a sobering thought for the three million or so night-time workers. Yet, as an employer, whilst there may not be anything you can do about the work patterns of your business, there are a number of practical steps you can take which will help counterbalance night shift negativity among your employees. These steps include:
1. Minimise night work
Though it may not be possible to eliminate shift work altogether, you should seek to reduce the amount of work carried out during the night as much as possible. According to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidelines, night shifts should be no longer than eight hours and should be rotated every 2-3 days or 3-4 weeks.
2. Limit physical work
Ensure that any arduous, possibly dangerous tasks are carried out during the daytime – staying awake all night is physically demanding enough for employees.
3. Create job variety
Create job variety in the tasks shift workers carry out as this will help to relieve fatigue and will encourage alertness, improving work efficiency as a result.
4. Create a comfortable work environment
Help your team feel safe and comfortable whilst at work by ensuring that buildings and surroundings are secure and well lit. Consider installing a heating system that workers can adjust accordingly during their shift. 2
5. Offer all employees the same benefits
Night shift workers should be entitled to the same benefits as people who work during the day. They should have access to staff rooms and should be encouraged to take regular breaks during their shift. Similar to daytime employees, shift workers should be able to enjoy regular weekend breaks and be included in all training and development programmes.
Consider the design of your workspace: if employees spend all night working in silos, finding ways to group staff together can help prevent feelings of loneliness and depression and lead to greater work satisfaction.
6. Consider additional health benefits
In understanding that night shift work is more taxing for employees, you might want to consider offering those employees additional health benefits, such as paid-for eye prescriptions or free health assessments.
7. Educate your team
Education is the best form of prevention when it comes to shift-related health issues. Ensure your team know common problems, how to spot them, and how they can prevent them. For example, maintaining a healthy lifestyle will lower of the chance of becoming depressed or overweight. You could suggest useful resources (such as sleep monitoring apps) and organise sessions where shift workers can talk and offer advice to one another.
Night shift work needn’t be taxing on your team. By taking simple, practical steps, you can help significantly limit the impact shift work has on your employees’ health and wellbeing.
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