Shiftwork consultants weigh in on savings of compressed work week

The folks at Shiftwork Solutions have written a nice article on the gas, environmental, and time savings to be had from switching to a 4 day/week, 10-hour day schedule. The article, Rising Gas Prices Put a Squeeze on the Work Week, appeared on the Industry Week website. It's not exactly a shiftwork issue, but it's an interesting read.

Michigan police department considers 24-hour shifts ... to cut costs

The National Shiftwork Information Center believes in applying the best research to managing shiftwork operations. We are not aware of any substantial body of research on police officers working 24-hour shifts so we're hesitant to make any definitive statement about it. Let's just say we're skeptical.

The article on the Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan, USA) mentions that this is not unlike 24-hour shifts used in hospitals. But, it is different. Part of the justification for long shifts in the hospitals is continuity of patient care. Police officers do not typically have protracted interaction during a shift with a specific individual. It's very different. And the safety of 24-hour shifts in health care are already suspect by many.

And, in this case, the change is not being proposed as a way to provide better service, or as a way to improve safety. It's a cost-cutting move. Just to reiterate the National Shiftwork Information Center policy, we are not an advocacy group. We have no axe to grind here. We're on the side of alertness, safety, productivity, and work/life balance.

There are many practical issues to be addressed. Will police officers be permitted, or expected, to sleep in their cars? What if they're woken out of deep sleep to respond to an emergency situation?

The bottom line -- we're all for exploring and researching. It's by pushing boundaries that we discover breakthroughs. But we urge extreme caution here, for the safety of the officers and the general public they serve.

Shift scheduling software targeted to public safety operations

We received a press release about shift scheduling software for police and fire departments you might be interested in. Consistent with National Shiftwork Information Center policy, makes no representations about the quality, effectiveness, or pricing of this software. An excerpt from the press release follows:

Irvine, CA. - June 24, 2008 - PDSI, the developers of TeleStaff, automated scheduling and notification software for Public Safety organizations, is pleased to announce the release of Auctions, the latest product addition to the TeleStaff Enterprise Solution. Building on its 13 plus years of experience in developing Public Safety workforce solutions, PDSI developed Auctions to automate the lengthy and complicated bidding processes required to fill shift assignments and allocate time-off which is common practice within Public Safety organizations.

To learn more about this product, go to http://www.pdsi-software.com/

12-hour shifts on an oil rig: maximum shiftwork

12-hour shifts have their own rhythm. Nowhere is that more true than for workers on an off-shore oil rig who work 14 days in a row, followed by 14 days off. The challenges to alertness, health, and family life are significant. But having two weeks off each month is appealing, as are the wages, which look even more appealing when you consider that for the two weeks on the rig food is provided and there aren't a lot of chances to actually spend money.

This 12-hour shiftwork schedule and shiftwork lifestyle is common on offshore oil rigs. It is also used in Australia to run operations that are far from population centers and workers are flown in for 2-week tours of duty.

For more about this unique type of shiftwork, read Life on a rig in the Gulf of Mexico from the Shreveport Times (Louisiana, USA)

Shift schedules and overtime

In general, 300 to 350 hours of overtime a year for a full-time employee is reasonable from a health and safety perspective. Overtime in excess of this amount indicates inadequate staffing levels and can have a negative impact on productivity and employee safety and health.

Use caution when holding employees beyond eight hours if they are not used to it. In such cases, you should not hold them longer than four additional hours. For 12-hour shifts, overtime should be only on days off. It may be necessary to hold an employee for an hour or two after a 12-hour shift while waiting for a relief person, but you should absolutely prohibit shifts of more than 14 hours.

Related posts:
*12-hour shifts best kept to not more than 8 consecutive days, according to study
*Shiftwork schedules in the 24/7 world

Shift Schedules: rotation

Another important aspect of scheduling is whether to rotate or fix the shifts . . . and if you rotate, how fast you rotate. (With fixed shifts, an individual worker would always work at a given time of day--day, evening, or night. Rotating schedules have every employee work each shift some of the time.)

Fixed shifts are often popular in unionized settings, where seniority systems can be used in determining shift assignments. The advantage of a fixed shift is that it disrupts the sleeping patterns of fewer people. However, we hasten to point out that the night shift workers usually rotate to a daytime schedule on their days off, so they don't get all of the benefits of a fixed schedule.

A drawback of fixed shifts is that there are people who are never on duty at the same time as daytime managers. This can create communication problems. Also, in the absence of an established seniority system, questions of fairness arise. Depending on the labor market, you will probably also have to offer shift differential.

In our experience, managers tend to prefer rotating shifts. Many workers prefer them, too, because they seem inherently more fair.

How fast do you rotate? Two weeks is usually a good rotation. That does not mean shiftworkers should work 14 straight night shifts. There are some schedules that call for working as many as six night shifts in a row, but in general, people find it hard to work more than four night shifts in a row. When you rotate longer than two weeks, you typically increase tardiness and absenteeism on the night shifts.

Related posts about shift schedules on the
National Shiftwork Information Center:
*Management tips for improving shiftwork schedules
*Shift scheduling: length of shift and predictability
*Shiftwork schedule factors: work-rest ratios and predictability
* Shiftwork schedule factors: speed and direction of rotation
*Shiftwork schedules: fixed or rotating

Shift scheduling: length of shift and predictability

Length of shift is perhaps what comes to mind first when most people think about alertness and fatigue. In most cases, however, the length of shift is far less important than the time of day being worked. The vast majority of studies on length of shift have found that alertness, performance, and judgment are not significantly different on 8s or 12s. But 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. are much harder than 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

We do not recommend a shift longer than 12 hours. Of course, we recognize there will be times when longer shifts may be unavoidable, but in such circumstances there should, at a minimum, be provisions for getting employees safely home.

Predictability: A regular schedule is important for maintaining health, safety, and quality of life. Physiologically, humans function best when we eat and sleep on a regular pattern. Psychologically, it is easier to maintain a family and social life if your work schedule is predictable. Whether you are on 8s, 12s, or some other length shift, there are hundreds of different schedule arrangements you can use. That being said, it is helpful to have some flexibility, as well.

Related Posts about Shift Schedules on
National Shiftwork Information Center:
* Management tips for improving shiftwork schedules
* Shiftwork schedule factors: work-rest ratios and predictability
* Shiftwork schedule factors: speed and direction of rotation
* Shiftwork schedules: fixed or rotating

12-hour shifts best kept to not more than 8 consecutive days, according to study

Workers scheduled for more than 8 consecutive 12-hour shifts operate under fatigue-induced impairment comparable to being drunk, according to a study of Australian miners by researchers at James Cook University (Queensland, Australia). The miners' schedule has them working 14 days in a row. Researcher Dr. Anthony Carter says that after 8 days of such work, worker's performance is similar to a person's with a blood alcohol level of .05.

The study's authors recommend limiting strings of 12-hour shifts to no more than 8 days.

Source: The Australian Business

Related Posts:
* Shiftwork schedule factors: work-rest ratios and predictability
* Recognizing fatigue in shiftworkers
* Best practices for managing a shiftwork operation

Study findings confirm forward rotating shiftwork schedule has benefits

An article in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine confirms that forward-rotating schedules are preferable for rotating shiftworkers than schedules that rotate backwards (from night shift, to evening shift, to day shift). The journal article cites a study by Clare Bambra, a researcher in Department of Geography at Durham University in England. The study also found benefits to work-life balance in giving shiftworkers more individual control over their work schedules. While the latter may not always be possible in many operations, employers should take note that the benefits of a forward rotating schedule are pretty clearly established at this point.

Starting first shift an hour later helps alertness

An article on ErgoWeb.com, Study: Some Shift Patterns Worse than Others for Robbing Workers of Sleep , discusses a study that found shiftworkers starting morning shifts at 6:30 fare worse than those who begin the first shift an hour later. Managers in 24/7 should be keep this in mind when they set their shift schedule.

Related posts:
* Shiftwork schedules: time of shift
* Best practices for managing a shiftwork operation
* Shiftwork schedules: fixed or rotating

Study finds chronic disruption can cause heart and kidney disease

University Health News today posted an article Chronic Sleep Disruption Can Cause Heart And Kidney Disease. The subject of the article is pretty self-explanatory, based on the title, and it discusses research conducted at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre of the Toronto General Hospital (Toronto, Ontario, Canada).

Dr. Michael Sole, Cardiologist and founding director of the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre and Professor of Medicine and Physiology at the University of Toronto suggests that shiftworkers working on a rotating schedule should try to maintain the same shift for a month at a time to reduce the circadian disruption.

Working shiftwork in Michigan

If you're interested in the 24/7 world of shiftwork like I am, you can't get enough of seeing coverage of the media covering shiftwork issues. I found this article, "Up all night," in The County Press (Lapeer, Michigan, USA). It discusses the demographics of who works what kind of shiftwork -- second shift, night shift, irregular shifts. The reporter interviewed a couple of local shiftworkters.

"One of these people is Matt Bennett, 27, of Grand Blanc, who is a dispatcher for Lapeer County Central Dispatch. Since June of 2006, he's worked 10-hour shifts from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. His shift will include working four days in a row, then getting time off, working five days in a row, and more time off. Once a month, he gets six consecutive days off."

Management tips for improving shiftwork schedules

In the transportation industries, there are hours of work rules -- truck drivers, airline pilots, and others have constraints on their work schedules. And, some states have laws that establish rules governing some aspects of shiftwork, such as overtime pay and child labor laws.

Other than these regulations, there is little legal guidance for managers in 24/7 operations to help design a work schedule to reduce stress or fatigue. Some companies may have established work rules, and unions may have negotiated rules to govern shiftwork practices in some cases.

Nevertheless, research has suggested that work schedules can be improved. Older, poorly designed work schedules might even be dangerous because new technologies can change both the physical and mental demands placed on a worker. A well-designed work schedule can improve health and safety, worker satisfaction, and productivity. Therefore, a good work schedule is an advantage for both the organization and the worker.

WARNING: Because work schedules can have a direct impact on worker health and safety as well family and social life, shiftworkers can have understandably strong responses to changes in shift schedules.

Changing a schedule is not easy and must be handled carefully. Don't rush. Communicate with all affected constituencies -- managers, workers (and possibly their family members), union leadership, HR, benefits, compensation, industry regulators (if applicable) -- early and throughout the entire process. It may be VERY helpful to work with a consultant, as a neutral third-party, when making shift schedule changes.

Designing a work schedule has a large and immediate impact on all workers, and their family members. All people on the job must abide by the work hours, or they will lose their jobs. Also, working hours affect how people arrange the rest of their lives.

So any time a work schedule is changed, many aspects of job life and home life must be considered. You may want to make any work schedule change temporary at first and evaluate it carefully. The benefits of the change must outweigh the possible negative aspects. If it really is a change for the better, then it can be established on a permanent basis. Because such a change is complex, it is a good idea to consult ergonomics, or human factors, specialists for help in work schedule design and evaluation.

Tips for managers for improving shiftwork schedules
Given the limited amount of knowledge and research at this time, these should be considered as suggestions and not as strict guidelines or regulations. Remember, all aspects of job and home life must be considered when changing a work schedule. Some suggestions may be useful in a particular work situation, and some may not.

• Avoid permanent (fixed or non-rotating) night shift
• Keep consecutive night shifts to a minimum
• Avoid quick shift changes
• Plan some free weekends
• Avoid several days of work followed by four- to seven-day “mini-vacations”
• Keep long work shifts and overtime to a minimum
• Consider different lengths for shifts
• Examine start-end times
• Keep the schedule regular and predictable
• Pay attention to break times

Consider alternatives to permanent (fixed or non-rotating) night shift: Most workers never really get used to night shift because they go back to a daytime schedule on their days off. Also, some workers on fixed night shifts lose contact with management and the rest of the workers in the organization. They may end up feeling too isolated or somehow “different” from the rest of the workers. This could make communication difficult.

If possible, consider a rotating night shift schedule, but take measures to ease the burdens often experienced in the typical weekly shift rotation. Some suggestions for making rotation less taxing are given below. Sometimes, of course, that permanent night shift is the only choice, such as in a nighttime security guard job.

Keep consecutive night shifts to a minimum: Some researchers suggest that only 2 to 4 nights in a row should be worked before a couple of days off. This keeps circadian rhythms from being overly disturbed and limits sleep loss.

Avoid quick shift changes: A break of only seven to ten hours should be avoided before rotating to a new shift, such as going from morning to night shift on the same day of the week. With so quick a change, it is difficult to get much rest before going back to work. On return to work after a quick change, most people are very tired and sleepy. At the end of a night shift, at least 24 hours are recommended before rotating to another shift. Some researchers even suggest that 48 hours should be the minimum between shifts.

Plan some free weekends: If a seven-days-per-week schedule is required, allow one or two full weekends off each month. Loss of contact with friends and family is a major problem for shiftworkers. Weekends are the best time to meet family and friends who are on a day schedule.

Avoid several days of work followed by four- to seven-day “mini-vacations”: Working several days in a row followed by several days off can be very fatiguing. For example, some schedules require 10 to 14 days of work followed by five to seven days off. Frequent “mini-vacations” are well liked by some workers, especially younger ones. However, older workers find it difficult to recover during the mini-vacations before they return to another long spell of work. Poor recovery from fatigue can produce accidents and damage health. A long work spell should be used only when there is no other choice, such as when long travel distances are required to do the work (e.g., mining or oil exploration).

Keep long work shifts and overtime to a minimum: Extra work hours add to fatigue. They also allow less rest time per day. If 12-hour shifts are used, two or three 12-hour shifts in a row should be the maximum. Two in a row is probably best for night shift. One or two days off should follow these night shifts.

Consider different lengths for shifts: Try adjusting shift length to the workload. Heavy physical or mental work or monotonous boring work is especially difficult at night. Maybe night shifts could be shorter. If possible, move heavy work to shorter shifts and lighter work to longer shifts.

Examine start-end times: Flexible start-end times, or “flextime,” can be useful for those with child care needs or a long commute time. Consider moving shift start-end times away from rush hour. Morning shifts should not start too early (5 to 6 a.m.) because night sleep often is cut short before an early shift.

Keep the schedule regular and predictable: Workers should know their schedule well ahead of time, so they can plan their rest, child care, and contact with family and friends. Studies of train accidents showed that very irregular schedules contributed to the accidents by producing sleep loss and fatigue.

Pay attention to break time: Sometimes the standard lunch and coffee break are not enough to recover from fatigue. For example, card dealers in gambling casinos get a 10 to 15 minute break every hour because their jobs require so much concentration. If their concentration is low, it is easier for a player to cheat at cards, and the casino will lose money. In jobs requiring repetitive physical work, brief rest breaks each hour seem to be best for recovery from muscle fatigue.

Source: Plain Language About Shiftwork (NIOSH)

Related posts:
* Why managers in 24/7 need to pay attention to the special needs of shiftworkers
* Shiftwork schedules: fixed or rotating
* Hiring shiftworkers: best practices for managers in 24/7 operations
* Adapting to night shifts -- helping shiftworkers adapt and avoid shiftworker maladaptation
* Best practices for managing a shiftwork operation

Funny shiftwork stories

One of the things that adds color to the life of a shiftworker, and to the shiftwork world in general, are the personal stories. I recently ran across a blog post in which a shiftworker on an -8-hour rotating shiftwork schedule dreamt he had hit his snooze alarm and then woken up at the time his shift started. He raced to his job and found that he was 8 hours early for his shift. I've heard this type of story many times.

Do you have any personal stories, funny or otherwise, that you'd like to share? I look forward to hearing from you.

Ed

Source: http://loveallbooks.blogspot.com/2007/03/strange-memories.html

Shiftwork schedule factors: work-rest ratios and predictability

As part of our continuing discussion of shiftwork scheduling factors, today we're talking about time on the job compared to time off. We'll also discuss the predictability of the schedule. A fixed or regularly rotating schedule may be daunting at times but an unpredictable schedule, such as those worked traditionally on the railroads takes an even greater toll.

The more a person works, the less time he or she will have for rest. People who work an 8-hour shift will have 16 hours left in a day to do everything else, and also to get some rest. People who work a 12-hour shift have only 12 hours to do everything else and to rest. In a situation like this, the extra work hours mean more tiredness and less time for rest.

This is a two-edged sword. For example, many times a worker's home responsibilities, such as taking care of children, cannot change from day to day. So, if workers do overtime or a 12-hour shift, they still must take care of home duties. Since these duties take the same amount of time every day, workers may sacrifice rest and sleep after a long workday.

This example shows us how important the length of shift can be in terms of stress and fatigue.

When looking at work versus rest, we also must consider how many breaks are taken during the shift and the length of breaks. Depending on the type of work and length of the day, several short breaks might be better than a few long breaks. Short breaks might be better particularly for jobs requiring heavy physical labor.

How tired a worker is also depends partly on how many days in a row he or she works. Fatigue builds up over several workdays, as well as over a single workday. This happens especially when a per-son gets less sleep between workdays than on rest days. As we mentioned earlier, a worker might not get enough sleep between long workdays because of home responsibilities. So, if a person works several days in a row, for example, six or seven, a good deal of sleep might be lost. Then the worker feels quite tired during the last one or two shifts.

How Regular or Predictable?
Most jobs have a very regular, set schedule. A worker usually knows the schedule ahead of time. Even if the shift times change, a worker will know several days before-hand. This makes it easy to schedule other non-work activities, such as making sure somebody is at home when the children get there. Other jobs are not so regular or predictable.

For example, health care workers might respond to emergencies that keep them on the job much longer than expected. Or, they might be on call for such emergencies. At a factory, a breakdown or a last-minute call for a product might keep workers at the plant working overtime. Railroad workers sometimes work off a “call board.” This means they can be assigned to a train at the last minute to move a “just-in-time” order of goods.

If workers cannot predict their schedules, it is difficult to get adequate rest. Maybe they just get to sleep when they are called back to work, or maybe they have just worked a long shift when an emergency happens. So, they stay at work a few more hours. Maybe they are on call and never get deep, satisfying sleep because they are always listening for the phone. Some people call this “sleeping with one eye open.”

Shiftwork schedule factors: speed and direction of rotation

Adapting to rotating shifts can be affected by the speed of rotation and the direction of rotation. Speed of rotation means the number of consecutive day, evening, or night shifts before a shift change occurs. Direction of rotation means the order of shift change:

• A forward rotation is in the clockwise direction, from day to evening to night shift.
• A backward rotation is in the counterclockwise direction, from day to night to evening shift.

Different rotation speeds also affect a worker's ability to get used to change of shift times. We have already talked about the same situation under permanent versus rotating shifts. Longer rotations (for example, three to four weeks of working the same hours) are sup-posed to allow workers more time to get used to night shifts.

However, workers usually return to a day schedule on their days off. A fast rotation (every two days, for example) allows no time to get used to night work. Some researchers prefer the fast rotation, because the worker quickly gets through the tough shifts and then has a couple of days off. Very fast rotations are used in Europe more than in America.

Direction of rotation can affect the ability of circadian (daily body) rhythms to adapt to the change in work times. Sleep, for example, is a circadian rhythm because each person sleeps for part of every day. Some researchers suggest that a forward, or clockwise, rotation is better for helping a worker adjust to new sleep times.

This suggestion was made because it is easier to go to bed later and wake up later than earlier. Our body rhythms make us feel more awake and alert in the early evening. This makes it harder to fall asleep earlier. Backward rotations work against the body rhythm by forcing the worker to go to sleep earlier and earlier.

Although we don't have hard and fast numbers, it seems that back-ward rotation schedules are used frequently in the United States. It is not completely clear why. It is partly because of custom (We always did it this way) and partly because workers like the “long change.”

In the long change, workers pick up an extra day off when going to evening shifts after night shifts. This happens because evening shift starts late in the day, which leaves most of that day free for non-work activities.

We'll continue this discussion of shiftwork schedule factors.

Other recent posts on shiftwork scheduling include:

• Shiftwork schedules: fixed or rotating
• Best practices for managing a shiftwork operation

Ed

Source: Plain Language About Shiftwork (NIOSH)

Another police force embraces 12-hour shifts

Yesterday I wrote about a police department in Illinois where officers were holding out on signing a new contract unless they can continue to work 12-hour shifts rather than reverting to an 8-hour shift schedule. Today I learned about the Nobelseville, Indiana police department which has just switched to a 12-hour shift schedule.

Capt. Brad Arnold of the Noblesville police believes the shift change will reduce sick time, allow officers to use vacation time more efficiently and eventually save the department money by alleviating "a lot of overtime." And how do the officers feel about this change? To quote one officer, Lt. Tony Craig, "It's a simple godsend."

Read the full story at Putting more police on roads
Officers now work 12-hour shifts, which can put 11 cops out on the road at one time.

Ed

Police officers fight to keep 12-hour shift schedule

Police officers in Brookfield, Illinois, USA are fighting to keep the 12-hour shifts they have worked under since 2004. Prior to that time they worked an 8-hour shift schedule. Changing from 8-hour shifts to 12-hour shifts has been in vogue over the past decade or so. Initially many shiftworkers and unions opposed such a move but many have come to embrace it -- much to the surprise of many people not familiar with the shiftwork world.

Why? With a 12-hour shift schedule you get a lot more days off. And there can be many other advantages as well. In this case, police officers have refused to sign off on a new contract, which would increase their pay, until they get the shift length issue resolved. Foregoing increased pay ... I'd say they feel strongly about it. The police department is wanting to revert to an 8-hour shift schedule because the 12-hour shifts incur greater overtime charges. With appropriate training and proper implementation alertness and performance on 12-hour shifts can be maintained at safe levels without additional health risks.

I hope the dispute will be worked out soon, for everyone's sake. If all parties are flexible, there are ways to maintain cost neutrality when switching between 8-h0ur shifts and 12-hour shifts.

You'll find more details in "Cop contract will go to arbitration: Brookfield officers want to keep12-hour shift schedule" which appeared in the January 9, 2008 edition of the Riverside/Brookfield Landmark.

Shiftwork schedules: fixed or rotating

Although some might think workers who always work the night shifts adapt or get used to their work times -- usually the longer somebody does something, the easier it becomes. Over time, many nightshift workers develop techniques to better maintain their alertness but the fact is most nightshift workers are not able to fully adapt and therefore, at least some time, they work in the fog of fatigue.

This fatigue happens because most nightshift workers revert to a day schedule when they're off from work, since that's when most of the world is awake during the day and sleeping at night. Also, many of the errands and chores that accumulate while we're working must be done during the day.

As a result most nightshift workers return to a day schedule so they never completely allow their sleep and body rhythms to adapt to being awake at night. They also sleep less during the day, so they don't recover from fatigue. This fatigue can carry over from day to day. Over several days, fatigue can accumulate to unsafe levels.

People working rotating shiftwork schedules face a similar situation. Because the shift times are always changing, they can never completely adapt to a set shift work schedule. Rotating shiftwork schedules are often used because they are considered fairer to all workers. Everybody in the workforce takes their turn at both the popular and unpopular shifts. Rotating shiftworkers are always trying to get used to changing work times.

This is not easy, which is why rotating shiftworkers have more complaints than other workers about physical health and psychological stress. Research has shown that rotating shifts have special features that might affect a person's ability to get used to the schedule.

I'll talk about those special features in future posts. -- Ed

Source: Plain Language About Shiftwork (NIOSH)

Best practices for managing a shiftwork operation

In our previuos post, we discussed shiftworker lifestyle training as an important step for employers of shiftworkers to implement. Beyond shiftworker lifestyle training, a wide range of factors affect alertness and performance, and therefore the health, and safety of shiftworkers. Some of the most prominent are:

• Hiring practices
• Length of shift
• Shift schedule
• Rotating or fixed
• Overtime
• Work environment
• Overnight food selection.

In future posts on the National Shiftwork Information Center blog we'll look at each of these areas. Let us know your tips and practices so we can include them here.

Further reading:
* Shiftwork schedules in the 24/7 world
* Why managers in 24/7 need to pay attention to the special needs of shiftworkers
* Shiftwork schedules: fixed or rotating
* Shiftwork schedule factors: work-rest ratios and predictability
* Shiftwork schedule factors: speed and direction of rotation
* Shiftwork schedules: time of shift
* Hiring shiftworkers: best practices for managers in 24/7 operations
* Adapting to night shifts -- helping shiftworkers adapt and avoid shiftworker maladaptation