Shift Work

Shift work is a term used to describe an arrangement of working hours that differs from the standard daylight working hours (i.e., 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). Organizations that adopt shift work schedules extend their normal working hours beyond the traditional 8-hour shifts by using successive teams of workers. Notable examples of organizations that adopt shift work schedules include hospitals, fire stations, and police stations. However, forces such as industrialization, new technologies, and the increasing global economy have contributed to the creation of a society that operates 24 hours a day. This 24-hour society has led to an increase in the need for shift work. In fact, it is currently estimated that 15% to 30% of all workers in industrialized societies are involved in some ...