Tackle those night shift woes rightly
`NIGHT is a world lit by itself' How true this famous quote of Antonio Porchia sounds when you visit those well lit corporate companies, almost blurring the divide between the night and day. Especially those companies offering call centres, BPO services and other such services at night, you couldn't make out that it's night until you actually come out and see the starry sky above your head. Individuals working in such companies appear to be nonchalant and might not be aware of the hazards that are in store for them.
Traditionally, general employee work schedules used to follow the sun and employees used to work in night shifts on and off only in emergency conditions. Now working at nights has become a regular phenomenon of the corporate lives and its influence can be felt on both their lifestyle and health.
As most of the service provider companies are usually U.S. or Europe based , employees working for such companies are forced to work as per their time schedules; hence half of the corporate workforce of today is burning the midnight electricity struggling to match the different time zones around the world.
Some companies while recruiting itself specifically mention their night schedules and seek the aspirants consent before actually hiring. Whereas in some situations an employee might be asked to work on a certain project which might require working at night until its completion. Not everybody is happy with the fact that they have to work in night shifts alone. Given a choice many of them would say no to such schedules. Working at night has created a chasm in many families disrupting the peaceful environment and the physical bio-rhythms of the employees.
Like every other aspect of corporate life, working in nights has its own pros and cons like :
Individuals experience social seclusion owing to the nature of their jobs
Such employees are likely to be occupied with their own lives and lose touch with what's happening around them.
Valuable family time disappears leaving personal relations emotionally strained.
Prolonged night schedules have adverse results like poor health, employee burn out, losing the sense of night and day, loss of concentration, irregular eating habits
Safety risks run high while commuting
A survey by Circadian Technologies, a consulting firm, has found that employees who work in the night shifts are prone to low productivity and reduced health. Companies can reduce the effects of night shifts on their employees in the following ways :
Look for an alternative for continuous night shifts. Try rotation method so that night shifts will be shared evenly amongst all the employees.
See to it that there is no immediate change in the shifts of work for it will terribly disrupt the circadian rhythms of the employees.
In case an employee is allotted night shifts through the weekdays he should be given a total off during the weekends and a long break of 3 to 4 days every month.
Employee should be encouraged to take balanced diet along with additional supplements. This will help in sustaining the individual's energy that burns out fast due to lack of sleep and persistent fatigue.
If the employee happens to fall sick due to his night job, he should be shifted to day's job and necessary medical help should be provided.
Educate the employees as well as their families about the night shifts and their repercussions and the safety measures they need to adopt like eating healthy, remaining fit and taking frequent breaks while at work.
As virtual working environment and the need to stay connected are compressing time zones, there remains little except seek refuge in what one great poet said, "one may not reach the dawn save by the path of the night".
SANDHYA. U
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