Paige Desmond
Shift work is a necessary part of business. Health care, resource industries, policing, and other services require a 24-hour schedule which is non-negotiable.
According to Statistics Canada, in 2005 roughly 28 percent, or 4.1 million of the 14.6 million Canadians employed, worked something other than a typical day shift of 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
And while this shift work is necessary, it also can have a variety of adverse physical and psychological health effects.
“You’re more likely to have car accidents because you can’t concentrate as well,” noted Marlis Bruyere, administrator of the Fort Frances Community Clinic.
But the list does not stop there. Physical effects can include upset stomach, high blood pressure, digestion problems, heartburn, chronic fatigue, insomnia, and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
And for those who already have existing chronic health problems, such as asthma or heart conditions, shift work has been shown to elevate these issues, Bruyere said.
For instance, changes in “normal” sleep habits and, in turn, natural eating habits, can throw off the cycle of medication, often requiring increased doses in prescription drugs in response.
Asthma is one condition which is always worse at night, noted Bruyere, but most people don’t notice because that is their sleep time. But for a person who must work through the worst time of their asthma, it can take increased medication to control the symptoms.
Psychologically, shift work is linked to depression, anxiety, and overall increased rates of stress.
Bruyere said most people suffering the health consequences of shift work often do not recognize its effects—and don’t realize their medication doses are high because that is the way it’s always been for them.
“They don’t even recognize that it’s more because it’s just what their life is,” she remarked.
Bruyere explained rotational shift work, where the cycle of working days and nights always changes, often is the most difficult because it requires a constant change in the body’s “circadian rhythm.”
The circadian rhythm operates on a 24-hour cycle and functions as the body’s clock. It regulates body functions such as sleeping, waking, digestion, body temperature, blood pressure, and pulse.
Meal times, and light or darkness, cue the rhythm to function normally. Rotational shift work throws off this rhythm and causes negative health effects.
“Interest in the effects of shift work on people has developed because many experts have blamed rotating shifts for the ‘human error’ connected with nuclear power plant incidents, air crashes, and other catastrophic accidents,” the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety states on its website.
In 2005, women accounted for 42 percent of all full-time workers, with 41 percent of those working rotational shifts, StatsCan noted. This could be cause for concern in that there are specific health effects for women working shifts.
Studies have found the risk of breast cancer to be 60 percent higher for women working shifts and other problems, such as irregular menstrual cycles and higher risk of miscarriage, according to an Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc. document entitled “Shift work, health effects and solutions.”
Physically, these effects take a toll on the body. At the same time, missing out on typical everyday activities such as hobbies, time with children/spouses, and other social activities has been linked to depression.
“[Shift work] limits how much time you can spend being social,” agreed Bruyere. “People will get depressed because all they do is sleep and work.”
However, a 2005 Statistics Canada study, entitled “Work-life balance of shift workers,” found that 73 percent of those polled were satisfied with their work-life balance. Though, it also found there was a 10 percent higher likelihood for shift workers to be dissatisfied with this balance compared to day workers.
The Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc. document also said shift workers are more likely to divorce because opposite schedules cause marital stress.
Bruyere said it all depends on the family and their ability to cope with different timetables. “It depends on how adaptable the family is,” she remarked. “It’s difficult to try and maintain a normal life.”
At the same time, Bruyere and various studies note there are some pluses to shift work. For instance, it can ease child care needs since one parent is home in the daytime and one in the evening.
And for shifts where someone might work four days on and four days off, or something similar, the large blocks of time can allow for special trips or personal time.
“It’s all about maximizing what you have, there are pluses to it,” said Bruyere.
Some tips for minimizing the negative effects of working shifts include regular exercise, eating a balanced diet, scheduling at least one daily meal with the family, setting time aside for spouses and children, using a calendar to keep track of events, using ear plugs for a better sleep, drinking lots of water, and making sure family and friends are aware and considerate of the worker’s sleep hours and needs.
Bruyere said shift work comes down to two things: “You work hard when you work,” and make the most of the time off you have.
