Atypical Working Schedules and Shift Work: Are they Beneficial for Employers and Workers?

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Abstract

At present, the argument on whether shift work and atypical work schedules benefit both the employer and employees is prevalent. From the perspective, of a worker, flexible work schedule and shift work gives them liberty and is convenient. There exists remarkable convenience in the use of shifts and work schedules, since an employer can organize his day’s work in a manner that he does not abandon home or work.

Conversely, from the perspective of an employer shifts enables adept completion of tasks and it is suitable for certain tasks that are time sensitive. Since workers will be working in shifts, an institution can even remain open through out the day and night, depending on the arrangement. Besides, the employer, who organizes shifts and work schedules gains in numerous ways, including a happy and prolific workforce.

Such arguments demonstrate that typical working schedules can benefits both the employer and the employee. On the other hand, work schedules and shifts can pretense negative effects to both the employer and the employee. This paper explores these issues and establishes that atypical work schedules and shifts benefit both the employer and employee, since their benefits outweigh the disadvantages.

Introduction

Institutions are, under regular stress, to create services and goods that are of suitable quality and fair price, at the convenience of consumers. Such stress can imply that new manners of working must not be created, so as, to maximize the use of resources and workers. For instance, the intricacy and value of capital tools may denote that institutions are not apt to leave it unused. This usually calls for the establishment of shift work to offer incessant working, or even a week.

Shift work and work schedules, also, develop when consumers want products outside conventional and typical hours of work. Besides, most institutions only experience peaks at certain times of the year, leading to a variation in the demand for workers. Such institutions employ shift works, in order to retain the required amount of workforce in the organization. Lastly, several aspects of an institution’s work may necessitate high-level professional skills just for a provisional phase.

For instance, there may be a need for the installation and design of a certain device, in an organization. Such an organization does not have to hire a permanent employee, but will hire a provisional expert. Also, shift work may be vital due to religious practices. For instance, a Muslim may prefer to work on Sunday, while a Christian may not be comfortable to work on this day.

Shifts, in such a case, can be used to ensure that persons are unoccupied on their days of worship. Besides, shift work may be vital because persons with some disabilities may not manage to work on a full time basis. For instance, a person with mild mental disorders can not concentrate for a long time. Hence, it is necessary to make work schedule for such persons favorable.

Shift work takes place in a work program that employs 7 days a week, intermittently, and 24 hours per day, to maintain an institution working. Shift work takes place at any time when there is a whole day and night operation, or when such an operation maximizes productivity of work and efficiency.

Workers can work for three shifts, each covering 8 hours, in a day that requires 24 hours operation. Alternatively, employees can work for 4 days, with each day covering 12 hours, and subsequent 4 days leave. Work schedule, or shifts, wherein a worker works for a certain shift constantly, becomes deemed healthy, since the health of the worker and the capacity of the worker to build positive family relationships and a satisfying lifestyle gets enhanced.

All adjustments in hours, wages, or remunerations must be put down in an accord and signed by both the employer the worker. Workers who get compensated by hours should retain an hourly charge. Those compensated on the basis of a salary may experience a reduction in their weekly compensations (Lanfranchi and Skalli 2002).

The accord must point out that the schedule alteration will be a phase for appraisal. This will enable the employee to execute his duties in an organized way, and with no interferences from the manager. The employee, for instance, will be sure that he will not show up for work on the fifth day of the week, when on a four day schedule.

About 13 million people, in America, usually work on night shifts, evening shift, cyclic shifts, and other company arranged uneven work schedules (Messmer 2005). Hours of work in America surpass Japan and many countries, in the Western Europe (Messmer 2005).

This paper focuses on the benefits of atypical working schedules and shift works to both the employer and the employee. Besides, the paper discusses some disadvantages that atypical working schedules and shift works can pretense to both the employer and the employee. The paper concludes that atypical working schedules and shift works are beneficial to both the employer and the employee as their benefits outweigh their demerits.

Benefits of Shift Work and atypical Working Schedules to the Employee

Shift work is convenient to the workers. There exists remarkable convenience in the use of shifts and work schedules, since an employer can organize his day’s work in a manner that he does not abandon home or work. For instance, an employee may be having little children, which may require him to be at home.

The employee, in such a case, may prefer to work, in the night shift, so as, to take care of children during the day (Mayshar and Halevy 2003). The worker who opts for the night shift should create a superior early to bed program, so that, he may have adequate time to relax and get set for his night shift, while still available for his children, in the course of the day. This becomes possible because nearly all rotational shifts are cyclic and do not necessitate unique skills in each shift. Thus, they can easily be interchanged.

Correspondingly, an employer could be having some other work. The employee, in such a situation, can assume the night shift, complete his work, for instance, bill payments or banking, and proceed to work at night, rather than asking for a leave. Most people think that day shift is the most appropriate and rewarding work schedule. However, this is not true, at present. Workers apt to work in the day, or at night, since it allows them liberty to complete other tasks while accomplishing the expected office obligations.

Working in shift works leads to reduced hours of work. Shift work, mostly contains sufficient breaks and leisure occasions. While using conventional working hours, work get carried forward to overtime, so as, to accomplish the assigned tasks. However, in rotational shifts, workers, in the shift that follows completes the tasks that got left incomplete by the preceding group. This eradicates the need for added hours of work.

Atypical work schedules and shifts create a chance for extra inputs and training (Mayshar and Halevy 2003). The majority of the institutions give training to their workers for certain errands. Alternatively, employees can create their individual arrangements to enhance their expertise using the capacity of flexible work schedules to arrange for the training courses without asking for a break.

This aspect is extremely striking for those operating in shifts as it offers a chance to mature ably without troubling the leave obtainable, preserving such time for other needs like illness of a relative or family holidays. Besides, workers in shifts enjoy extended weekends. A number of shift workers can obtain a weekend that lasts for four days. Such employees get such long weekends after working for several 12-hour shifts.

Eventually, such employees work become recompensed for lengthy ours of work through extended weekends. This, apparently, forms a varying work schedule, whereby the weekend winds up commencing a day, afterward, each week. This benefits the workers because they become free on the conventional days of work.

On such days, the employee can visit banks and other facilities, since there are no incidences of clogging and lengthy queues. Also, working in shifts can allow employees to fine-tune schedules, so as, to create time to work in a different job. This benefits the employees because they are able to enrich their income. Furthermore, employees enjoy reduced commuter durations, since they are able to evade rush hours.

Benefits of Shift Work and atypical Working Schedules to the Employer

From the stand point of an employer, benefits of shift work and atypical work schedule majorly rely on the area of work. The following is a discussion of some benefits that an employer may enjoy, from shift works and flexible work schedules.

First, the office, or premise, is apt to remain open for a long duration. Since workers will be working in shifts, an institution can even remain open through out the day and night, depending on the arrangement. Second, the organization can offer flexible services to customers.

For instance, some customers may prefer to shop at night or late evenings, after a long day of work. Having organizations that run in shifts make shopping at night possible. The employer can, also, benefit from shift work since they are able to counter the limitation of tools and professionals. Some tools are too expensive, which leaves the organization with the option of sharing. Use of shifts can facilitate this to a vast extent.

Besides, allowing employees flexible work schedules reduces lateness and absence. This is beneficial to the employer as he does not have to stay following employees for being late. Also, allowing employees to work in shifts enable the employer to identify outstanding workers.

Moreover, allowing employees to work in shifts enables them to work when they can deliver best. Furthermore, working in shifts makes departments, such as, customer service, to be operational.

The employer, who organizes shifts and work schedules gains in numerous ways, including a happy and prolific workforce. Employees who become granted the opportunity to poise their lives experience reduced amounts of stress and remain contented, healthy and more prolific. Breaks in the course of the week create room for such employees to plan appointments without altering their program of work. This implies that the employers hardly miss any planned work day. Employers feel energized and refreshed when they report working after a break, making them extremely productive. Hence, employers benefit from the productivity of their employees, in this sense.

Most shift work assignments just occupy daylight times that become distributed in a unique pattern. The most routine is to arrange employees in a way that they can work for four hours, with ten hours per day. This enables firms to close businesses on the fifth day, which is apt to save the employers numerous amounts in operating outlays.

A company becomes regarded as a leading employer when workers become given the chance to work in typical schedules. Most workers enjoy such schedules, and the employer should allow them since they do not have any additional cost. Most employees, who say that they do not experience satisfaction in their jobs, experience strains in balancing work and life. Allowing a worker the chance to control his life will make he employee further motivated to work.

Besides, allowing flexible work schedules is a certain way for the employer to enhance retention of workers. Benefits of this nature are hard to find, and those workers who treasure them immensely, are prone to stay for a long time. Most workers endeavor to find satisfying work with an unconventional schedule.

Disadvantages of Shift Work and atypical Working Schedules to the Employer and Employee

Working in shifts, or atypical schedules poses many disadvantages to both workers and employers. Social lives and families of employees, who work during weekends and nights become strained. Besides, working in shifts can cause health issues, when not managed appropriately. A study by Liebert (2008) reveals that shift work may cause gastrointestinal complications, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and sleep apnea.

The amount and quality of sleep is usually low for persons who start early in the morning or work at night. Although most of these issues involve the employee, the employer, also, suffers in a way. For instance, the employee may incur added costs due to augmented production faults, medical care, absenteeism and turnover, as well as, safety episodes.

Conclusion

Alternate work schedule and shifts offer merits to the employee as well as employer. Working in shift works leads to reduced hours of work, for the employee. Besides, atypical work schedules and shifts create a chance for extra inputs and training, for the employee. In addition, workers in shifts enjoy extended weekends. A number of shift workers can obtain a weekend that lasts for four days. Such employees get such long weekends after working for several 12-hour shifts.

This, apparently, forms a varying work schedule, whereby the weekend winds up commencing a day, afterward, each week. This benefits the workers because they become free on the conventional days of work. On such days, the employee can visit banks and other facilities, since there are no incidences of clogging and lengthy queues.

Also, working in shifts can allow employees to fine-tune schedules, so as, to create time to work in a different job. This benefits the employees because they are able to supplement their income. Furthermore, employees enjoy reduced commuter durations, since they are able to evade rush hours.

Conversely, employers benefit from providing work schedule and shifts to the employees, in several ways. First, the office, or premise, is apt to remain open for a long duration. The employer can, also, benefit from shift work since they are able to counter the limitation of tools and professionals.

However, there, also, exist some limitations of shift work, to both employees and employers. Social lives and families of employees, who work during weekends and nights become strained. Besides, working in shifts can cause health issues, when not managed appropriately. Nevertheless, when properly employed shift work and alternate work schedule can provide immense benefits. Hence, we conclude that atypical work schedules and shifts benefit both the employer and employee, since their benefits outweigh the disadvantages

References

Lanfranchi, J and Skalli, A 2002, “Compensating wage differentials and shift work preferences: evidence from France”, Economics Letters, pp. 393–98.

Liebert D 2008, Staffing analysis workbook for jails, 2^ndeditn, London, Diane Publishing, 2008.

Mayshar J and Halevy, Y 2003, “Shiftwork”, Journal of Labor Economics, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. S198–S222.

Messmer, M 2005, “Building employee job satisfaction”, Employment Relations

Today, pp. 53–59.

Proctor, R, Van, Z and Zandt, T 2008, Human factors in simple and complex systems, Boca Raton, CRC Press.

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