Looking after the health of their shift workers is an important consideration for businesses.

Studies have shown shift workers are at increased risk of health problems, including Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as sleep disturbances and mental health. They also have a greater risk of accidents and near misses due to fatigue.

So, what are some simple steps employers can take to better support their health and wellbeing?
 

Encourage healthy eating and drinking

Angela Clark, a PhD candidate at Monash University, recently studied rotational shift workers (shifts that repeatedly change times) to look at their eating patterns.

“Shift workers are eating on average an additional 264 kilojoules every 24 hours. That’s equal to a large handful of potato chips. We know that even eating 100 extra kilojoules a day can make someone put on half a kilo a year – so it does add up over time,” Ms Clark said.

Not only did her research find that shift workers ate more on average, but they consumed poorer quality food – less protein and carbohydrate and more fat, sugar, salt and alcohol. However, she said there are plenty of ways employers can support shift workers in making healthier choices, in particular, swapping fatty foods for healthier ones.

“For example, if your employees are quickly grabbing something from the vending machine, talk to the provider to see if they can include healthier options. Instead of putting chocolates out as snacks, put fruit. 

“Even just making sure there’s a source of filtered or chilled water is a big help,” she said.

Beyond snacking, it can help to think of an employee’s meal needs, particularly if they’re working over what would be their normal dinner time. This can be as simple as making sure there are adequate kitchen facilities for meal preparation, such as a fridge, microwave, sandwich press, cutlery and chopping board. Also, there needs to be adequate time in which to prepare food and eat. Beyond that, employers can get creative.

“Can you get a food truck to come to your workplace? Do a meal deal with a local café?” Ms Clark said.

Also, Ms Clark’s research found that an issue for shift workers is not just what they’re eating or how much, but the times at which they eat.

“Shift workers eat a large portion of their kilojoules at night, which is not good for metabolic health as it goes against circadian rhythms and can lead to elevated blood sugar and cholesterol,” she explained.

And while it’s always going to be challenging to manage eating patterns while on shift, her colleague, Gloria Leung, who is also a PhD candidate, has put together a list of helpful steps, which include:

  • Try to eat the same number of meals a day, regardless of shifts.

  • When awake, try to eat every four to six hours.

  • Keep hydrated.

  • If eating at night, try to choose something protein-rich.

  • Try to maintain a fasting window of five hours at night.

  • If hungry after a night shift, try to have a small meal one to two hours before bed.

“Helping shift workers understand and be more aware of these steps can really help. Education on this could be included in shift worker inductions, and regular training,” Ms Clark said.
 

Design jobs with fatigue in mind

On average, shift workers lose one to 1.5 hours of sleep for each 24-hour period, which builds up a sleep debt of six hours after four nights. 

In a webinar with Safe Work, Professor Drew Dawson, director of the Appleton Institute at Central Queensland University, said that “we’re moving from a culture and a safety mentality that says, ‘Fatigue’s a problem, let’s get rid of fatigue,’ to saying, ‘Fatigue’s a problem. How can we get people to work safely whilst fatigued?’

“If we have that dialogue, we should be able to solve the problem, and it doesn’t always require high-tech solutions. Just knowing that the person you’re working with is tired will change the way you observe, interact and regulate their behaviour,” Professor Dawson said.

Safe Work’s guide on managing fatigue includes extensive advice on how to design shifts and rosters to minimise the impact of fatigue. For example, structuring shifts and designing work plans so work demands are highest towards the middle of the shift and decrease towards the end, planning shifts well in advance so employees can count on leisure time, and allocating shift and night workers consecutive days off to allow for at least two full nights’ sleep, including some weekends.

Other measures include ensuring fit-for-purpose machinery and equipment is used, encouraging workers to report concerns about fatigue, having rest areas, and even designing the jobs themselves so they limit excessive mental or physical demands.

Employers should also have a fatigue policy and train managers in handling fatigue. Plus, they need to consider out-of-work considerations too, like whether employees can take public transport to avoid driving when sleepy.
 

Be aware of mental health and wellbeing

Studies have also linked shift work with mental health issues such as depression, as these night-owl workers grapple with increased stress, poor sleep quality and strain on family relationships. And with experts warning that managing psychosocial hazards is something all businesses should be prioritising, those employing shift workers should be acutely aware of the mental health burden their people might be facing.


Need some guidance on navigating mental health in the workplace?

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