New report shows challenge night shift workers face

Community has welcomed the launch of a new report on the challenges facing night shift workers.

The new report, which was undertaken on behalf of Community, CWU, Equity, RMT and TSSA by University of Greenwich and Anglia Ruskin University, highlights some of the excessive work demands being placed on night workers.

Paul McKenna, Community’s National Officer for Light Industries, said:

“Community is pleased to have contributed towards this landmark academic report which shines a light on the often underreported impacts and risks of night work. The experiences of our members who work night shifts – some of whom are quoted in the report – are a testament to the physical and mental toll of their labour, and the day-to-day challenges they face. This can include everything from difficulty accessing medical appointments without using annual leave; having a poor diet and being unable to properly exercise; having a disrupted work-life balance; and being impacted by sleep deprivation.

“We fully support all of the report’s recommendations, including the need for more robust fatigue risk management; stronger regulation of shift times; increased recovery time between shifts; suitable safety provisions for workers travelling to and from night shifts; and the avoidance of lone working wherever possible.

“There’s a feeling among many night shift workers that they are often a forgotten part of the workforce, despite representing a quarter of all British workers. This has to change, and we hope this new report can kickstart a national conversation about how we make work safer and fairer for those who work through the night.”

The new report, The Health and Safety Impacts of Night Working, highlights that night shift workers are twice as likely to be on zero hours contracts than the general population and are disproportionately from BME backgrounds. You can read the report in full here.

Community is the union for the light industries, with a long history of representing workers at the heart of manufacturing and production. Community represents members at globally recognised companies as well as many smaller businesses and consumer goods manufacturers. We are a modern trade union, campaigning for a better working world.