Social Sustainability

Shift Work

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Definition

Shift work is any work organisation in which workers succeed each other at the same workstations according to a pattern — rotating or fixed — extending operations beyond a single day shift. Epidemiological evidence links long-term night-shift work to elevated risks of cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes and certain cancers; in 2007 the IARC classified shift work involving circadian disruption as a Group 2A probable human carcinogen. Fatigue also raises accident risk, notably in safety-critical and driving work.

References

osha.europa.euBulk import source

This reference provides supporting context for how “Shift Work” is defined and used.

monographs.iarc.who.intBulk import source

Source imported for editorial provenance.

Overview

How it is used

The concept structures working-time regulation (EU Working Time Directive night-work provisions), fatigue management in transport and healthcare, and occupational health research.

Why it matters

A 24/7 economy runs on bodies designed for daylight; shift work is where the social organisation of time meets biology — and loses.