Shift Work Schedule

Shift work schedule

Simona Teodorovic

June, 2018

Generating a work schedule that is adequate for workforces that operate in shifts is a demanding and critical burden (Musliu, Gartner & Slany, 2002). In many cases, rotating work schedules are created to meet the legal requirements with little regard to the human factor issues that arise with such complex scheduling. Exhaustion, fatigue, stress and many other factors occur while crewman operate in such intense environments. Therefore, it is imperative that employees have rest days and work cycles that do not disrupt the circadian rhythm in a greater sense.

            Working in shifts can be defined in many ways. Most frequently it involves two or more teams, working an arrangement of hours, which differentiate in their starting and finishing times (Sallinen & Kecklund, 2010).

The decision and design of a work schedule must comply with issues related to fatigue and stress. This matter is of great concern for safety experts in various operational environments. By enforcing work schedules that do not allow for enough rest, the alertness of the individual or team is low. This leads to a reduction in productivity and unfortunately, in many cases, an increased accident rate (Cadwell, 2001). 

As seen from the provided work schedule, the four teams were divided into working three different shifts: (1) day; (2) swing; and (3) night. Due to the layout of work hours and rest days, many of the crewmembers started reporting excessive fatigue and insufficient sleep, due to their shift schedule. As a result, an alternative work schedule was created.

As a solution to the problem described above, the basis of the alternative was working six days in a row, followed by a two-day rest. However, working one shift for six consecutive days, adapts the body and its circadian rhythm to those specific hours. The two rest days were not sufficient enough to adapt the body to a new rhythm. Although the author of the original schedule might have had in mind that the later shifts were developed in equal increments, allowing the two-day rest period was not enough to compensate for the following cycle of work shifts.

As a countermeasure to the original schedule, a two day shift was suggested, grouped as six days, followed by a two-day rest period. To demonstrate, Team 1 will manage the day shift for two days, followed by two days of the swing and then two days of the night shift. After six days of working, Team 1 has two days for resting. In the meantime, the remaining teams were equally distributed, with respect to their working and rest days.

The proposed alternative shows a greater fluctuation in the shifts. The intention was to not allow the circadian rhythm to get into a circuit, because adapting to the new a shift might pose as a greater challenge. According to research conducted by Musliu, Gartner and Slany (2002), a different, “efficient backtracking algorithm for each step” (p. 86) of the schedule design, maximizes the quality of performance.

Techniques for adjusting to various work and sleep cycles have been studied for decades. Finding one algorithm that suits all poses as a challenge. However, continuous research into particular methods can resolve which ones are beneficial to specific departments within the industry.

References

Cadwell, L. J. (2002). Work and sleep hours of U. S. army aviation personnel working reverse cycle. Military Medicine, 166(2), 159-166. doi:10.1093/milmed/166.2.159

Musliu, N., Gartner, J., & Wolfgang S. (2002). Efficient generation of rotating workforces schedules. Discrete Applied Mathematics, 188(2), 85-98. doi:10.1016/S0166-218X(01)00258-X

Sallinen, M., & Kecklun, G. (2010). Shift work, sleep, and sleepiness-Differences between shift schedules and systems. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, 36(2), 121-133. doi:10.5271/sjweh.2900