Shift work facts for kids
Shift work is a way of organizing jobs so that people work at different times of the day or night. This helps businesses and services operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Instead of everyone working during a standard daytime, employees take turns working different "shifts."
For example, a day can be split into three eight-hour shifts. Each worker only works one of these shifts each day. This way, a hospital or a factory can always have people working, even in the middle of the night.
Contents
What is Shift Work?
Shift work means that a job is done by different groups of workers at different times. This allows a company or service to be open and active all the time. Think of places like hospitals, police stations, or factories that need to run non-stop.
It's different from a regular 9-to-5 job. With shift work, some people might start very early, others in the afternoon, and some even work overnight.
Different Shifts
Work shifts are usually named after the time of day they happen. The most common shifts are the morning, afternoon, and night shifts.
The Morning Shift
The "first shift" is usually the morning shift. It often starts early, like 6 AM or 7 AM, and finishes in the early afternoon. This is the most common time for many jobs.
The Afternoon/Evening Shift
The "second shift" is also called the swing shift in some places. This shift takes place in the afternoon and evening. It often starts around 3 PM or 4 PM and ends around 10 PM or midnight.
The Night Shift
The "third shift" is known as the night shift. People working this shift usually start around midnight and finish in the early morning, like 7 AM or 8 AM. This shift is important for services that need to run all night, like emergency services or some manufacturing plants.
Why Do People Work Shifts?
People work shifts for many reasons. Many important services need to be available all the time. For example:
- Hospitals need doctors and nurses ready 24/7.
- Police and fire departments must always be on duty.
- Factories often run continuously to make products faster.
- Airports and transportation hubs operate day and night.
Shift work makes sure these services and businesses never close.
How Shift Work Can Affect Health
Working shifts, especially at night, can sometimes affect a person's health. Our bodies naturally like to sleep at night and be awake during the day. This is called our Circadian rhythm. When this rhythm is changed, it can cause some health issues.
The World Health Organization (WHO) looked at shift work in 2007. They suggested that working at night might increase the risk of certain health problems, including some types of cancer.
A study in 1986 by Knutsson and others found something interesting. It showed that people who worked shifts for more than 15 years might have a higher chance of developing heart problems. This is because changing sleep patterns can put stress on the body.
It's important for people who do shift work to try and keep a healthy lifestyle. This includes getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising.
Images for kids
-
4 o'clock shift at the Ford Motor Company assembly plant in Detroit, Michigan, 1910s
-
A clock-based device for recording workers' working hours, from the beginning of 20 century. Exhibit of the National Polytechnical Museum in Sofia, Bulgaria
-
Worker Health Charts provides a distribution of shift work by industry from 2015 NHIS data.
See also
In Spanish: Trabajo por turnos para niños
