Shift Work Employment
Some organisations and businesses by their very nature require the use of shift workers.
Shift work is an employment practice designed to make use of, or provide service 24/7. The term “shift work” includes both long-term night shifts and work schedules in which employees change or rotate shifts. Continuous shift systems provide cover for 24 hours, seven days a week. Non-continuous or discontinuous shift systems provide cover for less than the total hours available in a week – for example five 24 hour periods in seven days, or 12 hours out of 24.
Shift work is widespread throughout Europe. It is essential in some industries in which equipment, services or manufacturing processes must continue on a 24-hour cycle. Examples of this type of industry range from newspaper production and public utilities to hospital and emergency services. A development in more recent years has been the spread of shift working to industries such as telephone sales and banking. Other reasons for using shift work are:
- Economic reasons – the pace of change has quickened and so has the rate at which plant and equipment become out of date: shift work enables employers to make maximum use of plant, which can reduce production costs and increase output.
- Social reasons – changes in living and working patterns have created a demand for goods and services outside traditional working hours: for example, retail outlets are commonly open 7 days a week and in some cases for 24-hour periods.
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
Shift work can reduce unit costs because capital equipment is operated more intensively and cheaper off-peak electricity can be used. Rotas in some shift systems can enable a more flexible response to peaks and troughs of demand. Shift work can provide higher earnings for employees and allows them to use shops and social facilities at times when they are less crowded. On the debit side, shift working increases wage and labour costs and can disrupt employees’ social and domestic lives. It can also upset employees’ body rhythms and cause them to lose sleep. In addition, public transport facilities may not be available outside normal working hours.
What are the legal aspects of shift work?
A Shift Worker Employment Contract shall be used where an employee may be required to undertake shift-working arrangements on either a fixed or occasional shift basis in order to meet the requirements of the job or client. In other words, the parties agree that the employee is being employed to perform duties in accordance with the shift work arrangement of the employer.
Please note that is a requirement under the Employment Rights Act 1996 for employers to provide their employees with a written statement of their main terms and conditions of employment. This must be provided within 8 weeks starting from the commencement of employment. This also applies to shift workers. Thus, employers are legally obliged to provide their shift workers with a Shift Worker Employment Contract.
The Working Time Regulations 1998 govern the hours people can work and prescribe special health provisions for night workers. The Regulations require an employer to ensure that employees will have the opportunity of a free health assessment before they take up night work or the employees had a valid health assessment and shall ensure that night workers have the opportunity of a free health assessment at appropriate regular intervals.
If you are looking for a shift worker contract of employment please visit www.thelegalstop.co.uk or click: Shift Worker Employment Contract.
