From The Ergoweb® Learning Center

Working Long or Late Hours Takes Its Toll On Workers and Workplace

Does taking a job that offers increased stress, higher-than-average divorce rates, poor productivity and even legislation that could impact the drive home sound like a bad career move? According to a recent study, as unappealing as they sound, these are all factors that face the 24 million Americans working the night shift every time they punch the clock.

Reporting on the study in Business Week, researchers found that working nights meant more than just heavy eyelids. As the study conducted by Circadian Technology indicates, when night falls, accidents go up and productivity and accuracy plummet.

Specifically, workers on the night shift have a 20 percent greater chance of being involved in a severe accident and make five times the “serious” mistakes that their daytime counterparts make. Rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disorders were also reported to be higher in over-night workers.

Turnover rates were also found to be higher