Night workers are at greater risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and depression. Such forms of working are relatively common. Taking the U.K., a total of one in eight employees work nights in sectors such as care, transportation, customer fulfilment, emergency services and health care.
These health concerns are backed by scientific evidence. Using data from over 283,600 people in UK Biobank, scientists have established that people who work night shifts are at increased risk of developing an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation.
Furthermore, individuals are also at an increased risk of heart disease. Women and people who do not exercise regularly are most at risk.
This feeds into the current predicament of long-term nightwork upon individuals and the types of work hey perform and the sectors within which they operate.
“It’s not just tough hours, it impacts every aspect of your social and family life too”, a night worker has recently told the GMB congress. The GMB is one of the larger trade unions in the U.K.
Pay rates for this form of employment are low. One in three of those earn less than £10 ($15) an hour, while one in eight is on an insecure contract.
The real-life experiences of nightwork have recently been explained by Adrian Stohr, a GMB London member and night worker. He states: “It’s vital the risks we take to our health working nights is reflected in our pay-packets. It’s not just tough hours, it impacts every aspect of your social and family life too.”
Stohr continues: “Annual health checks would help monitor their health and well-being and would help flag up health issues earlier.”
There are other considerations as well, relating to personal safety. As an example, Stohr says: “Women represent two-thirds of night workers and there is a real danger when they walk home late. Employers must put in place measures to ensure their safety getting home.”
Consideration needs to be given to allowing such workers an earlier exit from the labour force. Stohr recommends: “Early retirement with access to our full pension seems only right when a worker’s health has shortened the length of their life or left them with serious and debilitating health issues.”
In conjunction with the address by Stohr, the GMB Union is calling for a review of the U.K. Health and Safety Executive’s guidance titled ‘Managing Shift Work’ and an overhaul of night worker’s safety protection rights to ensure they are compensated and protected against these health risks.
