Night Shift Dilemma: Is It Okay for Employees to Work Nights for 6 Months Straight?

Night Shift Inquiry

Can an employee work the night shift consecutively for 6 months? Please advise.

Thanks & Regards,
Hemanth

Hi Hemanth,

Health Implications of Continuous Night Shifts

You want to know whether it is legally right to engage an employee in a night shift for six consecutive months. Let's set aside the legality part for a moment.

If an employee continuously works the night shift, there is a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome, which might lead to cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, and neurological complications.

So, considering the employee's health (which is their primary wealth), it is suggested to rotate the night shift at frequent intervals.

Note: To the best of my knowledge, there is no legal restriction on keeping an employee on a continuous night shift, but please avoid it wherever possible.

Shift Rotation in Three-Shift Workplaces

Where there is a three-shift working system, the ideal way is to change the shift timing every week in a cyclical manner (i.e., A shift employees move to B shift, B goes to C, and C goes to A shift, and the cycle repeats). This helps in maintaining continuity and does not cause any metabolic or physical/mental strain on the employee. However, there are several cases where an employee expresses a preference for being retained in a particular shift, like the night shift, for an extended period. There is no illegality in this arrangement. However, caution is advised; continuing in an odd-hour shift for a long duration is known to have resulted in behavioral distortions and other psychological issues.

Please check your standing orders.

In the model standing orders, there are provisions for a change of shifts. If there are such provisions, then keeping him for 6 months on a disadvantaged shift is illegal.