The Silver Lining in Shift Work:: Can Your Organization Take Advantage of It?

While massive layoffs, mergers, and downsizings continue to grab media attention, more profound changes in the workforce that have received far less attention are well underway. For most employed Americans today, the standard workweek – 9-to-5, Monday through Friday – is a relic of the past. Far more common are ‘‘nonstandard’’ work schedules. Indeed, only a minority of employees in the United States (30 percent) work a standard workweek (35–40 hours, Monday through Friday). The large majority of workers work longer or shorter hours, work nonstandard shifts (evenings or nights), or work at least one weekend day. Even ignoring the number of hours worked, only a bare majority (54 percent) of U.S. workers are employed Monday–Friday during day hours. This increase constitutes a potential, but as yet invisible, crisis. As we will suggest in this paper, the effects of shift work can be profound and, if implemented badly, harmful to employees and their families. But we are also happy to report that there is good news: The effects of shift work can be positive, in some surprising ways. Thus, the key question is, how can an organization tap the positive potential of this silent wave of growing shift work?