Shift work Increase in the age group 50plus

More and more shift work in the age group 50plus

12/11/2013

It has been proven that atypical working hours can cause health problems. Not only social isolation but also physical illnesses are common in people on shift work.

More than 5,000 shift workers born in 1959 and 1965 are therefore the subject of the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) „Work and health“ interviewed. The results show a tendency that should be thought-provoking.

For example, over the past decade, there has been a doubling of shift work among people over 50 years old. Meanwhile, shift work in this age group employs 1.3 million people. When looking at the health status of workers, it is striking that the differences between working people who do not work shift work differ. 49% of older shift workers reported sleep disturbances, while those in the workforce reported „normal“ Workers only 41 percent complained of sleep problems. When asked about the current state of health, 49 percent of shiftworkers said "good" or "very good". In contrast, 56 percent of the employees were employed. There were also noticeable differences in work activities and working conditions. Shift work is therefore characterized by a higher mental and physical stressful activity. Working with heat or cold, the lifting of heavy objects and constant stooping were increasingly found in the information of the shift workers. Thus, two-thirds stated to work standing up, whereas it was less than 33 percent for non-shift workers.

For the labor market researchers Anita Tisch, Silke Tophoven and Carina Lese, shift work also promotes less sports and thus leads to overweight. This could be related to the fact that it is more difficult for shift work to be active in sports clubs. "Physical and mental stress in the workplace can be compensated and mitigated through social support," the researchers said. But this support seems to be lacking among shiftworkers, with only 63 percent saying that they are well supported by their superiors. For employees who have normal working hours, it was 72 percent. Given the facts, companies should think about changing their working time models. For example, for shift workers, people could benefit from reduced occupational sports and recreational opportunities. (Fr)

Picture: Kurt Michel