Based on Déhora's surveys, people working in the shift mode do not have enough time for private life and often face health problems and fatigue. They would, therefore, welcome the opportunity to participate in the planning of their shifts in order to adapt them to their private and physical needs.
Although shift work may seem unpopular and exhausting in many ways, according to Déhora's experience stemming from advising companies on how to properly plan the shift regime with regard to the health, performance and personal life of employees, most people do not mind certain reservations. However, based on surveys conducted by the company's clients Déhora, a significant proportion of staff welcomed the greater freedom when planning to have enough time to rest between shifts, be with their families or to match the physical abilities of each employee.
More than half of respondents are dissatisfied with the conditions they are currently working in. While most of them accept the current system of exchange regime and recognize that they often do not face sudden change, employers innings would appreciate if they could participate in the actual exchange plan for your personal needs. For them, it is often not easy to plan a holiday in advance. Surveys also show that employees do not have time to recover between shifts. Especially after night shifts and where there is a higher demand for work. It is not just enough free time but also good sleeping or spending time with family and friends or tending to other social activities and hobbies. The current negative trend, disliked by the overwhelming majority of exchange rate workers, is also an increased pressure on overtime.
"Overseas, our clients have proven themselves to be a concept of self-planning in which an employer allows his employees to plan their shift (or even over time) according to their preferences and to combine private life with work, will work equally well with our clients on the Czech market and satisfy the demands of their employees," says Nunzio Totaro, director of the Czech subsidiary of Déhora.
"Most surveyed staff are open to changes and innovations in exchange planning, admitting that expanding the range of exchange models and greater flexibility can help their business attract new job seekers and increase the satisfaction of those at work. self-planning would be tested by up to 40 % of respondents, " adds Roman Urban, consultant of the Czech subsidiary Déhora.
People who work on shifts often do not realize the effect of their misconduct on biorhythm and health. This is also supported by the fact that more than half of respondents prefer a 12 hours shifts system, which is, for example, compared to an 8 hours inefficient and unhealthy one. On the contrary, the 6 hours shifts system would be chosen by only a negligible percentage of employees, but it would be "tested" by up to 10 % of employees. In the light of the scientific research conducted by Déhora and his experience from abroad, this model is ideal for both employees and employers in terms of productivity, efficiency and health impact. In Czech Republic, in terms of cultural and historical development, people are accustomed to only 8 hour or 12 hour working shifts and to their private life to adopt strictly and on a flat basis to the employer's conditions.
The lengths of the shifts, their kind and the order of their turn, have a considerable impact on the possibility of accident and the scuffling, especially at night shifts. It is shown that the risk of injury is on average 6 % higher on the second night shift, 17 % on the third night shift, and on the fourth, it is 36 %.
Among the most common health problems caused by workload, the interviewed workers reported visual impairment, hip, knee, leg, back and head pain. These difficulties are felt particularly in the second half of the shift and some even hours or days after it is over. With long-term workload in the shift mode, the staff suffers from sleep disorders and occasional depression. All this may be the result of poorly arranged shifts, lack of rest and stress or long working shifts (12 hours).
As expected, the survey also shows that workers find the night shift as the the most demanding, due to the disagreement with a natural biorhythm for humans, and on the contrary, morning shifts handle most easily. Concerning the concentration, the second half of the night is the least satisfactory.
Surveys are one of the tools used by Dehora to set a model of shifts based on their results, which will suit both employees and employers.
In training and negotiation with the management, he also uses special sample glasses to mimic the physical condition of a man who, for example, has snooped all night, and in the morning he has come to work and/or eye fatigue after 12 hours shift or lack of light.
About Déhora
The Déhora International Advisory Group is the largest European company involved in planning and management of the workforce in exchange-rate companies. Since 1987, it has been providing expertise to organizations in all sectors of the economy, contributing to increasing the efficiency of their business. Thanks to the practical experience of the business environment and the extensive research and analysis it performs, it can provide its clients with comprehensive services in the field of job planning and human capital, including consulting, training and implementation of software solutions. At present, Déhora has branches in the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland and the Czech Republic, and helps hundreds of companies across Europe in almost every industry, manufacturing, manufacturing, healthcare, services, logistics, and government. Her major clients include British American Tobacco, Audi, Nestlé, Siemens, Miele, Electrolux, Eindhoven Airport, Amsterdam Airport, Polish Airlines, and the Dutch and Belgian police.
Besides working on projects at TE Connectivity (Kurim, automotive, 4000 employees), Jacobs Douwe Egberts (Valasske Mezirici, coffee pads, 600 employees), our member Déhora Central Europe has now also started at Rodenstock (Klatovy, frames and lenses) and - again – at Lidl (Plzen, 1000 employees, e-shop distri center).
Usually a consultancy project starts with a series of interviews among stake holders and a survey among all shift staff. The survey consists of around 50 customized, work-time related questions. The findings from both sources are then used as input for the development of new, better shift models. Common denominator of Déhora’s clients in the Czech republic is their focus on improvement of their employer branding.
Déhora’s activities do not go unnoticed. Mr. Roman Urban, senior consultant appeared June 21st on Czech Television in the Dobre Rano program for an interview about shift work and its effect on the human body clock. Whereas Nunzio Totaro has been invited for a presentation at the Czech embassy in the Netherlands about Déhora’s European activities.
Learn more about Déhora at www.dehora.cz or Facebook.
