A growing number of workers in Australia are required to work shifts, particularly night and rotating shifts, despite mounting evidence of the safety dangers and risks to health involved. Shift work is most concentrated in the private sector, with 702,800 shift workers, compared to 279,100 in the public sector.
Shift work is concentrated in the most dangerous areas of employment.
Health workers are often involved in critical care, sometimes making life and death decisions. Many other employees are routinely working in the evenings or overnight, apparently without being classified as shift workers. These hours have a serious impact on workers and their families. Shift workers have little opportunity to interact in social or family gatherings, and are under enormous strain and stress in coping with everyday issues, both on and off the job. Studies compiled by the Circadian Learning Centre in the United States have shown that shift workers, especially those who work nights, can suffer from a number of health problems.