Member Article

In deep shift: Shift workers are twice as likely to have to miss important occasions like birthdays or weddings because of work

Research from Quinyx shows double the number of shift workers have had to miss out on an important family or friend’s event compared to non-shift workers

A further 21% have had to drop their personal interests outside of work, compared to just 12% of non-shift workers

Quinyx, the flexible working experts, have today announced that the UKs shift workers are getting a raw deal when it comes to flexible working.

Research shows that twice as many shift workers than non-shift workers claim a lack of flexibility is having a negative impact on their health and wellbeing (14% vs 7%), with one in five claiming to have ditched personal interests and hobbies due to their work schedule.

On top of that, 20% of shift workers feel their employer doesn’t care about their life and well-being outside of work, demonstrating a significant rift between shift and non-shift workers when it comes to flexible working opportunities, and health and well-being in the workplace.

And it’s not just shift workers who are feeling the pressure, their families are struggling with the demands too.
One in four shift workers claim their working hours mean they don’t get to spend enough time with family 22% of shift working parents say they feel like they’re missing out on seeing their children grow up One in five say they struggle to manage childcare responsibilities

It’s no surprise shift workers are struggling, 20% of employees working shifts believe that their boss will react badly to requests for flexible working despite employee wellbeing becoming an increasing priority for organisations when it comes to recruitment and retention.

Nearly a third (31%) of shift workers think that incentives, such as tax breaks for companies that offer greater flexibility to their employees, would be the best way to increase flexibility, with a similar amount (28%) agreeing that legislation changes will be key in making flexible working more accessible.

Employee wellbeing isn’t the only reason why organisations should get onboard with flexible working, as it’s projected that the future flexible working economy will be worth £570.1 billion in 2023, as long as the UK embraces flexible working fully.

Erik Fjellborg, CEO of Quinyx commented: “The UK’s shift workers are the power-house of our economy, working tirelessly at all hours to ensure our businesses, shops, hotels and hospitals are running like clockwork. It’s staggering to see that despite so many changes in our offices, and access to new technology to make scheduling easier, this still hasn’t translated into equal footing for shift and non-shift workers.

Missing out on family moments, and dropping extra-curricular interests is only going to lead to miserable workers, which is ineffective from a business perspective, and disappointing from a personal one. Employers need to understand that flexible working can work for them and their workforce, and isn’t just limited to office workers in their 9-5.“

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Quinyx .