- Conference
- 2005 Health Care Service Group Conference
- Date
- 20 December 2004
- Decision
- Carried
This conference recognises that there is evidence that shows working rotating shifts, alternating and night shifts has an adverse affect on the physical, mental and social well-being of employees. Within the NHS there are many thousands of employees working these shifts and this number is rising.
Conference realises that fatigue, sleeping difficulties, digestive problems, sleeping pill dependency, caffeine dependency, social disruption, and internal biological clock problems can arise from these working practises so urgent advice to Branches is required.
Conference therefore calls upon the SGE to commission a report reflecting the impact of these shifts on the health and social well-being of these employees and issue guidance to branches on;
a.How best to replace short rotating shifts;
b.Planning shifts;
c.Use of flexible working;
d.Optimum age for retirement for shift workers;
e.Eradicating split shifts;
f.How Improving Working Lives and family friendly policies can address problems associated with shift working;
g.Attaining the expertise on shift designs using UNISON Direct.