12/ 06/ 2005
by Judy Artunian
Your night-shift employees may consider themselves night owls by nature, but they likely suffer from physical and psychological stress that can erode their productivity and morale.
According to Circadian Technologies Inc., people who work nights are often fatigued because they sleep an average of five hours during a 24-hour period. That is two hours less than the minimum amount of sleep recommended by sleep experts. Sleepy people tend to make more mistakes and have more accidents. That's true even after they leave work. Employees whose shifts start or end between the hours of 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. have a greater chance of being in a traffic accident, something you should consider when setting work hours.
Among the most challenging facets for those who work at night is feeling cut off from day-to-day activities of the company. That leaves night workers with less exposure to company goals than their daytime counterparts. Furthermore, if they rarely see a company executive, they may begin to wonder if management cares about their work and well-being.
It doesn't have to be that way. You can take several steps to energize and encourage your night-shift workers.
- Keep managers on hand for at least an hour at the beginning or the end of the shift for several days a month. Managers should consider themselves a link between the night shift and the rest of the company. They can hold informal meetings to review the latest company news, answer questions and help individual employees resolve human resource issues or other matters typically handled during the day.
- Keep your night workers occupied. If you expect downtime in the plant on certain nights, look for meaningful tasks that employees can do.
- Keep the work environment healthy. Bright, full-spectrum lighting helps night workers stay alert. Have fruits, vegetables and nuts available for snacking, so employees are less likely to opt for sweet foods that can make them drowsy. If their work involves sitting for long hours, bring in a Ping-Pong table or other equipment that will encourage them to be active during breaks.
- Most importantly, acknowledge the night shift's contributions. When someone completes a difficult task, congratulate him as you walk by his workstation. Show up during the wee hours and recognize the achievements of employees who have gone the extra mile at night. Then remind them of how important they are to the company's goals. You may lose a little sleep on those nights, but the boost in morale and productivity of your night-shift workers will help you sleep better in the long run.
