The term ""extended workday"" refers to work schedules with longer than usual workdays; however, there is disagreement over how long an extended workday should be. Some sources believe that an extended workday should be between 8 and 12 hours long, while others insist that the term only applies to shifts that are longer than 12 hours. Typically, employees on extended workday schedules work fewer than five days per week.
What are the general benefits and drawbacks of long workdays?
Many hospital, industrial, transportation, mining, and office organizations use the extended workday. The decision to set up longer work shifts (up to 12 hours or more) should not be made lightly. The following are examples of the pros and cons of this issue.
What ought to I understand about fatigue?
The symptoms of fatigue vary and do depend on the person and their level of fatigue or sleep deprivation; some examples include: weariness sleepiness irritability reduced alertness, concentration, and memory lack of motivation increased susceptibility to illness. If rest is not possible, fatigue can increase until it becomes distressing and eventually overwhelming.
What problems do you have in social life?
Long hours can also affect family and social life. Whether the advantage of longer blocks of time off outweighs the disadvantage of little time off on workdays, or vice versa, is not clear. One benefit of the extended workday is that it provides more consecutive days off than most other types of schedules, allowing more free days for family and other activities.
What security-related problems exist?
The Government of Alberta, Labour reports that while fatigue affects people differently, it can increase a worker's hazard exposure by reducing mental and physical functioning, impairing judgment and concentration, lowering motivation, slowing reaction time, and increasing risk-taking behavior. This is a topic that is frequently brought up because it is worried that increased fatigue will contribute to incidents.
What problems arise when people are exposed to chemical and physical dangers?
When the workday is extended, the amount of exposure must be reevaluated to ensure that acceptable levels are not exceeded. Areas of particular concern are exposures to chemicals, noise, vibration, radiation, and extreme temperatures. Any method for calculating exposure levels for the extended workday should be used with caution and under supervision. Expert advice may be required to determine the appropriate method.
What problems are associated with exposure to ergonomic risks?
When exposed repeatedly or over an extended period of time to ergonomic hazards, such as repetitive work or working in a prolonged or awkward posture, the body becomes fatigued and the muscles become damaged; if the body is not given enough rest, the muscles cannot repair themselves. Damaged muscles can result in injury through a cumulative loading effect or a one-time peak loading effect.
What professions are appropriate for a long workday?
What type of work is appropriate for the extended workday may be the most challenging decision, and there is likely no simple solution. In most cases, a trial period in the workplace to observe the health and safety aspects of specific jobs and gauge worker acceptance would be beneficial.
What rules should one follow when working a long day?
Find out if your jurisdiction has any laws requiring approval to schedule more than eight hours of work per day and to average hours over longer periods. The laws may require the organization to show that workers are aware of and understand the implications of the extended workday, and that workers genuinely want to work such a schedule.""" - https://www.affordablecebu.com/
