Rebecca Jane Loudoun

Balancing shiftwork and life outside work: Do 12-h shifts make a difference?

Twelve-hour shifts are a popular alternative to 8-h shifts as many consider these shift arrangements superior in terms of facilitating a better social and family life. This view is largely based on anecdotal evidence, however as few studies have examined longitudinal relations between work/non-work conflict and shift length. Using self-report data from 137 machine operators, this study examined whether 8- and 12-h shifts have a differential impact on work/non-work conflict. Relationships between work/non-work conflict and subjective health were also examined. Profile analysis revealed no significant relationships between shift length and work/non-work conflict. Results of regression analyses indicated that work/non-work conflict was positively related to psychological health on 8 and 12-h shifts (p<.01) but not to physical health. These results suggest that 12-h shifts did not offer any benefits or disadvantages for workers trying to reconcile their work and non-work life during the 13-month study period.

Influences on work/ non-work conflict

Work/non-work conflict is important because it tells us about the well-being of individuals and more generally of a particular workplace or organization. Important progress has been made in research literature on the importance of structural policies designed to assist workers to meet competing demands to be at work and at home. More information is needed into organizational influences on the emotional aspects of work/non-work conflict. Based on a survey of over 900 employees, we use factor, correlation and multiple regression analyses to find that exacerbation in work/non-work conflict is a result of high workload pressure, long working hours, unsupportive management and weak employee control, especially control over workload and when employees can take time off.

Injuries sustained by young males in construction during day and night work

The increased participation of young workers in the construction industry is matched by a growing realization of the vulnerability of these workers in terms of occupational injury and disease. The impact of organizational issues on injury rates for young workers is examined. This is an under-researched area where physical and psychological development influences have traditionally dominated. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on labour force participation and work hours and data from the Queensland Injury Surveillance Unit on patients presenting at hospital emergency departments were used to examine incidence and severity of injuries sustained by young workers in construction on different shifts. Analyses indicated a different pattern of injury for young workers and workers outside this age category. Young workers were consistently more likely to be injured than all other workers, and this injury rate ratio increased significantly on night shift, suggesting that injury prevention strategies should consider the temporal pattern of work for young workers in construction.The increased participation of young workers in the construction industry is matched by a growing realization of the vulnerability of these workers in terms of occupational injury and disease. The impact of organizational issues on injury rates for young workers is examined. This is an under‐researched area where physical and psychological development influences have traditionally dominated. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on labour force participation and work hours and data from the Queensland Injury Surveillance Unit on patients presenting at hospital emergency departments were used to examine incidence and severity of injuries sustained by young workers in construction on different shifts. Analyses indicated a different pattern of injury for young workers and workers outside this age category. Young workers were consistently more likely to be injured than all other workers, and this injury rate ratio increased significantly on night shift, suggesting that injury prevention strategies should consider the temporal pattern of work for young workers in construction.

Effective Teaching in the Multicultural Business Classroom

Abstract Universities continue to attract growing numbers of international students, so addressing how teachers deal with cultural diversity in the classroom has become increasingly important. This paper outlines the development of a program aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of teaching a university business course in the multicultural classroom. Initially, data were collected from focus groups comprising international students and experienced teachers. Following these focus groups, the problems experienced by teachers working with international students in business tutorials were further explored by collecting survey data from experienced teachers. These data were then used to develop a training program with the aim of improving the skills of teachers in the multicultural classroom. The training program focused on four broad areas: recognition of different teaching models; communication; improving participation and assessment strategies.

The effect of time of day on injury patterns amongst adolescents in Australia

Labour force participation of adolescents in Australia is growing at an unprecedented rate. This increased participation is coupled with a growing realisation of the vulnerability of adolescents in the labour market in terms of occupational injury. Despite recent evidence that time of day may be an important determinant of adolescent injuries, the impact of non-standard and night work on adolescent injury rates has received scant attention to date. The current study addresses this shortcoming by examining injury patterns of 3201 working adolescents in Queensland. Results revealed that female adolescents are 2.5 times more likely to sustain an injury on day shift and 4.71 times more likely to sustain an injury on night shift than their adult counterparts when total work hours are taken into consideration. Similar results were found for male adolescents with an injury to work hours ratio of 2.19 on day shift and 3.05 on night shift. These findings point to the value of considering the temporal pattern of adolescent work in future research aimed at minimising injuries at work and improving the work experience of tomorrows workforce.

Industrial Relations Decentralisation and the Growth of 12-Hour Shifts in Australia

In the last two decades, increasing numbers of workplaces in Australia have introduced 12-hour shifts. This increase is due, in part, to government policies aimed at promoting labour flexibility. The purpose of this paper is to examine the cover afforded by the Workplace Relations Act 1996 and other industrial relations legislation in terms of shift-workers’ health and safety. Particular reference is made to the broader social, economic and political context surrounding the introduction and use of 12-hour shifts, as it is this context that shapes the constraints and opportunities facing employers and employees in the work arrangements they choose and how they are negotiated. We conclude that the current system of regulating industrial relations in Australia is largely outcome-focused and inadequate. The bargaining process receives little regulation in terms of considering how changes could affect health and safety in the workplace or how changes might affect individual workers. As a result, the increased introduction of unsafe shiftworking arrangements is a worrying, and likely, prospect.

The front-line manager’s role in informal voice pathways

Purpose – There is a long line of human resource management and employee relations research that points to the important function that line managers play within organisations. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the level of line manager closest to the employees, the front-line manager (FLM), to understand the role they play in informal voice pathways. Design/methodology/approach – The research project from which these data are drawn is of mixed method design in a multi-site case study organisation. The organisation is a quasi-military, public sector organisation with around 2,000 front-line employees. While this paper focuses primarily on one aspect of data collection, survey results are provided to allow a deeper contextual understanding while the qualitative data progresses the theoretical contribution. Findings – The findings suggest that the FLMs play an important role in informal voice, however, the context of a strong and militant union means that the power dimension is different from previous...

Does age affect the relationship between control at work and sleep disturbance for shift workers

Among miners, shift work, aging and lack of control at work may be factors leading to increased sleep problems. Such risk factors may also operate in interaction, resulting in an even increased harm for sleep disruption. The present study aims at evaluating these relationships drawing on a sample of Australian mine and energy workers and their partners. The workers were mainly men. All performed shift work that included either nights (95%) or multiple shifts (92%), usually both (87%), while 36% were aged 50 years or above. The results show that low latitude over work activities is associated with higher sleep disturbances across the sample, though the effects are clearer amongst younger workers. By contrast, for younger workers, control over shift scheduling is not associated with sleep disturbances but for workers aged 50 or more, low control results in more sleep disturbance. Misalignment between shift workers and partner work schedules, and partner dissatisfaction with shift workers employment and shift workers work-life balance, are also associated with more sleep disturbances amongst shift workers.

Examining Tourism Operators’ Responses to Environmental Regulation: The Role of Regulatory Perceptions and Relationships

In this paper we present the findings of a study examining tourism operators’ responses to environmental regulation. Using evidence from five case studies in Eastern Australia, we assess how the three variables of the perceptions of environmental regulation, the perceptions of the regulatory agency, and the relationship between the operators and the regulators, can affect the responses of operators in sensitive natural areas. Our findings extend current literature on environmental regulation and highlight how operators’ perceptions of environmental regulation significantly influence their responses to regulation. The paper illustrates the need to understand the regulatory relationship from the perspectives of both regulators and tourism operators. It concludes by addressing the practical issue of improving the regulatory relationship and the broader question of the human side of environmental regulation.

Implementing health promotion programs in the Australian construction industry

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify possible agents and levers to trigger the development and implementation of work place health promotion programs (WHPPs) in the Australian construction industry. Unlike most large workplaces and most high-risk workplaces, these programs are rarely found in the construction sector. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative interviews with 80 trades workers and site-based and off-site construction managers are used to reveal perceptions of the impact of WHPPs and ill-health and poor health behaviors on site activities with a view to identifying leverage points to introduce WHPPs in construction. Findings Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors are seen as impacting on sites in three main ways: productivity (broadly defined), safety and interpersonal relations. Results also reveal specific roles and levers for different actors in the supply chain and a clear desire for a collective, industry-based response to identified health problems. Practical implications High levels of chronic diseases in the construction industry means firms within the sector must make a concerted attempt to change patterns of behavior or face significant long-term health implications for their workforce. Reducing levels of health and longevity of the workforce, mean work performance, productivity and participation is likely to decline. Originality/value Although construction workers are recognized as one of the workforces at most risk for life limiting diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, relatively little work has investigated health and well-being considerations for construction workers. This study contributes by investigating possible levers and agents to create healthier workplaces in construction.