A United Nations agency rules that night shifts could contribute to the risk of developing Cancer

For years there has been growing evidence that night shifts are bad for you. Among the symptoms: disturbed sleep, fatigue, digestive problems and a greater risk of accidents at work. However the Danish government has become the first to begin awarding payments to women who have developed breast cancer after long spells on the night shift.

The Danish authorities acted following a finding by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an arm of the UN's World Health Organisation. The IARC studies and ranks cancer risks. Category One risks are known carcinogens such as asbestos. Night working now sits just one rung below that: a probable cause of cancer.

Rowlands solicitors can comment on the repercussions of this ruling from an employment law perspective, including what actions employers should be taking in terms of ensuring that night shift employees are healthy and whether staff would be able to bring legal action against their employee if they were to develop Cancer.