Despite two decades of decline in UK manufacturing, the typical shift worker is still more likely to be a factory operative than a call centre worker, research shows.
A study published in the current issue of IRS Employment Review also reveals that while more people than ever now work non-standard hours, shift workers still account for 14% of the workforce ñ just as they did 20 years ago.
And gender segregation remains strong. Where shift working is in operation, the shift workforce is typically either overwhelmingly male or overwhelmingly female, depending on the nature of the job. It is relatively rare to find shifts in which men and women are present in equal numbers.
The study, based on a survey of 71 organisations, reveals that employers operate a complex set of arrangements to keep factories, hospitals call-centres and other services running round the clock. Between them, these organisations operated 230 distinct shift patterns for their employees.
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Shift workers keep the wheels of industry turning
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