The Effects of Shift Work on the Lives of Employees

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Effects of Shift Work on the Lives of Employees The effects of shift work on the lives of employees About 1 in 6 employees works other than regular days schedules, but data are scarce on how workers are affected; incomes may rise, but family routine, social life, and health often suffer PETER FINN At least 10 million Americans are regularly engaged in on-the-job safety. However, shift work provides unique shift work. According to data from the Current Popula- benefits for many employees as well as proving advanta- tion Survey,' which almost surely underestimates the geous in many ways for industry and for society at prevalence of shift work,' nearly one worker in six was large. It is important for government policymakers, employed full time in 1978 during hours that differ business leaders, and shift workers themselves to be- from typical daytime schedules. There were 4.9 million come familiar with the major effects that working eve- nonfarm wage and salary workers on the evening shift, nings and nights may have on employees and their 2.1 million on the night shift, and 2.8 million on miscel- families, in order to consider ways to modify the fea- laneous shifts. tures that are deleterious, while retaining or enhancing The term "shift work" means different things to dif- those that are beneficial. This study summarizes what is ferent people. Shift work is popularly regarded as work currently known about these effects, with principal at- in which employees "shift" schedules on some regular tention focused on the harmful consequences that call basis from daytime to evening or nighttime. Many re- for amelioration . searchers define shift work as employment in which two Most of the information in this article comes from or more groups of employees work at different times of original research studies of shift work from both inside a 17-hour or 24-hour time span, including a so-called and outside the United States . Secondary sources have "day" shift. Most discussions consider shift work to be also been examined. Anecdotal evidence from these any employment that regularly occurs between 7 p .m. sources about the personal experiences of shift workers and 7 a.m., the definition used in this study. and their spouses and children has been used to provide For a significant proportion of these employees, understanding of what the data mean in human terms. working after-dark hours may not only reduce satisfac- There is limited evidence regarding many of the ef- tion with their jobs but may also create troublesome fects of evening and night work on employees . Further- problems for their health, family life, social activity, and more, many of the data that have been reported are contradictory . A major American study of shift work Peter Finn is a senior research analyst at AN Associates, Inc ., Cam- concluded, "We have here the unhappy picture of a bridge, Mass . group of men doing something for their daily bread 31 MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW October 1981 e Effects of Shift Work on Employees which they would prefer not to do if they had the op- situations or responsibilities . The comaraderie and sense portunity to start over again." Yet an investigation of of loyalty that is a feature of certain evening or night- 600 English shift workers determined that "for subjec- time occupations can be a satisfying substitute for or tive well-being in both its somatic and psychological as- addition to normal social and family life.' pects, shift work can in general probably hardly be Many shift workers have less tension and a more re- called a problem."' These and similar conflicting re- laxed pace on the night shift than during the day be- search results represent in large measure a failure to cause of less supervision or fewer interruptions from control for numerous variables that may influence em- clerical or management personnel . Finally, shift work ployee attitudes toward evening and night work includ- accommodates "night owls," who function poorly in the ing type of shift and work, job prestige, workplace morning and best during evening or night.'° amenities, age and marital status of shift workers and number and age of their children, neighborhood atti- Drawbacks tudes toward evening and night work, and the preva- The attractions of shift work are considerable for lence of night work in the community.' Despite this and many individuals. But the benefits must be weighed by other limitations in the research to date, there are a shift workers and policymakers alike against the draw- number of consistent findings regarding the advantages backs that affect the health, interpersonal relationships, and drawbacks of shift work. leisure time activities, and perhaps the safety of a large proportion of shift workers. The central feature of shift Benefits work that creates dissatisfaction for many evening and Some jobseekers accept shift work simply because night workers is that it puts them "out of rhythm" with there are not enough daytime jobs available.' For these their minds and bodies, families and social lives, and individuals, evening and night work provides a unique routines of the rest of the community. source of gainful employment. Shift work's most allur- ing feature, however, appears to be its wage differential . Health. There is a well-documented circadian (24-hour) According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these shift rhythm that governs many of the major biological func- premiums average 10 cents an hour for the evening shift tions of the human body. Disturbance of these cycles is and 13 cents for the night shift.6 responsible for several of the most upsetting physical Shift work also enables workers to increase their in- and emotional problems evening and night workers ex- come by moonlighting on daytime jobs. One study perience. Diurnal rhythms control pulse, blood pres- found that shift workers who did not wish to change sure, the cardio-pulmonary system, blood composition, shifts cited as their overriding reason the opportunity to endocrine secretions, appetite, elimination, and the hold a second job their current schedules provided . wake-sleep cycle." Shift work, of necessity, interrupts Significantly, 23 percent of night workers and 19 per- these processes and requires that they occur at times for cent of evening workers held second jobs compared which the body is not genetically programmed or envi- with 11 percent of daytime employees.' ronmentally conditioned for them. Shift work provides another financial incentive rarely There is disagreement over the extent to which the mentioned in the literature but frequently observed by body, over time, can adapt to changes in these rhythms. the author. Although it has been pointed out that "the Although several studies have found rhythmic adjust- rapid expansion of service employment has . created ments to a new work schedule may occur within four many opportunities for part-time or intermittent work days to two weeks," several considerations suggest that for young people whose main activity is pursuing their such ready adaptation may not be commonplace. A education,"' what has gone unnoticed is that many of significant minority of shift workers, for unknown rea- these service jobs are during evening or night, enabling sons, never significantly adjust, biologically, to the al- students to take courses during the day. Many security terations imposed on their normal body cycles . In guards and nurse's aides, for example, use evening and addition, most evening and night employees in the night jobs to work their way through school and, not United States are on rotating shifts . The continuous al- coincidentally, to provide a quiet environment in which teration of day and evening; or day, evening, and night they can spend some of their paid hours studying. work, seriously diminishes or entirely precludes adjust- Shift work provides a number of nonpecuniary ad- ment of bodily rhythms. Furthermore, any adaptation vantages for some workers. Working evenings or nights that may be achieved even among fixed shift workers is allows employees more free time during the day and, in repeatedly undermined by days off, holidays, vacations, the case of rotating shift work, to accumulate several and sick leave, when employees revert to normal living days off in a row on a regular basis. Some workers en- schedules." Not surprisingly then, problems related to joy a variety of rotating shifts, while others appreciate sleep, appetite, and digestion are the most common and being able to remove themselves from unwanted family persistent complaints for many shift workers. 32 Particularly widespread among shift workers is insuf- state mental hospital and an electronics plant attributed workers do- ficient or poor quality sleep resulting from trouble fall- less prestige to their own jobs than did day plant ing asleep, waking during sleep, and waking up early . ing the same job . The daytime workers in another Although many of these difficulties are from disruptions regarded the company's night workers as "odd."Z' in the body's normal diurnal sleep rhythms, sleep dur- family-related ing daytime is also often disturbed by excessive and un- Family. Shift workers experience more employees because of the avoidable light and heat, and by noises from children, problems than do daytime the job and housework, telephone calls, and street traffic. "Have lack of synchrony between their hours on most serious family you ever gone home in the morning after a night's their families' daily routines . The who work evenings and work," one shift worker asked rhetorically, "when the disturbance is that many people their children, sun is shining and a bed awaits you with the blinds nights are less able to spend time with bed early, than are tightly drawn to keep out the light-are you going to especially small children who go to ." sleep?" 14 Sleep can also be unsettled by over-fatigue, employees who work during the day to spend with their restlessness, and tension.
Recommended publications
  • Off-The-Clock Claims from the Employee's Perspective
    Off-The-Clock Claims From The Employee’s Perspective Adam Klein and Sean Farhang I. Defining Compensable Work A. What Time is Compensable? B. Statutory Exclusions 1. Preliminary and Postliminary Work 2. Changing Clothes and Washing II. Ascertaining Compensable Work Time In Practice A. Travel Time B. Preparatory & Concluding Activities: Clothes, Equipment, & Animal Care C. Meal/Rest Breaks D. Training, Lectures, Etc. E. On-Call Time F. De Minimis Time III. Suffer Or Permit Standard Applied To Off-The-Clock Claims IV. Record-Keeping Duties Applied To Off-The-Clock Claims A. Basic Record Keeping Duties On Employer B. Consequences Of Record Keeping Violation In Off-The-Clock Case V. Collective Actions A. Notice B. Similarly Situated Standard Applied In Off-The-Clock Claims 1. Two-Stage Approach 2. Lenient Standard For Ordering Notice In Off-The-Clock Claims In Stage One 3. A Significant Number Of Opt-Ins Weighs In Favor Of Ordering Notice 4. Where Plaintiffs’ Evidence Does Not Warrant Notice Of The Scope Sought, Courts Nevertheless Frequently Order Notice Of An Appropriate Scope 5. Stage-Two: Close of Discovery VI. Off-The-Clock Class Actions Under State Law A. Availability Of The Class Device As Opposed To Collective Action B. Possible Advantages Under State Labor Laws In Off-The-Clock Claims C. Concurrent FLSA Collective Actions And State Class Actions 1 Introduction In this paper we discuss legal issues relevant to off-the-clock wage and hour claims. By “off-the-clock” claims we refer to claims alleging that the defendant failed to pay an employee for work time which was compensable under relevant wage and hour law.
    [Show full text]
  • Redalyc.Scientific Production About Night Shift Work in Nursing: a Review
    Revista de Pesquisa Cuidado é Fundamental Online E-ISSN: 2175-5361 [email protected] Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro Brasil Silveira, Marlusse; Camponogara, Silviamar; Colomé Beck, Carmem Lúcia Scientific production about night shift work in nursing: a review of literature Revista de Pesquisa Cuidado é Fundamental Online, vol. 8, núm. 1, enero-marzo, 2016, pp. 3679-3690 Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=505754103029 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative ISSN 2175-5361 DOI: 10.9789/2175-5361.2016.v8i1.3679-3690 Silveira M, Camponogara S, Beck CLC. Scientific production about … As produções científicas sobre o trabalho noturno na enfermagem: uma revisão de literatura Scientific production about night shift work in nursing: a review of literature La producción científica acerca del trabajo nocturno en enfermeria: una revisión de literatura Marlusse Silveira 1, Silviamar Camponogara 2, Carmem Lúcia Colomé Beck 3 Objective: recognizing the scientific productions that approach night shift work carried out by the nursing staff in hospitals. Method: this is a bibliographic, narrative, exploratory and descriptive research. The search was developed in the Virtual Health Library, from July to August 2012. Results: studies point to the fact that most workers are married women with spouses and/or children, who have to do housework and deal with their profession, in one or two jobs.
    [Show full text]
  • Health & Safety Guidelines for Shift Work & Extended
    id23972500 pdfMachine by Broadgun Software - a great PDF writer! - a great PDF creator! - http://www.pdfmachine.com http://www.broadgun.com HEALTH & SAFETY GUIDELINES FOR SHIFT WORK & EXTENDED WORKING HOURS CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. PURPOSE 2 3. SCOPE 2 4. LEGAL OBLIGATIONS 3 5.DEFINITION 3 6. WHO WORKS SHIFT WORK AND EXTENDED WORKING HOURS? 4 7. WHY ARE SHIFT WORK AND EXTENDED HOURS HAZARDOUS? 5 The circadian clock 6 Sleep difficulties 6 Sleep debt 7 Fatigue 7 Night work 8 Disrupted eating patterns 8 Stress 8 Increased use of alcohol and other drugs 8 Exposure to other OHS hazards 9 Medical problems 9 Effects on women 10 Older employees 10 Cumulative effects 10 8. OVERCOMING THE HAZARDS OF SHIFT WORK AND EXTENDED WORKING HOURS 11 STEP ONE: A SAFE PROCEDURE 11 Consultation 11 Expert advice 12 Information provision 12 Monitoring and evaluation 12 Health assessments of employees 13 STEP TWO IDENTIFYING THE HAZARDS 14 STEP THREE FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN ASSESSING THE RISKS 14 Workload 14 Needs of employees 15 STEP FOUR MEASURES TO CONTROL THE RISKS Hierarchy of controls 15 Length of shifts and working hours 15 Split or broken shifts 16 Overtime 16 Night work 16 Extended and 12 hour shifts 17 Breaks during shifts 17 Breaks between shifts 18 Rest days 18 Timing of shifts 19 Rotating shifts 19 Roster pattern and length of cycle 19 Standby and on-call duties 19 Exchange of shifts 19 Exposure to other OHS hazards 20 Isolated work 20 Hand-over 20 Travel 20 Safety and security 21 Communication 21 Representation 21 Information and Training 21 First aid 21 Heating and cooling 22 Facilities 21 Child care 22 Home modification 22 9.
    [Show full text]
  • The Effects of Shift Work on Health
    The effects of shift work on health www.iosh.co.uk/shiftworkhealth Research summary Our research and development programme IOSH, the Chartered body for safety and health professionals, is committed to evidence-based practice in workplace safety and health. We maintain a Research and Development Fund to support research, lead debate and inspire innovation as part of our work as a thought leader in safety and health. In this document, you’ll find a summary of the independent study we commissioned from researchers at the International University of Monaco, Toulouse University, University of Swansea and Simon Folkard Associates Ltd, ‘Longitudinal study of the effects of shift work on health. Analyses of VISAT (ageing, health and work) data’. www.iosh.co.uk/getfunding The opinions expressed in this report are not Permission to reproduce any part of this work will necessarily endorsed by the Institution of not be withheld unreasonably, on condition that full Occupational Safety and Health. attribution is given to the publication and to IOSH. The effects of shift work on health What’s the problem? We commissioned Dr David Ansiau from the International Recent studies have tended to agree that shift work has an University of Monaco, Dr Jean-Claude Marquié from the effect on the risk of injury. They show that working night Université de Toulouse Le Mirail, Dr Philip Tucker of the shifts has about a 25–30 per cent higher risk of injury than University of Swansea and Dr Simon Folkard of Simon working day shifts. They also show that working on 12-hour Folkard Associates Ltd to look into these issues.
    [Show full text]
  • Overtime Gap Time Under the Fair Labor Standards Act
    Bridging the Gap: Overtime Gap Time under the Fair Labor Standards Act Hannah Schoeb* I. INTRODUCTION Imagine a hardworking employee, Ernst. Ernst is hired to complete low skill, hard labor at a slaughterhouse for twelve dollars per hour. He speaks little English, is not well known to his employer, and is far from indispensable. Each day, Ernst arrives thirty minutes before his assigned shift to set up his work station, works through lunch, and, because the slaughterhouse expects him to complete significant post-shift duties, leaves work thirty minutes after clocking out. The slaughterhouse automatically deducts a full lunch hour from Ernst’s recorded hours every day without regard to whether he ate lunch. Because Ernst receives no compensation for the time he spends working through lunch, nor for his pre-shift and post-shift work, the slaughterhouse fails to compensate Ernst for ten work hours per week.1 Thus, though Ernst typically works a forty- five hour week, he only receives compensation for thirty-five hours. How can Ernst redress this mistake? As a practical matter, he cannot sue his employer in contract, because he cannot afford to anger his employer and risk his livelihood. The United States Department of Labor exists to protect employees from such exploitation, and ordinarily might independently step in to investigate without requiring Ernst to initiate legal action. * Thank you to Kim Flores, Alice Jacks, and all the attorneys at the Kansas City United States Department of Labor, Office of the Solicitor, for allowing me to work with you and learn from you. Thank you Kurt and Mindy Schoeb and Shelby Politte for your unwavering love and support.
    [Show full text]
  • Hours of Work, Workweek, Workday, Shifts, Overtime, Pay Premiums
    CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY STAFF PERSONNEL MEMORANDA Subject: Memo No. 11 Hours of Work, Workweek, Workday, Shifts, Total Pages: 10 Overtime, Pay Premiums Date: March 1, 2020 Approved by: Julia McCallin, Associate Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer (This supersedes Memo No. 11, dated December 2, 2014) 1.0 POLICY It is the policy of the Institute to comply with Federal and State laws regarding hours of work, payment of wages, workweek, workday, shifts, overtime and pay premiums. 2.0 DEFINITIONS 2.1 Workday/Workweek a. Standard Workweek Standard Workweek is 40 hours consisting of five (5) straight eight-hour workdays, Monday through Friday with the same scheduled start and end times in the same payroll workweek. b. Payroll Workweek Payroll Workweek is a seven consecutive day period which begins at 12:01 a.m. Monday and ends at midnight on the following Sunday. c. Standard Payroll Workday Standard Payroll Workday begins at 12:01 a.m. and ends at 12 midnight. 2.2 Nonstandard Workweek Nonstandard Workweek is any other workweek schedule that does not meet the Standard or Alternative Workweek definition. It may include rotating between shifts, working other than Monday through Friday, and/or working more than five (5) days in the same Payroll Workweek. Prior approval by the manager and concurrence by Human Resources is required for a nonstandard workweek. 2.3 Alternative Workweek Schedule (AWS) Various alternative workweek schedules have been implemented on Campus and the 9/80 alternative work schedule has been implemented at JPL. Specific Alternative Workweek schedule policies cover hours of work, workweek, workdays, holidays, and overtime for employees on these schedules.
    [Show full text]
  • HEALTH EFFECTS of SHIFT WORK and EXTENDED HOURS of WORK J M Harrington 68
    Occup Environ Med 2001;58:68-72 Education Occup Environ Med: first published as 10.1136/oem.58.1.68 on 1 January 2001. Downloaded from HEALTH EFFECTS OF SHIFT WORK AND EXTENDED HOURS OF WORK J M Harrington 68 INTRODUCTION ▼ “Normal” hours of work are generally taken to mean a working day with hours left for recreation and rest. Rest is a night time activity, work a daytime activity. This review is concerned with those who work other schedules either on shifts or with extended hours which transcend the day-night work-sleep pattern. Such “abnormal” working hours are not a modern phenomenon. Ramazzini (1633–1714) noted that bakers, innkeepers, and soldiers worked such hours. The advent of the indus- trial revolution led to many people working long hours until legislation was introduced to curtail the worst vicissitudes of the new factory based economy. Shift schedules Today, about one in five workers in Europe are employed on shift work involving night work and over one in 20 work extended hours . Shift systems involve periods of 6–12 hours work at a time with the shift crews alternating on two, three, or four shifts in any 24 hour period. The traditional three shifts start at 0600, 1400, and 2200 hours but there are many variations on this. Some workers only work on the two day shifts, some only nights, while others rotate through all three shifts with variable degrees of speed of rotation and direction of rotation. Extended hours of work is generally accepted to mean working more than 48 hours a week.
    [Show full text]
  • Shifts, Extended Work Hours, and Fatigue: an Assessment of Health and Personal Risks for Police Officers
    The author(s) shown below used Federal funds provided by the U.S. Department of Justice and prepared the following final report: Document Title: Shifts, Extended Work Hours, and Fatigue: An Assessment of Health and Personal Risks for Police Officers Author: John M. Violanti, Ph.D. Document No.: 237964 Date Received: March 2012 Award Number: 2005-FS-BX-0004 This report has not been published by the U.S. Department of Justice. To provide better customer service, NCJRS has made this Federally- funded grant final report available electronically in addition to traditional paper copies. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. NIJ FINAL REPORT TITLE: Shifts, Extended Work Hours, and Fatigue: An Assessment of Health and Personal Risks for Police Officers AWARD NUMBER: 2005-FS-BX-0004 AUTHOR: John M. Violanti, Ph.D., Department of Social & Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Health Professions, State University of NY at Buffalo, NY ABSTRACT The physical health, psychological well-being, safety and efficiency at work are important factors for any police agency to consider. When one considers the monetary and human costs of fatigued officers, it is essential to promote scientific awareness and subsequent plausible interventions.
    [Show full text]
  • Health and Safety Guidelines for Shift Work and Extended Working Hours
    HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES FOR SHIFT WORK AND EXTENDED WORKING HOURS SEPTEMBER 2000 HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES FOR SHIFT WORK AND EXTENDED WORKING HOURS ACTU OHS UNIT 393-397 SWANSTON ST, MELBOURNE 3000 SEPTEMBER 2000 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. PURPOSE 2 3. SCOPE 2 4. LEGAL OBLIGATIONS 3 5. DEFINITION 3 6. WHO WORKS SHIFT WORK AND EXTENDED HOURS? 4 7. WHY ARE SHIFT WORK AND EXTENDED WORKING HOURS HAZARDOUS? 5 The circadian clock 6 Sleep difficulties 6 Sleep debt 7 Fatigue 7 Night work 8 Disrupted eating patterns 8 Stress 8 Increased use of alcohol and other drugs 8 Exposure to other OHS hazards 9 Medical problems 9 Effects on women 10 Older employees 10 Young workers 10 Cumulative effects 10 8. OVERCOMING THE HAZARDS OF SHIFT WORK AND EXTENDED WORKING HOURS 11 STEP ONE: A SAFE PROCEDURE 11 Consultation 11 Expert advice 12 Information provision 12 Monitoring and evaluation 12 Health assessments of employees 13 STEP TWO: IDENTIFYING THE HAZARDS 14 STEP THREE: FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN ASSESSING THE RISKS 14 Workload 14 Needs of employees 15 STEP FOUR: MEASURES TO CONTROL THE RISKS Hierarchy of controls 15 Length of shifts and working hours 16 Split or broken shifts 16 Overtime 16 Night work 16 Extended and 12 hour shifts 17 Breaks during shifts 18 Breaks between shifts 18 Rest days 18 Timing of shifts 19 Rotating shifts 19 Roster pattern and length of cycle 19 Standby and on-call duties 19 Exchange of shifts 20 Exposure to other OHS hazards 20 Isolated work 20 Hand-over 20 Travel 21 Safety and security 21 Communication 21 Representation 21 Information and training 21 First aid 21 Heating and cooling 22 Facilities 22 Child care 22 Home modification 22 9.
    [Show full text]
  • Rotating) Night Shift: Most Workers Never Really Get Used to Night Shift Because They Go Back to a Daytime Schedule on Their Days Off
    PLAIN LANGUAGE ABOUT SHIFTWORK ¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥ ¥¥ ¥¥¥¥¥¥ Plain Language About Shiftwork Roger R. Rosa1 Michael J. Colligan2 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 1Division of Biomedical and Behavioral Science 2Education and Information Division Cincinnati, Ohio July 1997 Disclaimer Mention of company names or products does not constitute endorsement by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 97-145 ii Plain Language About Shiftwork Public Health Summary What are the hazards? hiftworkers and night workers often are tired and sleepy because of their work schedule. Being overly tired makes it Sdifficult to concentrate, which increases the possibility of errors or accidents. This can be a risk both to the worker and to the public. The stress of shiftwork also can aggravate health conditions, such as heart disease or digestive disorders. How do these hazards occur? Working at night makes it difficult to get enough sleep. Sleep after night work usually is shorter and less refreshing or satisfying than sleep during the normal nighttime hours. Brain and body functions slow down during the nighttime and early morning hours. The com- bination of sleep loss and working at the body’s low-point can cause excessive fatigue and sleepiness. This makes it more difficult to per- form well, which increases the risk of accidents. Also, shiftwork can be stressful because of frequent switching from a day to night sched- ule and because of separation from family and friends.
    [Show full text]
  • Attachment to November 26, 1945 Unemployment Compensation Program Letter No
    Attachment to November 26, 1945 Unemployment Compensation Program Letter No. 101 PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING THE SUITABLE-WORK DISQUALIFICATION TABLE OF CONTENTS AND INDEX Foreword Page I. INTRODUCTION 1 A. General 1 Purpose of Suitable-Work Disqualification 1 Responsibilities of the Employment Service 1 Agency Responsibilities 2 B. Offer and Referral Process 2 Introduction 2 Distinction Between Offers and Referrals 2 Characteristics of Proper Offers and Referrals 2 Characteristics of a Refusal of an Offer or Referral 3 C. Imposing the Disqualification 3 General 3 Disqualification During Period of Ineligibility 4 Burden of Agency To Consider All Facts and Reasons for Work Refusals 4 II. General Criteria 5 A. Introduction 5 The Standards 5 Purpose 5 "No Work" 5 "New Work" 5 B. The Standard Protecting Workers During Labor Disputes 5 Meaning of "Labor Dispute' 6 Comparison With Labor-Disputes Disqualification 6 The Vacancy 6 C. The Prevailing-Working-Conditions Standard 7 Contrast With Other Statutes 7 "Substantially Less Favorable" 7 "Locality" 8 "Similar Work" 8 Prevailing Wages 9 Prevailing Hours 10 Other Working Conditions 11 D. The Freedom of Association Standard 11 Limitation of Provision 11 i TABLE OF CONTENTS AND INDEX -- Continued Page III. Variable Criteria 12 A. Introduction 12 Distinction Between Suitability and Good Cause 12 Purpose 12 Facts To Be Considered 12 Work Refusal and Availability 12 Statutory Factors 12 B. Period of Unemployment 13 Considerations 13 C. Prospects for Obtaining Work in His Customary Occupation 14 "Prospects" 14 "Customary Work" 14 Purpose of the Factor, "Prospects of Obtaining Work" 14 Considerations 15 D. Prior Training and Experience 15 Purpose 15 Considerations 15 E.
    [Show full text]
  • Limited Availability for Shift Employment: a Criterion of Eligibility for Unemployment Compensation
    NORTH CAROLINA LAW REVIEW Volume 22 | Number 3 Article 1 4-1-1944 Limited Availability for Shift mploE yment: A Criterion of Eligibility for Unemployment Compensation Ralph Altman Virginia Lewis Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.law.unc.edu/nclr Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Ralph Altman & Virginia Lewis, Limited Availability for Shift mE ployment: A Criterion of Eligibility for Unemployment Compensation, 22 N.C. L. Rev. 189 (1944). Available at: http://scholarship.law.unc.edu/nclr/vol22/iss3/1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Carolina Law Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in North Carolina Law Review by an authorized administrator of Carolina Law Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 1944] LIMITED AVAILABILITY FOR SHIFT EMPLOYMENT: A CRITERION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION RALPH ALTMAN,t VIRGINIA LEWI$t THE PROBLEM A 1942 decision of the Virginia Unemployment Compensation Commission dealt with the claim of a woman worker who had refused an offer of rotating shift work about 12 miles from her home. She had formerly been employed at rotating shift work but now, because of the necessary care of her month-old infant and her other children, she could no longer accept any night work. The Commissioner said: "In my opinion night shift work for a mother with an infant child, who is unable to arrange for the proper care of the child during her absence from home, would not be suitable work." Despite this finding the Commissioner concluded that the claimant was unavailable for work and therefore ineligible for unemployment benefits.
    [Show full text]