Oz Employees Longer Shifts and Shorter Weeks

It has emerged that modern employees favour longer shifts with fewer days over the traditional nine-to-five, Monday-to-Friday working system. And it appears that more Australians are embracing three 12-hour shifts a week because it gives them an extra long weekend.

The 12-hour day has typically been used in mining and emergency services but is now appearing in other industries, said Dr Rebecca Loudoun, senior lecturer at Griffith business school at Griffith University and author of the redearch.

"It's creeping into all industries. We see it now in hospitality, retailing and health services. I can't think of an industry where it's not happening," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Loudoun as saying.

"Australia has one of the highest uses of extended shifts in the world," she stated.

Employers say longer shifts can improve productivity, and workers in a variety of fields told The Sun-Herald it gives them greater flexibility than traditional nine-to-fivers.

Dr Loudoun said the 12-hour, three-day-a-week model was also increasing because it suited a lot of employers.

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"There are the reduced costs of rostering, there are only two changeovers in a 24-hour period as opposed to three," she said.

The 12-hour shift could advantage both workers and businesses, said Garry Brack, chief executive of employers group the Australian Federation of Employers and Industries.

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"Employees like it because they can do a week's work in three or four days, so they have more time off," Brack said.

Source-ANI