According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (1) 14% or 1,121,600 of people are employed on a shift work basis in this country. Of those employees, 46% work rotating shifts. Interestingly men are more likely to work shift work than female employees in both full time and part time work. And the rate of working regular overtime has also increased from 33% in November 2000 to 37% in 2003.

Figures show that the industries with the highest proportion of shift workers were Mining (44%), Health and Community Services (32%) and Accommodation, cafes and restaurants (31%). The occupation group with the highest proportion of shift workers was intermediate production and transport workers (24%).

There is much evidence which looks at the possible long term physical impacts of shift work, particularly night and rotating shifts on people's health and wellbeing. But what about the impacts that we can't always measure or see like social impacts? For example the impacts that shift work may have when a family member works nights or weekends and misses out on being at special occasions, gatherings or involved in every day life. So what can you, your family and friends do to stay in touch when you work regular overtime or are employed on a shift work basis?

Below is a list of ideas or things to consider for helping you stay in touch with your family and social networks if you work regular overtime or shift work:

Establish rituals- It may be a just another weeknight to you but to a shift worker, a Monday night meal may be the first opportunity that he/she has to be with family or friends. It may also be an opportunity to prepare a special or home cooked meal and to spend quality time together. Establishing a ritual or routine takes time and also requires a commitment from all involved but it has many benefits and can be an ideal way of creating memorable moments for everyone. For those working on rotating shifts it is important that you communicate your roster to everyone. You might like to consider displaying your roster on the fridge or writing your shifts on a family calendar for everyone to see.

Dedicate time to be with people- It might sound obvious but instead of mowing the lawns on your day off or running around doing jobs why not spend time with people. Consider just hanging around with your family, getting together for a bar-b-que with friends, taking a drive or organising a few days away from home together. For many this will involve prioritising tasks and making a decision to dedicate their time to be with people. The lawns will still need to be cut, the washing and ironing done but have you thought of any other smarter or time saving ways of completing these tasks?

Include shift workers in daily life- It is important not to forget to include shift workers in the events of daily life. Shift workers still want to know what's happening to the people in their household or family so consider finding ways to keep them informed and in touch with people. This may include keeping a family calendar, putting letters in lunch boxes, displaying a notice board with photos of special events, leaving messages on answering machines or voice mails, sending emails, cards or a reminder of the next family dinner, leaving pictures from children etc. If you want a shift worker to attend a special or important event, let them know ahead of time and see if they can swap shifts or arrange to be there.

Communicate- Communication is vital in all relationships so when one or more family members are shift workers there may be times when they're at work and not in the home to discuss issues when they arise. So it's important to consider and discuss as a group how you all want to communicate, what types of information you all want to know about and when you want to know it. Other things to consider include the needs of the individual shift worker, sleep and roster patterns. For example, discussing an important issue after a family member has arrived home from night shift may not be effective, it may be better to wait until he/she has slept and to discuss it later in the day when they are fresh and more alert.

Make an effort to stay in touch- We've discussed ways of keeping the shift worker in touch with the family/household but it works both ways. As a shift worker if you want to stay connected with your family and people you also need to make the effort the stay in touch. This may not always be easy to do, especially if you are tired or lack energy; however it is important for your long term social and mental wellbeing to find a way to stay in touch that works for you, your family, friends and household.

Look after your health and wellbeing- As mentioned earlier the

long term possible impacts of shift work, particularly night and rotating shifts on people's health and wellbeing are widely documented. So it is important to understand these possible impacts and to find ways to manage or minimise them. This includes finding ways to manage your sleep patterns, eating habits, exercise and to maintain your physical and mental health. For some people this may involve seeking the advice of their general practitioner or if your organisation provides an employee assistance program (EAP) you might like to consider confidentially speaking with a counsellor. The important thing to remember is that it's up to you to take care of your health and well being. For some people this will involve assessing the opportunity costs of their life and making changes or choices about the way they work and live in the short and long term.

With 14% of people in Australia employed on a shift work basis and 37% working regular overtime the possible impacts of shift work on work/life cannot be overlooked. As an individual it is important to recognise the possible social, physical and mental impacts that any work practice has on your overall health and being and where relevant decide to make choices and changes to the way that you live and work that you feel are needed.

(1) ABS Figures taken from 6342.0 Australian Working Arrangements Australia. November 2003.