A Qualitative Exploration of Shift Work and Employee Well-Being in the US Manufacturing Environment

Describe manufacturing workers' perceptions of the effect of shift work, following the Framework for Worker Well-Being.

Eight focus groups and 43 interviews were conducted across four large manufacturing plants. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data within each of the five domains of the Framework: physical environment and safety climate; workplace policies and culture; health status; work evaluation and experience; and home, community, and society.

Respondents described shift work as detrimental to well-being across four of the five Framework domains. The exception was in the workplace policies and culture domain, where some respondents described shift work as necessary, fair, and financially beneficial.

Shift work negatively influences worker well-being in a holistic way. Employers could consider reconfiguring workplace wellness benefits to transcend the boundaries of the workplace and better support workers and their families.