The perceptions and feelings of shiftworkers' partners

The views and feelings of shiftworkers' partners are rarely sought in shiftwork research. For this study, the partners of UK nuclear power shiftworkers were surveyed in relation to how their spouse's shiftwork affected them personally. A sizeable proportion of partners reported being unhappy with their spouse's shiftwork and that their lives were disrupted quite substantially by it. Partners were also asked for their perceptions of the shiftworkers' shift-related problems. Importantly, it would appear that shiftwork had a significant negative impact upon the lives of the partners. In view of these results and the relative paucity of research in this area, future investigation of the effects of unusual work hours upon shiftworkers' partners and families is warranted.