Unpredictable Schedules Research Articles

Unraveling Job Stress and Work-life Balance in Healthcare Workers: A Bibliometric Analysis

Due to their demanding jobs, unpredictable schedules, and heavy workloads, healthcare workers frequently struggle to strike a balance between their professional and personal lives. Conflicts between work obligations and personal needs may result from this imbalance, which in turn may raise stress levels at work. This study employs the bibliometric analysis method by conducting a literature study of relevant books, journals, and articles extracted from the Scopus database dating between 2006 and 2022, which consisted of a total of 152 articles. Its findings indicate a significant relationship between stress at work and work-life balance for healthcare workers. High workloads, a lack of organizational support, and lack of control over work schedules were all found to contribute to health workers experiencing more job stress. Negative effects of an unbalanced work-life schedule include increased levels of exhaustion, depression, and lower quality of life. Therefore, it is crucial for healthcare organizations to pay attention to the variables that may impact the work-life balance and stress levels of healthcare professionals. Work-life balance can be improved by taking steps like offering psychological assistance, employee welfare programs, and setting up a more balanced work schedule. Keywords: job stress, work life balance, healthcare workers, bibliometric analysis

Determinants of Work-Life Balance Among Police Officers: a Systematic Review Study

Objective: This study aims to identify the main factors affecting work-life balance among police officers. Method: This systematic literature review uses Bibliometrix software to identify relevant articles in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 19 articles were selected and analyzed. Results and Discussion: The main factors identified include competitive organizational culture, lack of family-friendly policies, shift rotations, unpredictable schedules, occupational stress, and the absence of supportive measures for work-life balance. These factors significantly impact the physical and psychological well-being of police officers, contributing to issues such as PTSD, chronic fatigue, and job dissatisfaction. Research Implications: Implementing family-friendly policies, ensuring flexible and predictable work schedules, and providing adequate organizational support can significantly improve work-life balance among police officers, leading to greater job satisfaction and the effectiveness of police forces. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by systematically identifying and analyzing the main factors affecting work-life balance among police officers, providing insights into policies and practices to improve their well-being.

Effect of Work-Based Exercise Program Among Industrial Workers having Non-Specific Neck Pain Using ICF Core Set: A Pre-Post Experimental Study

Unfortunately, there are many causes of neck pain, the most prevalent ones are long periods of sitting, bad workplace ergonomics and keeping an unnatural neck posture. Studies show that small-scale industries lack awareness of and comprehension of ergonomics. Unpredictable schedules, long hours, hazardous workplaces, and all these problems, including inadequate vocational training, may negatively impact employees’ HRQOL and restrict their capacity to take part in and carry out activities. Progressive resisted training, neuromuscular training exercises, stretching, and ergonomic recommendations are all recommended. To enhance the quality of life of industrial workers, fitness programs must be implemented. The aim is to ascertain how a work-based exercise program affects industrial workers with nonspecific neck discomfort in terms of activity limitation and participation restriction. To determine the risk of nonspecific neck discomfort among industrial workers, the RULA scale was administered to 92 individuals in the study who had VAS values ranging from 3-6. Neck ROM was also recorded. An ICF documentation form was used to ascertain the engagement and involvement. Over the course of two weeks, the subjects received a work-based exercise program on alternate days. ROM, RULA, and ICF documentation were among the outcome variables that were assessed both before and after the intervention. The result was that there was a noteworthy distinction noted between the RULA, ROM pretest and post-test scores as well as ICF codes. Differences between the pre and post-test of VAS were significant difference (Z=8.3290, p=0.0001). To conclude the study found that industrial workers lacked knowledge about ergonomics. Therefore, exercises and ergonomics helped manage neck pain and improve the range of motion.

Is resource specialization the key?: some, but not all Red Crossbill call types associate with their key conifers in a diverse North American landscape

Red Crossbills (Fringillidae: Loxia curvirostra) are finches specialized to pry open cones and extract seeds of coniferous trees. Within the species, variable bill morphology may provide more efficient foraging on some species of conifers than others. Subgroups also have distinctly different contact calls often given in flight (hereafter, call types). Variable morphology and discrete call types suggest the existence of distinct evolutionary lineages. Because coniferous trees produce seeds on irregular and unpredictable schedules, crossbills wander widely in search of food. The key conifer hypothesis suggests that each call type diverged by specializing on a single conifer species to maximize foraging efficiency, while other hypotheses have emphasized geographic isolation as a driver of lineage divergence. To quantify the degree to which call types occur with specific conifer species, we surveyed Red Crossbills in five ecoregions of western and central Oregon, USA, an area with high conifer diversity. Two of five call types (Types 5 and 10) were encountered in only one ecoregion and associated with their hypothesized key conifers. Three others (Types 2, 3, and 4) were found to wander widely and did not exclusively align geographically with their presumed key conifer species. Whereas types 2 and 3 were sometimes associated with their proposed key conifers, they wandered widely during our 2-year study and occurred with a wide variety of conifers. Type 4 was not significantly associated with its key conifer and also wandered widely during our study. Relationships of call types with key conifers were weaker in the winter and spring, when Types 3 and 4 were frequently encountered in hard-coned pines rather than their soft-coned key conifer species. In our study area, the key conifer hypothesis was strongly supported only for call type 10 as that call type was not encountered away from the coastal range of Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis). We found mixed support for the key conifer hypothesis based on our measure of geographic associations of crossbills with a diverse array of coniferous tree species. In most cases we observed, crossbills wandered widely and associated with multiple species of conifers.

A case study of factors impacting fatigue in aircraft maintenance technicians (AMT)

Purpose: When we talk about "fatigue" in aviation maintenance, it's a term that is widely used but can have different meanings depending on the situation. In the context of maintenance personnel, "fatigue" can encompass physical tiredness, emotional exhaustion, the decline in skills from performing mentally demanding tasks over a long period, chronic fatigue due to insufficient rest, and even the unmet need for sleep. So, it's crucial to consider the specific context of aviation maintenance when discussing fatigue and its implications. Design: The research for this study is conducted by gathering information from a variety of sources, including case studies, journal articles, magazines, books, and internet searches. These secondary sources offer valuable insights that contribute to the overall understanding of the topic. Findings: The study investigates factors contributing to fatigue in Aviation Maintenance Technicians (AMTs). Findings reveal that irregular and extended working hours, compounded by unpredictable schedules, contribute to persistent fatigue. High workload and time pressure amplify mental and physical strain, posing risks to safety. Sleep disruption and circadian rhythm disturbances adversely affect cognitive abilities. Environmental factors, including noise and harsh weather conditions, contribute to overall fatigue. Cumulative fatigue resulting from consecutive workdays without sufficient recovery time raises safety concerns. Organizational culture and support significantly impact AMT's experiences of fatigue, emphasizing the importance of a supportive work environment. Originality Value: This study takes a distinctive approach to examining the complex aspects of fatigue in aviation maintenance. It provides a comprehensive understanding by considering various factors that contribute to fatigue and their potential impact.

International University Students' Pre-Travel Preparation, Knowledge and Practices towards Travel Health in Thailand: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study.

International university students are vulnerable travellers due to their unpredictable schedules and lifestyles. As Thailand continues to see an increase in international students, evaluating their pre-travel preparation and preventive behaviours is crucial to identify areas for improvement. For this purpose, an online survey focusing on pre-travel preparation, knowledge and preventive practices related to travel health was distributed to 324 eligible international students from 14 Thai universities, with the majority being from Asia and Oceania (79.0%; n = 256). The results showed that half of the respondents (53.7%; n = 175) received professional pre-travel advice, mainly because of the mandatory health examination and vaccination requirements of the host university. The study also revealed inadequate knowledge about infectious and non-infectious health risks, with only one-third being aware that Japanese encephalitis is transmitted by mosquito bites, and less than half of the students recognising Thailand's emergency services number. Poor preventive practices were also observed, with less than half of those with new sexual partners consistently using condoms and less than half of those riding motorcycles always wearing helmets. These findings highlight the need for a new strategy to improve the standard of travel health preparation among this group of young adult travellers, particularly those from resource-limited countries.

Perspectives of Healthcare Providers Towards Quality and Patient Safety in Healthcare: Systemic Review of Literature

Aim: Quality and patient safety ensure safe, high-quality treatment and staff well-being. This systematic study examines healthcare providers' quality and safety views. Aim of the study was to look for the perspectives that affect the quality and safety.
 Methods: Search and selection followed the Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). This was a systematic review of articles in databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar without regard to language or publication date. The study analyzes five healthcare practitioner perspectives: Teamwork, medication errors, time management, workload and conditions, and patient safety culture.
 Results: The findings showed that teamwork can simplify goal achievement and that working together makes health providers happier. The findings further showed that time management, patient care, and job unpredictability due to interruptions, unplanned changes in patient-care management, emotional and physical tiredness, and unpredictable schedules or work duties may be out of one's control and may hinder work planning. Teaching providers problem-solving and critical thinking is a major time management factor.
 Conclusion: Problem-solving training helps providers manage time. Medication errors endanger patients. Distractions, incorrect doses, and illegible writing cause pharmaceutical errors. To address these issues, doctors must take multiple pharmaceutical error prevention courses. Quality, patient safety, and care require these perspectives.
 Recommendations: Policymakers, healthcare administrators, and clinicians must prioritize patient safety for patient safety culture. Health care providers must match the hidden curriculum to the explicit curriculum because it has a big impact on workers. This will foster safety and quality care. Workload greatly affects job quality and patient safety. Increased workloads per person lower work quality, which may harm patients. They need more providers and a lower patient-to-provider ratio to improve patient safety. Healthcare workers struggle with time and job quality.

Unpredictability of access to a high fat/high sugar food can increase rats' intake

When food is readily available, human self-imposed restrictions on consumption of palatable foods can lead to binge eating. Rodent models of human bingeing have produced increased intakes. However, access to highly palatable foods in such models has been largely predictable. The aim of the present study was to examine whether unpredictability of access might increase intakes in an animal model of bingeing, one in which rats had unrestricted access to chow and water throughout. Stage 1 of Experiment 1 gave female rats 2-h access to Oreos on either an unpredictable schedule or daily. In Stage 2 both groups were switched to predictable access on alternate days to test for persistent elevated intakes in the Unpredictable group. Although Oreo consumption did not differ between the two groups in Stage 1, the Unpredictable group ate more Oreos in Stage 2. In Stage 1 of Experiment 2 both groups were given access to Oreos every two days on average. The Predictable group was given alternate day access at a fixed time of day, whereas access days and times could not be predicted by the Unpredictable group. The latter was found to eat more Oreos in Stage 1, but this difference between the groups did not persist in Stage 2. Unpredictability did not appear to impact body weight gain in the study. In conclusion, this study indicates that unpredictability can increase consumption of palatable foods in addition to the increase produced by intermittent access.

Reclaiming the Calendar: Time Management for the Clinician Educator.

The number and variety of clinical and academic tasks can at times overwhelm busy clinician educators (CEs), and traditional time management concepts may not transfer well to their unique schedules and responsibilities. Although a calendar is a key element in time management discussions, a downloadable template may not be the best approach for CEs. For some, clinical service obligations (eg, clinic, operating room) regularly define the calendar, which limits the usefulness of templated calendars created for other fields. Adaptations of existing calendaring approaches or other strategies are needed to achieve your professional and personal goals and reduce stress.Better time management is associated with achieving career goals and supporting career satisfaction. Studies of physician burnout and work-life balance suggest that control over time and schedule is a key driver of physician career satisfaction.1,2 Lack of individual control over the work schedule is also associated with physician attrition.3,4 Yet CEs' clinical duties and academic expectations can yield unpredictable schedules, unconventional hours, and moral distress regarding task prioritization. Despite this reality, CEs must prioritize tasks and assert some control over calendar management to achieve their unique goals and priorities within each of their roles. Time is finite—each day offers only 1440 minutes that must be used judiciously. The CE's quest for the perfect time management approach is an evolving search for an individual system that promotes professional and personal goal achievements with minimal stress.

Online Platforms and New Forms of Employment: Asian and African Countries

The spread of digital technologies, rapid proliferation of digital economy is accompanied by development of online platforms. Gig economy is the activity on the labour market, in which demand and supply are interconnected through online platforms. Special online platforms act as intermediaries between customers and services providers. There are three forms of employment via platforms. 1) freelancing: tasks are given to individual contractors who send accomplished tasks by internet. 2) crowdsourcing: online platforms divide large tasks into micro-jobs that are distributed among numerous contractors, “a crowd”. 3) location-based gig jobs are distributed by online platforms, such as Uber, there is a direct contact between customers and contractors. The article reviews typical features of each type of employment, their positive and negative sides. The author analyzes development of three types of gig jobs in Asian countries, with India in the focus, incomes of contractors, gender and age aspects of these types of employment. Among freelancers in India, Pakistan, “zoomers” and millennials predominate. Freelancers appreciate remote work, “work from anywhere”, an opportunity to combine work and taking care of children, relative autonomy. Platform employment allows to solve unemployment problems. But work on platforms has some negative features: lack of social security, absence of sick leaves and paid vacations, unpredictable schedules of work and unstable incomes. On the one side, work on platforms is enabled by digital technologies, but on the other side, it may seem as a return to informal sector, which has significant positions in Asian and African countries.

Daily moods, health routines and recovery among employees working in the retail and services sector: A diary study

AbstractThis study examined the quality and fluctuation of daily moods as well as health routines and means of recovery from work strain among employees (n = 38) working nonstandard, often unpredictable schedules in the retail and services sector in Finland. Data were collected via a background questionnaire and a one‐week mobile diary. The results indicated that the daily moods of employees were relatively positive but varied greatly from day to day. Hectic working days, unpredictable changes in work schedules, and compounded responsibilities at home and work were reported as causes of daily strain stemming from work. In contrast, more sleep and exercise were positively associated with daily mood and, therefore, are likely to enhance recovery from work related strain. Additional activities employees reported as useful in recovering from work strain included low‐effort leisure activities along with social activities with family and friends, as well as mastery experiences stemming from successful work experiences.

Employment Precarity and Increased Risk of Hazardous Occupational Exposures Among Residents of High Socioeconomic Hardship Neighborhoods.

While there is evidence that workers in nonstandard employment arrangements are disproportionately exposed to recognized occupational hazards, existing studies have not comprehensively examined associations between employment precarity and exposure to occupational hazards for these workers in the USA. The aim of this study was to examine relationships between employment precarity and occupational hazards in two contiguous high socio-economic hardship neighborhoods in Chicago. Using a community-based participatory research approach, community researchers administered a community-developed survey to 489 residents of Greater Lawndale who reported current or recent employment in a job that met at least one characteristic of precarious employment (e.g. unpredictable schedule, insecure work, no living wage/benefits). Employment precarity was calculated using a modified version of the Employment Precarity Index (EPI) developed by the Poverty and Employment Precarity in Southern Ontario group. We modeled the association between employment precarity and occupational exposures using logistic regression models. We identified a high prevalence of precarious employment in this sample, as well as a high prevalence of self-reported exposure to recognized occupational hazards. Increases in relative employment precarity were significantly associated with self-reported exposure to chemical and biological hazards, physical hazards, and slip, trip, strike, fall, trap or crush hazards at work. Results highlight the importance of using community research approaches and robust measures of employment characteristics, such as the EPI, to evaluate associations between employment precarity and hazardous exposures. These results suggest that variability in employment situations and resultant relative employment precarity are important predictors of exposure to recognized occupational hazards. Findings also suggest that health inequities observed among precariously employed workers may be partly explained by increased risk for exposure to occupational hazards, which has implications for community health and should be investigated in future longitudinal research.

Parenting without Predictability: Precarious Schedules, Parental Strain, and Work-Life Conflict.

Against the backdrop of dramatic changes in work and family life, this paper draws on survey data from 2,971 mothers working in the service sector to examine how unpredictable schedules are associated with three dimensions of parenting: difficulty arranging childcare, work-life conflict, and parenting stress. Results demonstrate that on-call shifts, shift timing changes, work hour volatility, and short advance notice of work schedules are positively associated with difficulty arranging childcare and work-life conflict. We also find that mothers working these schedules are more likely to miss work. Finally, we consider how family structure and race moderate the relationship between schedule instability and these dimensions of parenting. Ultimately, we argue that unstable work schedules have important consequences for mothers working in the service industry.

Older Workers With Unpredictable Schedules: Implications for Well-Being and Job Retention.

A substantial portion of the service sector workforce is middle-aged or older, but little is known about the scheduling conditions of these older workers. This study describes the quality of work schedules in the service sector by age and tests associations of unpredictable schedules with well-being and job retention among workers ages 50-80. The Shift Project collected survey data on detailed working conditions and health from 121,408 service sector workers, recruited in 2017-2020 using social media advertisements. Survey weights aligned sample demographics with the American Community Survey, and multiple imputation addressed missingness. Ordinary least squares regression models were used to examine associations between age and schedule stability, and ordinary least squares, ordinal logit, and logit regression models tested associations between schedule stability and well-being and job retention outcomes for older workers. Scheduling conditions were more stable and predictable for older compared to younger workers; however, more than 80% of workers ages 50-80 experienced one or more types of routine schedule instability. Among workers ages 50-80, unpredictable schedules were associated with psychological distress, poor-quality sleep, work-family conflict, economic insecurity, job dissatisfaction, and intentions to look for a new job. Canceled and back-to-back closing and opening ("clopening") shifts were most strongly associated with negative outcomes. Policies aimed at improving scheduling conditions hold promise to benefit older service workers' well-being. As the population ages, improving work schedules in the years approaching retirement may be important to longer working lives.

Pregnancy in Orthopaedic Residents: Peripartum Barriers Identified.

A 63-item survey designed to evaluate multiple aspects of childbearing during orthopaedic surgery residency was distributed through email and a targeted Facebook platform to female orthopaedic surgeons and orthopaedic trainees in the United States. Given the study design, statistics were largely descriptive in nature. Multivariate logistic regression was also used to determine independent factors associated with professional dissatisfaction as it related to pregnancy during orthopaedic residency. A total of 328 women responded to the survey. The 3 most prominent barriers to pursuing pregnancy during orthopaedic residency were concerns about the ability to balance clinical and maternal duties (67%), fear of how the resident would be viewed by those in the program (60%), and being unable to ensure optimal prenatal and postpartum care for the mother and child given an unpredictable schedule (38%). On univariate analysis of those who reported ≥1 pregnancy during residency (n = 71), maternity leave ≤6 weeks was statistically associated with "revisiting career choice" (p = 0.02) and "lack of resources and support" (p = 0.01). The results raise concern that qualified female applicants may be deterred from the field of orthopaedics given perceived difficulties associated with pregnancy as a resident. If policies are created to support women who desire to have children during residency, more women may be encouraged to pursue a career in orthopaedic surgery. V.

Research with Older Asian American Family Caregivers Pre- and During the Pandemic: Challenges and Lessons Learned

Research with hard-to-reach, monolingual adults from ethnic minority communities can present a multitude of challenges throughout the research process. This presentation will highlight challenges and lessons learned from two pilot studies with Vietnamese-, Cambodian-, and Korean-American family caregivers aged 50 and older. The first study (n=9) implemented a one-on-one, telephone-based psychosocial intervention before the COVID-19 pandemic; the second is an ongoing study (n=12) consisting of a group-based intervention via Zoom. Throughout recruitment, the following challenges arose: addressing the lack of familiarity with research among caregivers, earning the trust of caregivers, and identifying creative ways to recruit caregivers to participate. During study implementation, common challenges included: caregivers’ unpredictable daily schedule that made it difficult to participate in the scheduled classes, caregivers feeling apprehensive about technology and Zoom, access to reliable internet, and facilitating participation and engaging the voices of caregivers over the phone or via Zoom. Strategies were identified to address these barriers: engaging the support and collaboration of trusted, bilingual and bicultural community-based providers, building culturally-responsive rapport with caregivers, and seeking continuous feedback from caregivers to improve the appeal of the project implementation. The COVID-19 pandemic added an additional layer of difficulty to the research, requiring creativity and flexibility in implementation that took into consideration caregivers’ heightened anxiety, distress, lack of participation due to around-the-clock care, and loss and grief. The challenges and lessons learned from these studies could guide the development of future research efforts and strategies to effectively engage older hard-to-reach, monolingual Asian American caregivers.

Persistent Unpredictability: Analyzing Experiences with the First Statewide Scheduling Legislation in Oregon

Based on 98 in-depth interviews with workers and managers, the authors analyze the effectiveness of Oregon’s Fair Workweek Act, the first statewide scheduling legislation. Overall, findings show limited evidence of the law’s efficacy to improve workers’ schedules. The authors discuss three factors that are likely to explain this shortcoming: lack of adequate funding for education about the law and for enforcement, the inclusion of provisions that undermine the intent of fair scheduling legislation, and the ability of employers to interpret the law with substantial leeway. In this context, the authors consider the persistence of unpredictable scheduling practices a form of “flexible discipline,” even under Fair Workweek legislation. This article contributes to the literature on unpredictable scheduling by showing that in order to address this problem, legislation must include robust funding for education, implementation, and enforcement and must avoid options for workers to waive their rights to predictability pay, which as part of the act is intended to compensate employees for last-minute schedule changes.

Worker perspectives on the impact of non-standard workdays on worker and family well-being: A qualitative study

BackgroundNon-standard work schedules (NSWSs), occurring outside of regular and predictable daytime hours, may negatively affect worker and family health. This qualitative study sought to understand worker perspectives on the health and well-being impacts of NSWSs among full-time, transportation maintainers, correctional, and manufacturing workers.MethodsForty-nine workers participated in 8 focus groups. Data were transcribed and analyzed with ATLAS.ti, using the constant comparative method to identify themes and sub-themes.ResultsWorkers reported that long work hours and irregular and unpredictable schedules posed the biggest obstacles to their well-being. Workers reported that NSWSs were associated with behavior impacts (poor family and social connections, poor eating, poor sleep, lack of exercise recovery), physical health impacts (exhaustion, weight gain) and extended work exposures (increased stress, increased accidents).ConclusionsThis highlights the importance of developing and implementing effective workplace interventions to address these barriers to health and health behaviors.

Maternal exposure to work schedule unpredictability and child behavior.

ObjectiveThis article estimates the association between maternal exposure to unpredictable work schedules in the service sector and child internalizing and externalizing behavior.BackgroundPrecarious work is widespread and characterized by low wages, few benefits, and nonstandard schedules. But working parents, especially in the service sector, contend with unpredictable work schedules as well. These schedules have negative consequences for workers, but may also perpetuate inequality across generations by negatively affecting children.MethodThis article takes advantage of novel survey data from The Shift Project, covering 2,613 mothers (surveyed 2017–2019) working in the service sector with children (mean child age of 7.5), to examine the association between maternal work schedules and child behavior as well as the mediators of this relationship.ResultsMaternal exposure to unpredictable work schedules is associated with children's externalizing and internalizing behavior. Mediation analysis shows that for parents with the most unpredictable schedules, this aspect of job quality operates on children's behavior by increasing household economic insecurity, reducing developmental parenting time, and diminishing maternal well‐being.ConclusionThese results demonstrate that work scheduling conditions may have consequences not just for workers themselves but also for their children.

The Paradox of Time: Work, Family, Conflict, and the Social Construction of Time

ABSTRACT Today’s employees work longer hours and face constraints from nonstandard, rotating, or unpredictable schedules. Even when they are home, employees are often tethered to their jobs by technology and expected to be available. Higher demands on an employee’s time can lead to burnout and greater job-related stress, impacting work-family conflict. Drawing on in-depth interviews, we analyze how women in dual-income heterosexual partnerships make sense of and manage their family relationships in light of the competition between work-imposed demands and family time. Our study shows how women attempt to control their time by setting boundaries, scheduling, and allowing work and family time to blur as a way to address hectic work and family lives; however, this is often not successful, leading to paradoxical outcomes, particularly for those with children. Nevertheless, our participants make their limited time meaningful as a source of connection within their relational lives by ritualizing meals, accomplishing tasks, and sharing space. This study extends our theorizing on how work and family demands shape perceptions and meanings of the structure of time.