ABSTRACT. Considerable research evidence has accumulated
indicating that there is an increased likelihood for
illness and injury among employees working in long-hour
schedules and schedules involving unconventional shift
work (e.g., night and evening shifts). In addition, studies
show that fatigue-related errors made by employees
working in these kind of demanding schedules can have
serious and adverse repercussions for public safety. As the
result of these concerns, new protective legislation is
being advocated in the United States, for instance, to
restrict the hours of work among nurses and other healthcare
professionals. This article reviews the history of
concerns about long working hours and the current scientific
evidence regarding their effects on workers’ health.
The ethical implications of unconventional shift work and
long work-hour schedules are considered. Relevant ethical
considerations involve mandatory or unpaid overtime
and the possibility of employer coercion, the political
basis for government regulation of working hours, potential
limits on voluntary assumption of risk, societal
benefits accruing from the equitable distribution of
available working hours, gender-based inequities related
to working hours, and employer responsibilities for protecting
individuals who are not employees from the
spillover effects of demanding work schedules.