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This article reports the results of a 1977 field survey of managers in fifty plants in the United States and Canada that have recently instituted twelve-hour shifts in continuous operation situations in the chemical and petroleum industries. The authors report that in all the plants studied the shift change has significantly improved morale without impairing efficiency, job safety, or workers’ health. The drawbacks of this work schedule include the difficulty that some older workers have in adjusting to it; the possibility that it might not be feasible in industries in which the work is more arduous; and the general opposition of unions — which were present in only three of the fifty plants — to any lengthening of the workday.

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Posted By: James Wilson

James Wilson Jim Wilson is a leadership, executive, and career coach with more than 30 years of corporate experience with Citibank and Fidelity Investments. He holds a BA in Psychology from Manhattan College and an MBA from The Wharton School.


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