Shift work holds the potential to cause serious human resource management problems for organizations. Nevertheless, the functioning of some organizations, such as the Spofford Juvenile Detention Facility (SJDF), requires the use of shift work. This research involves an analysis seeking to identify a shift schedule alternative that minimized the probability of double-shifts in a shift work environment.
The SJDF operates on a 24-hour per day, seven-day per week basis. One sub-unit of the on-duty operational staff is structured as a 10-position organization. A total of 42 persons are employed in this sub-unit of the SJDF as members of the operational staff.
At present, operational staff members in this sub-unit are scheduled to work eight-hour shifts. Each member of the operational staff is scheduled to work five such regular shifts each week. Overtime, typically in the form of double-shifts, is scheduled only to accommodate scheduled vacation time. Unscheduled overtime, also typically in the form of double-shifts, results from the unscheduled absences of members of the operational staff of the sub-unit. Unscheduled absences occur as a result of both authorized (sick leave, compassionate leave, jury duty, and so forth) and unauthorized reasons.
Together, scheduled double-shifts and double-shifts resulting from unscheduled but authorized absences, cause an average of two double-shifts per week for an average of five members of the operational staff of the sub-unit of the SJDF. Unscheduled and unauthorized absences by members of the operational staff of the sub-unit, however, currently result in an average of five additional double-shifts per week for an average of five members of the operational staff. The high-level of double-shift work is causing increased work-related occupational stress and job burn-out among members of the operational staff of the sub-unit of SJDF. The combination of increased work-related occupati...