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EXEMPLARY PROJECT
CHANGING SHIFTS – A Work Schedule Research Project by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol
By Robert M. Zimmers
Mr. Zimmers graduated Cum Laude from Virginia Tech in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science. In 1999 he received the Master of Public Administration degree from North Carolina State University. He is a Management Analyst with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, serving as an internal management consultant to help leadership, and other employees, improve operations.
Shift schedules have long been a topic of discussion and research by management professionals, and health related impairments associated with shift-work have been reported in numerous publications.[1] The findings become significant in the case of law enforcement agencies because of the need to provide services and coverage at all times. Recognizing this, the Commander of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Colonel Richard W. Holden, requested the agency’s Research and Planning Section and the Highway Patrol Medical Office to conduct a review of scheduling practices. The purpose of this review was to determine if modifications could be made without adversely impacting Patrol operations. What emerged from the analysis was a pilot study that attempted to answer the question, “Can modifications in a Trooper’s schedule reduce the level of stress in their personal and professional lives?”
Overseeing the project were two highly respected medical professionals: Thomas R. Griggs, M.D., the Patrol’s Medical Director, and retired Professor of Psychology from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Bernard Engel, Ph.D.
A total of 8 districts (10-25 troopers per district) participated in a 6-month pilot, during in which “non-traditional” schedules were implemented. There were 194 eligible Highway Patrol personnel and 160 eligible spouses selected to participate in the study. Of these individuals, 124 troopers and 86 spouses agreed to participate. Through attrition, only 81 Troopers and 63 spouses completed the six-month project.
Traditionally, the Highway Patrol schedules troopers in nine-hour shifts, five days per week including a one-hour unpaid meal period each shift. Shifts would usually rotate each week and troopers were given one weekend off per month. This type of shift scheduling makes maximum trooper coverage during periods of peak collision frequency difficult.
As part of the pilot program, supervisors could schedule troopers in whatever shift combination that they wished, provided the shifts rotated no more than once per month. The following is a summary of the types of shift options that could be implemented:
Option 1 - Five Days On, Two Days Off: Troopers would be scheduled to work five, nine-hour shifts including a one-hour unpaid meal period. The shift could be permanent or rotate no more than once per month. Suggested shift times included: 6AM – 3PM, 2PM – 11PM, 4PM – 1AM, and 10PM – 7AM.
Option 2 - Four Days On, Three Days Off: Schedule troopers in 11-hour shifts including a one-hour unpaid meal period. The shift could be permanent or rotate no more than once per month. Suggested shift times were 6AM – 5PM, 1PM – 12 AM, and 10PM – 8AM.
Option 3 - Three Days On, Four Days Off: This was a 13-hour shift including a one-hour unpaid meal period. Suggested shift periods were 6AM – 7PM, 12PM – 1AM, and 6PM – 7AM.
Option 4 – Combination: Schedule troopers using a combination of the first three options. Therefore during a particular period, there might be troopers working 13-hour shifts and troopers working 11-hour shifts. Schedules could rotate no more than once per month.
Methods of ImplementationAn interrupted time series design was used in the pilot. Troopers and supervisors in the participating Districts, and their spouses, were surveyed three times (using the same survey instrument each time): once in April 2002 (before the pilot begins), once again in June 2002 (during the pilot), and finally in November 2002 (after the pilot’s completion). The surveys were designed to provide an overall assessment of the work, family, and home stresses that might be associated with traditional scheduling practices. The final survey in 2002 assessed the impact that a change in scheduling practices may have caused. Troopers and supervisors were surveyed by a written questionnaire. Spouses were surveyed by telephone, away from their patrol spouse.
Measurements - Survey Responses Members indicated that the work shifts, night duty assignments, special assignments, and problems with supervisors improved significantly (p £ .10) after the pilot program’s implementation. Additionally, members indicated that they disagreed significantly less frequently (p £ .10) with their spouses about religious matters and were appreciably more satisfied with their families’ opportunities for meal times. Spouses also indicated that special assignments and problems with supervisors notably improved after the pilot’s implementation. Spouses also indicated that they were having fewer disagreements when they were gong to bed. Table 1 summarizes member and spouse survey responses. The highlighted areas indicate where there was a statistically significant difference between Test 1 and Test 3.
In addition to asking respondents to rank the impact of several factors on well being, the survey instrument also asked respondents to rank the level of expectation a modification shift schedules will have (or, in Survey 3, had) on several factors. Figure 1 and Figure 2 summarize the responses on these questions.
Expectation levels were very high with members, spouses’ expectations were lower, and rarely were the expectation levels ever met.
Measurements - Operational Analysis In order to determine how modifications of the shift schedules may have affected District operations, the Districts that participated in the pilot project were compared to all other Highway Patrol Districts during the pilot period on three variables: the number of collisions investigated, the number of citations issued, and the number of workers’ compensation claims made. An independent samples t-test was performed to determine if there were statistically significant differences. No significant differences were found (p £ .10).
Measurements - Free Response CommentsDuring the third survey, respondents were given the opportunity to comment on their overall impression of the pilot project, and whether they would recommend implementing the project statewide. Of 83 total comments received, 77 percent were positive in nature, 10 percent were inconclusive/indecisive, and 13 percent were negative. Some of the comments received included:
· “The Patrol made an effort to reach out to my family…something I have not had in 22 years of law enforcement…only complaint I have is staying on a shift for one month, two week shifts are better.” · “Thanks, it was fun while it lasted.” · “One of the best things we have done for our personnel in my 18 year career…not too tired to do things with my kids…I sleep better now…I don’t have to hire a babysitter near as much.” · “The month on late shift was hard on my family life. I do not recommend this shift” · The program should be continued and extended to all Districts…the quality of my home life improved so much that I am unable to express the word for it.” · “The program should be continued…it’s time to change the way we do things to make employees happier about coming to work and making this a family organization.”
Critical Issues and ConclusionsThis study shows that shift schedules can create a large amount of stress for employees and their spouses, and that even slight modifications to work schedules can mitigate some of these stresses and improve the well being of employees and spouses. Furthermore, the project provided evidence that modifying work shifts could increase members’ and spouses’ well being, without negatively impacting operations.
[1] Ottman, W., et. al. “Subjective Health Status of Day and Shift-Working Policemen.” Ergonomics. Volume 32, Number 7 (1989). 847-854
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