The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Of night shift and employees' health

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 03, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Of night shift and employees' health

Special Correspondent

Bangalore: Close to 50,000 people are employed in BPO/call centres in Bangalore. Many work on different shifts working eight hours at a time.

Call centre supervisors have become more conscious of the health of their staff. "Many of us have a policy of circulating a health tips leaflet to all new employees and see to it that they are followed. The food in the cafeteria has been made more low fat and healthier, and if possible catering from outside with home quality food arranged," says M. Saravanan, a call centre supervisor.

"The demands of working through the night and then coping with the demands of a family during the precious hours of rest during the day can impact on your health, physically and mentally'' says psycho therapist Sunanda Murthy. She frequently treats call centre staff for problems ranging from insomnia to depression and anxiety neurosis.

Changing your normal rhythm of waking and sleeping as a result of night shifts requires a period of adjustment says `Health Tips for Shift Workers,' compiled by the well-known Mayo Clinic in the U.S. These are among the information material handed out to new employees in BPOs in Bangalore.

When the body's internal clock is disrupted, there are problems such as difficulty in getting sleep, mental and physical fatigue, indigestion and an overall feeling of ill-health. For those who need to constantly change shifts, the body has more difficulty in adjusting and readjusting, as they grow older.

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