FOR LEADERS OF 24/7 ORGANISATIONS
SHIFT WORK ISN'T THE PROBLEM. WORKING AGAINST HUMAN BIOLOGY IS
FOR LEADERS OF 24/7 ORGANISATIONS
SHIFT WORK ISN'T THE PROBLEM.
WORKING AGAINST HUMAN BIOLOGY IS
Most shift workers have never been taught how shift work affects their sleep, fatigue, recovery, health and performance.
And for 24/7 organisations, the impact can extend well beyond the individual.
But most have never been taught how shift work affects their sleep, fatigue, recovery, health and performance.
And for 24/7 organisations, the impact can extend well beyond the individual.
After 40 years working shifts and now educating 24/7 workforces, I kept coming back to one question:
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE EDUCATION ENDS?
That question led me to create Shift Work Champions™.
A structured enterprise framework designed to help 24/7 organisations educate their workforce, develop their people and begin building internal shift work capability.
After 40 years working shifts and now educating 24/7 workforces, I kept coming back to one question:
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE EDUCATION ENDS?
That question led me to create Shift Work Champions™.
A structured enterprise framework designed to help 24/7 organisations educate their workforce, develop their people and begin building internal shift work capability.
YOU CANNOT EXPECT PEOPLE TO MANAGE WHAT THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN TAUGHT TO UNDERSTAND.
New Research Is Changing The Conversation
Until recently, most discussions about shift work focused on how fatigue affects individual workers.
New research published in Sleep has expanded that understanding.
Researchers found that during the biological low of the night, team performance, cooperation and team cohesion all declined, highlighting that circadian disruption can influence not only individuals, but how teams work together.
SHIFT WORK IS NOT SIMPLY A DIFFERENT WORK SCHEDULE
SHIFT WORK IS NOT SIMPLY A DIFFERENT WORK SCHEDULE
Working extended and non-standard hours places unique demands on human biology.
Disruption to circadian rhythms, sleep, light exposure, nutrient timing, movement and recovery can influence employee health, fatigue, cognitive performance and overall wellbeing.
But the impact does not necessarily remain with the individual.
Within a 24/7 organisation, these challenges can have broader implications for:
FATIGUE & ALERTNESS
ABSENTEEISM & PRESENTEEISM
ENGAGEMENT & RETENTION
REDUCED OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES
BROADER PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK
YOU CANNOT EXPECT PEOPLE TO MANAGE WHAT THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN TAUGHT TO UNDERSTAND.
FATIGUE & ALERTNESS
YOU CANNOT EXPECT PEOPLE TO MANAGE WHAT THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN TAUGHT TO UNDERSTAND.
ABSENTEEISM & PRESENTEEISM
YOU CANNOT EXPECT PEOPLE TO MANAGE WHAT THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN TAUGHT TO UNDERSTAND.
ENGAGEMENT & RETENTION
YOU CANNOT EXPECT PEOPLE TO MANAGE WHAT THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN TAUGHT TO UNDERSTAND.
REDUCED OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
YOU CANNOT EXPECT PEOPLE TO MANAGE WHAT THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN TAUGHT TO UNDERSTAND.
LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES
YOU CANNOT EXPECT PEOPLE TO MANAGE WHAT THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN TAUGHT TO UNDERSTAND.
BROADER PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK
YOU CANNOT EXPECT PEOPLE TO MANAGE WHAT THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN TAUGHT TO UNDERSTAND.
YOU CANNOT EXPECT PEOPLE TO MANAGE WHAT THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN TAUGHT TO UNDERSTAND.
MOST ORGANISATIONS ALREADY HAVE SUPPORT SYSTEMS
24/7 organisations may already provide access to:
Workplace health and safety systems
Employee Assistance Programs
Wellbeing initiatives
Fatigue policies and procedures
Mental health support
Leadership and management systems
These systems play important roles.
But there is often a missing layer.
THE PEOPLE WORKING SHIFTS HAVE NEVER BEEN TAUGHT HOW SHIFT WORK AFFECTS THEIR BIOLOGY
EXTERNAL EXPERT ➜
PRESENTATION ➜
EMPLOYEES
➜
EDUCATION ENDS
⬇ EXTERNAL EXPERT ⬇
⬇ PRESENTATION ⬇
⬇ EMPLOYEES ⬇
EDUCATION ENDS
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
WHAT IF THE KNOWLEDGE DIDN’T LEAVE WHEN THE EDUCATOR DID?
WHAT IF THE KNOWLEDGE DIDN’T LEAVE WHEN THE EDUCATOR DID?
This question led to the development of Shift Work Champions™.
A structured workforce education and internal capability framework developed specifically for organisations operating around the clock.
EDUCATE THE WORKFORCE.
DEVELOP THE PEOPLE.
BUILD CAPABILITY FROM WITHIN.
The framework begins with specialised workforce education.
Selected employees can then undertake deeper education, personalised coaching, mentoring and practical development.
The objective is to develop greater understanding and practical application from within the workforce.
DESIGNED TO CREATE ORGANISATIONAL VALUE
When your people better understand shift work, the benefits can extend across the organisation.
Retain the five existing value areas:
HEALTHIER PEOPLE
SAFER WORKPLACE
STRONGER ENGAGEMENT
BETTER RETENTION
IMPROVED PERFORMANCE
HEALTHIER PEOPLE
SAFER WORKPLACES
STRONGER ENGAGEMENT
BETTER RETENTION
IMPROVED PERFORMANCE
Why Shift Work Capability Matters
Recent research suggests the effects of fatigue extend beyond the individual.
Researchers observed reductions in team cooperation, cohesion and overall team performance during the circadian low, highlighting that understanding shift work is also an organisational capability issue. (PMID: 41818470)
Shift Work Champions™ has been developed to help organisations strengthen that shift work capability through evidence-based education, practical application and internal leadership.
WHY I CREATED
SHIFT WORK CHAMPIONS™
WHY I CREATED
SHIFT WORK CHAMPIONS™
Built on 40 Years of Lived Experience
I'm Roger Sutherland, founder of A Healthy Shift and creator of Shift Work Champions™.
For 40 years I worked shifts in one of Australia's largest emergency service organisations. I experienced the fatigue, disrupted sleep, long hours and challenges that come with working against human biology.
After leaving Victoria Police, I combined that lived experience with specialist education in nutrition, chronobiology, chrononutrition and shift work health.
Today, I work with 24/7 organisations to help educate their workforce, develop their people and build greater internal shift work capability.
Because after years of educating shift workers, I kept coming back to one question...
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE EDUCATION ENDS?
That question became the foundation of Shift Work Champions™.
PROVEN WHERE IT MATTERS.
PROVEN WHERE IT MATTERS
Relevant Education. Engaged Workforces. Practical Impact.
Roger was very engaging in his delivery.
Content was great - extremely relevant to our shift-workers, and plenty of take aways for non-shift workers.
Extremely positive feedback from the workforce.
- Jessica Kelly
Environment Health and Safety Manager,
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Australia
Roger’s presentation was tailored specifically for the women of Victoria Police, and it showed.
His deep understanding of the physiological and lifestyle differences we experience was both refreshing and empowering. Roger oozes passion.
Every single one of us walked away with at least five powerful takeaways that we’ve already begun to incorporate into our daily lives. From smarter sleep strategies to practical nutrition tips and movement strategies,
Roger gave us tools we can actually use and the motivation to use them.
We’re grateful, inspired and better equipped to take care of ourselves – and each other – thanks to Roger’s wisdom and energy.
RONELLE QUIN | ACTING INSPECTOR
Manningham Local Area Commander
Eastern Region | Division 1 | Victoria Police
We reached out to Roger because of his 40 years of lived shift work experience and specialist knowledge,
We knew he would understand the daily challenges we face.
He delivered with energy, relevance and practical strategies our people could apply.
RACHEL JONES | SENIOR SERGEANT
Station Commander
Doncaster Police Station | Division 1 | Eastern Region | Victoria Police
COULD SHIFT WORK CHAMPIONS™
WORK WITHIN YOUR ORGANISATION?
Every 24/7 organisation is different.
Different industries.
Different rosters.
Different operational environments.
Different workforce challenges.
The Shift Work Champions™ Executive Brief explains the thinking behind the framework, the gap it is designed to address and how organisations can begin moving from one-off education towards greater internal shift work capability.
GET THE EXECUTIVE BRIEF
