The sanitary disruption caused by Covid-19 requires companies to make a number of adjustments to limit the spread of the virus. As well as the teleworking already in place, staggering working hours is also encouraged. While this system has many advantages, it also needs to be handled carefully to preserve health at work. 

According to a 2018 study, evening work and night work involve 33% and 14% of employees in the European Union, respectively. The study further specifies that 39% work on Saturdays and 23% work on Sundays, with more or less marked disparities. In this regard, the countries of Northern Europe are often more inclined to flexible working hours than the countries of the South. These figures are on the rise, often in line with the aspirations of European workers for more flexible working hours, which allow greater margin to look after children, or to avoid peak hours for public transport. Properly implemented, these measures are indeed likely to promote a better balance between private and professional life, conducive to well-being at work, and therefore to productivity. 

The advantages of staggering working hours 

In general, well-being and the quality of life at work contribute to employees’ health. In the current context, and probably for a few more months, one of the other essential advantages of setting up staggered working hours in companies is obviously to help combat the Covid-19 epidemic. Flexible working hours prevent too many people being in the workplace at the same time. It is therefore a simple and effective means of limiting the risks of contamination and of preserving the health and safety of employees, but also of ensuring that activities are maintained in good conditions. 

Staggered hours can also be an asset for the productivity of your teams. This makes it possible to adapt to the circadian rhythm, that is to say to the biological clock of each person. Some of us are more efficient in the morning, others in the late afternoon, and finally others are real night owls. Some 25% of the general population are early risers, and 25% are night owls. The remaining 50% have no particular preference. In the long term, not respecting your internal body clock can have harmful effects on your health. Working on the wrong schedule can lead to stress, anxiety and fatigue, among other things. Conversely, in addition to responding to the body’s natural rhythms, working during the hours when you perform best strengthens your self-esteem and the satisfaction you derive from a job well done. As you are more productive, it also enables you to more easily free up time for physical activity, or to indulge in family and extra-professional activities. In short, flexible working hours clearly contribute to the quality of life at work. 

Staggering working hours often allow employees to avoid having to travel during rush hour. In an epidemic period, and with social distancing measures in place, it is sometimes desirable, when possible, not to use public transport or your car to go to work. In general, and leaving aside health considerations, staggering working hours allows you to waste less time in transport and, ultimately, to be in better shape and therefore more productive. 

A working time arrangement which must be handled with caution 

Despite these advantages, staggered working hours must however be accompanied by minimum precautions in order not to harm the health and productivity of your employees. To avoid creating an effect contrary to that expected, preventive measures are necessary, in particular with regard to the organisation of work, sleep management, and diet. 

First of all, whether organised in the morning, in the evening, in rotating weekly shifts, or at night, the staggered working hours must necessarily be adapted to the employee’s circadian rhythm. Otherwise, there is a risk of desynchronising the internal body clock, which may generate hormonal and metabolic imbalances. These can have deleterious effects on the sleep/wake cycle, diet, and general fitness. In short, if not adapted to the biological needs of each person, staggered working hours can generate a state of chronic fatigue, which can promote weight gain linked to a slowing down of the metabolism and an increased consumption of fat and sugar, and also to the reduction of physical activities. Added to this is the risk of creating a social disconnection with family, friends, and of course colleagues. The balance between private life and professional life would then be completely broken.  

Precautions to be taken 

To prevent staggered working hours from posing a risk to the health and safety of employees, it is first of all important to involve the human resources department, occupational physicians, local management, and all employees, in the development of new work schedules. 

Encouraging people to commit is the first factor in the success of such a system. The implementation of flexible hours must be voluntary. After all, employees are in the best position to know their biological rhythm and to know if they are more a morning or an evening person. They are also best placed to identify the working hours that best match their personal situation in order to create the conditions for a better balance between professional and private life.  

An employee is generally a member of a team. Even if they are flexible, the working hours must therefore be aligned with the challenges of teamwork. They must not entail an overload of work for the employee and the other members of the team, and must not affect the quality of the final result, as well as compliance with deadlines. 

Furthermore, the implementation of staggered working hours must not derogate from the legal obligations incumbent on the employer. European legislation, through Directive 93/104/EC of 23 November 1993, governs the regulation of working time for European workers. In particular, it provides for a minimum of 11 hours of rest between two shifts, and a maximum night work period of 8 hours, as well as a maximum weekly working time of 48 hours (over 4 months). It should also be pointed out that working in staggered hours still exposes you to a possible sleep deficit. Whether you are an early riser or a night owl, working early or late reduces the length and quality of sleep. In all events, care must be taken to preserve a minimum of 7 hours of sleep every 24 hours. Finally, flexible working hours should not translate into flexible meal times. On the contrary, in all events, it is very important to maintain a rhythm of 3 meals within 24 hours.