Graveyard shift spurs depression, anxiety

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The health of the Indian youth working in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry is being adversely affected. So says a recent health survey done on this sector by the doctors of Safdarjung Hospital. Those on the roster of ‘graveyard shifts’ showed abnormal sleeping hours, leading to an increase in the cases of depression, hypertension, anxiety and a rise in accidents or near-accident situations on the roads. Besides, this group were found to be more dependent on alcohol, cigarettes and hot and cold beverages than others in the same age group.
While graveyard shifts have been common across sectors such as aviation, hospitality, journalism and hospitals, stressed out conditions have become more noticeable with the commencement of the BPOs.
“While such shifts in other sectors required leaner work schedules and so less staff, the BPO industry serves huge global markets — and is bound to be nocturnal in nature. It also has a greater number of employees,” remarks Sangita Gupta, senior vice president, Nasscom, the premier trade body and the chamber of commerce for the IT-BPO industry in India.
Having said that, Gupta highlights the various measures taken by the $15 billion industry to help its 800,000 employees. “Right from pumping in a work-life balance routine among workers to requesting clients to close the day two hours early, companies have been thinking out-of-the-box to not just work better, but also keep their manpower healthy. As a result there has been a percentage of employees that have been part of the industry for about 10 years,” she says.
One such employee-friendly idea has been to launch an employee assistance programme with professional outfits specialising in offering varied services related to the field of human behaviour. “Our partner Drishti offers services that help employees understand themselves, as well as understand others. This on-site counselling service is fully confidential. We also have a forum called the Pipal Tree, where all interpersonal grievances are heard and taken care of. Employee counselling is a mechanism whereby we gauge any early signs of trouble and help address individual concerns,” says Manuel D’Souza, chief human resource officer, Intelenet.
For Dr Sameer Parikh, head, department of psychiatry, Max Hospital, a chunk of the suggested health problems are case dependent. “There’s something known as the shiftwork maladaption syndrome (SMS), which is a typical constellation of signs and symptoms seen in shift intolerant workers. In SMS the symptoms are pronounced and worsen with continued exposure to shifts. The longer the worker stays on shifts, the worse the symptoms become,” he says.
Having dealt with a few such cases — with problems ranging from sleep deprivation to marital or relationship issues —– he advises BPO workers to take enough rest and get recreational. The trick is thus to maintain a good physical regime, psychological balance and social circle. “Enough sleep, a good diet, partying with friends and enough time spent on the social media can do the trick.
And whenever the shift becomes too heavy to handle, take a break,”says Dr Atul Peters, director, minimal access and metabolism, Primus Super Speciality.