Scientists at the Higher School of Economics conducted a study and found that 64 percent of Russians work in the evenings, nights or weekends.
A five-day week with an eight-hour workday and two days off is the generally accepted standard. But deviations from this schedule are not uncommon, and not only emergency services operate around the clock, seven days a week. Meanwhile, such unconventional work schedules, according to scientists, cause negative consequences for the human body. They include disruption of biological and social rhythms, and increase stress levels, which ultimately cause problems with physical and psychological health.
Interfering with circadian rhythms has been found to lead to depression, headaches and burnout, as well as disrupt family relationships and social life. Chronic fatigue and sleepiness can lead to workplace accidents and injuries. Although the consequences of overworking are known, the scope of the problem was still unclear.
Researchers from the HSE University decided to estimate the number of people in Russia who temporarily or permanently work outside the schedule established by their employment contract. As a basis for compiling the questionnaire, the scientists used data from the European Social Research, an organization that annually analyzes the attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of various groups of the population.
The resulting figures amazed researchers. According to them, only 41% of working Russians do not work in the evenings and nights, and only 23% take rest from work on weekends. Moreover, every second employee works in the evening or night shift at least several times a month, and every fourth employee works in the evening or at night several times a week or every day. And more than a third of the respondents work in the evenings and on weekends at the same time.
Overall, just over 64% of Russian employees work in non-standard schedules on a full-time basis. First of all, these are men, senior and middle managers, highly qualified production personnel, as well as workers in agriculture, retail and services. If we compare these indicators with the world ones, then Russia is in fourth place after Croatia (71%), Greece (70%) and Poland (65%).
Nikita Shevtsov