Shift work and Health in the Norwegian Petroleum Sector: Employees' Work-Personal Life Integration

The main research task in this project is to develop new research-based knowledge about onshore and off-shore employees focusing on a) their family experiences and challenges with the transition from shift work off-shore/on-shore to off-work situation and daily family-life, and to b) to compare work-personal life aspects within the relevant dimensions onshore/offshore, gender, age, education and occupation. The main focus of the project will be on the need for recovery and rest: How these needs are met by the employee, and how the employees' family meets these needs. The project is centred arouond the following research questions: 1. How do the employees experience the transition from shift work to free-period and family situation with regard to sleep, fa tigue and need for recovery? 2. Are health complaints associated with work-personal life imbalance related to work-place safety? 3. How is the transition from work to personal life influenced by the family situation and how does the employee balance his/h er need towards family needs? 4. How does the spouse/family experience the transition from shift-work to free-time period with regard to sleep, fatigue and the general need for recovery? 5. How does the particular work time arrangement influence the famil y life quality? 6. How does the family balance its needs towards the employee?s need? 7. Are women in typically male-dominated jobs offshore/onshore exposed to the same work-life stressors and demands as men are? 8. How are health issues associated with i rregular work time implemented in the work organisation?s policy and which role do employers and work organisations play? The results from a combination of quantitative and qualitative data are to be used for giving advice to employers and employer?s org anisations, the industry, public authorities and least but not last the employees and their families in how to handle the two-way transition from work to off-work.