Ongoing research with members of our Make A Difference Leaders’ Club into their most pressing workplace issues has highlighted a critical gap: when discussing workplace culture, employee health, and wellbeing, the needs of blue-collar workers, shift workers, and remote field teams are often overlooked.
That’s why this new employer guide from Night Club, which outlines practical ways to support healthy, engaged, and productive night workers, couldn’t be more timely.
Night workers are the backbone of the UK’s 24/7 economy — yet they’re frequently exhausted, under-supported, and excluded from workplace wellbeing conversations. Night Club’s new guide, Bright Nights, aims to change that.
In this article, Ella Reynolds and Ben Lumley, Co-Heads of Night Club, answer five key questions about why supporting night workers matters — and how doing so can benefit your business.
Why should employers care more about their night shift workers?
Night workers face unique challenges, from poor sleep to long-term health conditions – and they often feel unseen. But this isn’t just a moral issue; it’s commercial. Healthier night staff means lower absence, better retention and higher productivity. This guide helps employers turn insight into action – even small changes can have a big impact.
How can this guide help a busy employer make real change?
We know employers are stretched, so we’ve kept things practical – from vending machine swaps to rethinking rota design, the guide offers clear ‘quick wins’ and longer-term strategies. We’ve also included real case studies from companies who’ve done it – proof that change is possible at any scale.
What’s a myth about night work this guide busts?
That workers can ‘get used to’ night shifts. Science shows that 97% don’t adjust, no matter how long they’ve been doing it. We need to move from expecting workers to adapt, to adapting how we support them – with strategies like listening to their challenges, smarter rotas, and training in health and wellbeing.
What’s one thing employers often overlook about night shifts?
The work environment itself. Once leaders actually visit their sites at night, they see how much difference thoughtful design can make. Spaces can be colder, darker, and feel a bit forgotten at night. But that’s fixable. Lighting, temperature, rest spaces, healthy food access – these will all boost alertness and morale. Our guide walks you through what good looks like after dark.
What’s your message to employers reading this guide?
You don’t have to fix everything immediately, but your night workers will appreciate you listening to their challenges as a first step. In this guide, we’ve combined science, lived experience and employer insight to show what’s possible. If you’re ready to start thinking about how to improve health, performance and retention, then this is your playbook. Let’s stop treating the night shift as the forgotten shift.
You can find out more and download the Bright Nights guide here.
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