This trial is in nursing, I think it makes sense in this role. I work in a hospital and many nurses are on 12 hour shifts. Knowing many of them, after 2 or 3 days of 12 hour shifts, they go home and need a day or two just to recover. Shorter shifts would definitely improve this.

However, the biggest issue is labour and associated costs. If you did 6 hour shifts, you would like need more staff and that means more pension costs, more benefit costs etc. But I guess this is why they are running the trial.

> Knowing many of them, after 2 or 3 days of 12 hour shifts, they go home and need a day or two just to recover. Shorter shifts would definitely improve this.

Many shift work people like the ability to do their full work week in 3.5 days, and have a 3.5 day weekend.

I had a similar schedule when doing restaurant work: 2 - 16 hour days followed by an early 8, with the next 4 days off. It's a lot more efficient than 5 - 8 hour days.

The nurses might like it but management might not. Long shifts would likely, as the article points out, result in more sick time. Then you are paying for the staff's sick time and also overtime for the person that is covering. In addition, long 12-16 shifts likely result in higher work place accidents and workers compensation claims.

A very complex situation obviously.