Reporting on the study in Business Week, researchers found that working nights meant more than just heavy eyelids. As the study conducted by Circadian Technology indicates, when night falls, accidents go up and productivity and accuracy plummet.

Specifically, workers on the night shift have a 20 percent greater chance of being involved in a severe accident and make five times the “serious” mistakes that their daytime counterparts make. Rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disorders were also reported to be higher in over-night workers.

Turnover rates were also found to be higher – up to 300 percent annually, reported Business Week – on the night shift. On a more personal level, shift workers have a 60 percent divorce rate and a higher rate of stress-related gastrointestinal disorders.

In a company press statement, Circadian Technology noted that New Jersey’s recently-passed drowsy-driving law, Maggie’s Law, could bring more attention to the practice of shift work. Offering harsh penalties to drivers operating on minimal sleep who subsequently cause a fatal traffic accident, Circadian indicated that drowsy-driving shift workers, some of whom are on-duty for 24 to 30 hours straight, could possibly impact corporate liability for the company employing them if their long work shift is deemed a contributor to an auto accident that occurs on the drive home.

Source: Business Week