NIGHT OWL STRAIN: STUDYING THE OUTCOME OF GRAVEYARD SHIFT WORK ON THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES A Chapter 3 Presented to the Faculty of College of Arts and Sciences under the supervision of Professor Romelyn Saul In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in the course Field Methods in Psychology Lead Researcher: Elijah Josh Campanano Associate Researchers: Keziah Heradurra Mycha Allyson Gapit Princess Flor Manglicmot December 2023 CHAPTER 3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION This chapter consists of the results of the researcher's findings and the analysis of the data that has been collected during the research procedure. The researchers used thematic analysis and in-vivo coding to better understand the underlying concepts of working as customer service representatives at night. Prior to this chapter, it is stated that the customer service representatives taking night shifts faced the problems of the effects of working at night. These problems have been investigated, namely, finding general and specific information, textual references, and meanings. The first table indicates the effects of the working graveyard shift on the physical health of customer service representatives and its subcategories, descriptions, and significant statements extracted from interviews. The onset of physical symptoms coincided with a graveyard shifter, presumably a consequence of the initial adjustment to an unconventional schedule. Notably, the emergence of pimples and acne was attributed to sleep deprivation. Participant (D) heightened the visibility of eyebags, stating that it has become more pronounced and is potentially linked to the nocturnal work hours. Participant (A), on the other hand, underscored the association of night work with pimples and acne. Further, participants (B), (E), (F), and I shared a common ground, all agreeing that working graveyard shifts impose related skin problems. This associated with the study of Lu et al. (2019) where it is stated that graveyard shift employees affect their skin as a result of stress. Table 1. Effects Of Working Graveyard Shift To CSR Physical Health Theme Description Physical Health Effects of working graveyard shift to Customer Service Representatives physical health Subcategories Descriptions Significant Statement on Interviews Skin Problems Increasing count of acne, pimples, eyebags, hair loss, and related skin conditions “siguro yung hmm pimples” (participant A) “mostly eye bags” (participant A) “medjo ahh hair loss pero ahh after 1 week na yung na notice ko na pag naliligo ako nag kakaroon ako ng hair loss.” (participant A) Overall Health Increasing and decreasing weight, weak immune system, Constant headache, backache, and bodyache, and loss of appetite, choice of food “first job ko sa bpo mapayat talaga ako.. tapos tumaba ako talaga ako.. tapos feeling ko sa night shift nag kasakit din ako.. tas ang bilis din nang pagtaba ko.” (participant D) “i feel like my immune system is weaker parang payat na kasi ako dati so parang walang changes pero sa immune system parang mas feel ko sakitin ako ganon.” (particpant D) “healthy diet hindi talaga kasi.. once a day yung kain tapos more on sugarly pa sya” (participant F) “i work in this industry was like my back pain because since we are a night shifter ng gabi which is walang tulog and the result masakit yung ulo, masakit yung likod, tapos yung body clock mag iiba ." (participant B) Insomia, Sleep Derprivation, Interrupted Sleep, and Wrong Body Clock Changes in sleeping pattern “it will change your sleeping pattern so ayon mahihirapan ka mag syempre mag adjust uhm sa pagtulog uhm since umaga. Syempre anjan yung mga activities mo pag umaga tas maingay sa paligid so insomnia ganon.” (participant F) Listening, Laziness, and Focusing Difficulty to listen and understand and Difficulty or hard finding motivation “trouble ahh listening and focusing sa what i am being told too. the thing is an i if i was ay hmm minsan nakakatulog din ako pero nahuhuli din naman ako ng ka trace ko.” (participant A) “hindi ka makakapag trabaho ng maayos kasi. parang tinatamad.” (participant J) Moreover, all participants stated that they all profoundly experienced gain and loss of body weight, while participant (D) shared that their immune systems got worse and participant (F) said that their choices and food intake were unhealthy. In particular, participant (D) pointed out that before entering work as a graveyard shift worker, he was slim, but because of the nocturnal schedule, he immediately gained weight faster than he had ever experienced. Furthermore, participant (D) again stated that his immune system has become weaker, attributing it to his previous thinness. Despite external appearances showing no significant changes, from his standpoint, there's a heightened sense of possibility of illness in terms of their immune system. Moreover, participant (F) stated that he does not adhere to a healthy diet, as their meals consist of only one per day, and they lean towards sugary food choices. This is contrast to the study of Camello (2020) where it is suggested that call center agents' lifestyle, in contrats, practices are not connected to their everyday eating habits that call center agents are concerned about their health and well-being. Furthermore, all participants also shared their experiences with sleep deprivation, interrupted sleep and body clocks, and related subcategories. To highlight this, participant (F) explains that changing the sleeping pattern due to the shift makes it difficult to adjust to sleeping during the day. The presence of sunlight, activities in the morning, adapting a nocturnal routine, and the surrounding noise contribute to insomnia and related difficulties. This is correlated with the study of Santos-Manangan (2021) where it is stated that worker of business process outsourcing industry can result in a loss of sleep, and those people who are sleep-deprived has a physiological response that fails to fulfill the need of the body and eventually disrupts the regular circadian rhythm. Participants (A), (B), and (C) also indicate that graveyard shift work poses difficulty listening and understanding and difficulty finding motivation. Participant (A) stated that engaging in nocturnal work poses a challenge as it introduces difficulty in the active process of listening and maintaining focus on pertinent information. He also highlighted that lack of sleep also caused this. Moreover, participant (J) shared that this working condition makes him lazy to operate and has difficulty producing quality work. Consequently, the second table indicates the effects of the working graveyard shift on the psychological well-being of customer service representatives and its subcategories, descriptions, and significant statements extracted from interviews. In the interviews, participants stated that they experienced difficulty communicating due to his time frame and schedule. Participant (J), along with participants (I) and (B), shared that they are having a hard time communicating well with the people around them. As per participant (J), he stated that his time does not allow him to communicate with other people, and vice versa. This is because the people he communicated with are functioning in the morning; on the other hand, he is functioning at night. Lifestyle plays influence the biological rhythm of humans, but factors such as biological and psychological characteristics of the individual, family, friends, school, and society affect lifestyle (Farhud, 2018). This includes work, and working night shift significantly chance someones’ lifestyle on how they talk or communicate. Table 2. Effects Of Working Graveyard Shift To CSR Psychological Well-Being Theme Description Psychological Well-Being Effects of working graveyard shift to Customer Service Representatives psychological well-being Subcategories Descriptions Significant Statement on Interviews Communication Difficulty in communicating “lack of communication na rin naman kasi parang wala na kayong time sa isa't isa, wala na kayong time sa lahat.” (participant J) Stress and Anxiety Work and home stress, social pressure, peer pressure, money pressure, fear, and anger management “i believe na ang root nang sadness and anxiety is a stress sa work.” (participant A) “napabayaan ko yung sarili ko that time kasi parang hina hustle ko yung sarili ko na to earn a lot of money.” (participant J) “your job cause you distress and dissatisfaction” (participant B) “kapag hindi ka nakakatulog nang maayos umaga tapos sa night mag w-work ka yunh pakiramdam mo ay lagi kang galit, laging mainitin ulo mo, and lagi kang naiinis.” (participant J) Less Socialization Less interaction (family, friends) “ahh oo sa family oo.. nalilimitahan kasi ah gabi na gabi na ako umaalis ng bahay the moment na halimbawa may birthday celebration hindi na ako nakakapunta kasi tulog ako.” (participant A) Work Performance and Productiveness Cannot perform, cannot be productive, satisfaction Participants (A), (I) and (H) “i mean ano like as what ive said earlier diba kapag pressure ka sa like sa performance sa kpi ma aapektuhan yung whole being mo or yung i mean yung like vice versa sya yung sarili mo pati yung job performance mo.” (participant B) shared that working during nocturnal hours plays an enormous role in producing stress and anxiety. One of the significant statements in the interviews was shared by participant (A), who stated that the root cause of his sadness and anxiety was his stress at work. This potentially reveals that working at night, including all the factors of sleep deprivation and shifting body clocks, is involved in the formation of stress and anxiety among customer service representatives. This associated with the study of Santos-Manangan (2021) individuals with disturbed sleep reported more depression, anxiety, substance use. Workers of the business process outsourcing industry can result in a loss of sleep, and those people who are sleep-deprived have a physiological response that fails to fulfill the needs of the body and eventually disrupts the regular circadian rhythm. Furthermore, participant (J) also shared that he forgot to take care of himself because he hustled himself to earn a lot of money, meaning that it developed social pressure, peer pressure, money pressure, and fear within him. Moreover, participant (B) said that working at night causes him distress and dissatisfaction. In addition, participant (J) also claimed that because he worked the night shift, he often experienced anger management, stating that he struggles with inadequate sleep during the day while working at night. There is a constant feeling of irritability, persistent hot-headedness, and a prevailing sense of unease. On the other hand, the table subcategory of less socialization indicates that working at night makes customer service representatives less active in interactions. These are proved by the statements shared by participants (B), (F) and (E). Particularly, participant (A) said it limits the interaction within the family; he often missed celebrations because he needed to sleep; the same was true for participant (B), he sacrificed the time to spend with family because of the salary, all because of his tight schedule working at night. This correlates to the study of Jeon et al. (2022) that work loads and family conflict have a significant effect on job stress reducing the internal motivation that drives the employees to feel exhaustion. Furthermore, participants (E), (I), and (J) also underscored their work performance and productivity, stating that they cannot perform as well as they can in night shift work and that they are not satisfied with their previous work performances. To highlight, participant (B) shared that he feels the pressure, which affects the whole being and at the same time the job performance, by mentioning that when there's pressure, like in terms of performance or key performance indicators (KPIs), it affects one's entire well-being. It's like a two-way street, influencing both your personal state and job performance. Customer service representatives work loads and family conflict has an effect on the job stress reducing the internal motivation that drives employees to feel exhaustion (Jeon et al., 2022). Moreover, the third table reveals the coping mechanisms used by customer service representatives working graveyard shifts and their subcategories, descriptions, and significant statements extracted from interviews. In terms of coping mechanisms and support systems, participants shared different ways to cope, given the work loads. Participants (C) and (D) said that having a routine that suits them, taking substances that are helpful, and listening to music can generally help customer service representatives ease the difficulties of working graveyard shifts. To pinpoint a significant statement during the interviews, participant (A) shared that he had a good routine because he engaged himself in physical activities, working out from home, and at times he goes to the gym. He makes sure that he gets 7 sleeps, and he also sticks to his diet, in which he drinks coffee just to ease the hunger during working hours. This is associated with the study of Manippa et al (2021) Consuming coffee in order to stay awake all night. With this, it relieved stress and made his work more manageable. Meanwhile, participant (D) said that music contributes to her focus. She stated that “mas gusto ko yung ganon feel ko mas nakaka focus ako kapag may music.” Music is also their partner to cope up with the situation (Kumar, 2019). Generally, having a routine and knowing what works for an individual is highlighted here. Table 3. Coping Mechanisms on Working Graveyard Shift Theme Description Coping Mechanisms Coping Mechanisms on Working Graveyard Shift Subcategories Descriptions Routine, Substance Use, and Music - Discipline on routine and diets, food intake Enough, comfortable, and good sleep Intake of coffee, cigarette Listening to music Knowing what to priority and know the bounderies/ limitations Significant Statement on Interviews “so maayos yung routine ko sa pag kain tsaka yung ahh sa pag tulog. siguro dahil sa continuously ahh i have physical activities that can help even out the energy some-- somehow ah relieve distress.” (particpant A) “go back to sleep make sure na 7 hours sleep schedule after that pag gising quick work out ulit then ligo na tapos proceed na sa work” (participant A) “kasi nag h hit yung ano mga taong my coping mechanism sometimes pwede sa kanila yun. si watch out for your diet pero i suggest kasi ako pag ahh nagugutom ako sabay kailangan mag work, coffee lang” (participant ? A) “mas gusto ko yung ganon feel ko mas nakaka focus ako kapag may music.” (participant D) “always prioritize your mental health.. always prioritize your peace of mind.. always prioritize to do what is good for you” (participant J) Physical Activities Sports activity, gyming, outdoor activities “physical activity ahh home work out, sometimes i visit the gym as well pag ahh gusto ko ng mas mahirap na trabaho.” (participant A) Support System Social, emotional, psychological support systems within workspaces “yung management mismo, considerate sila tapos parang kakausapin ka, hindi yung kaagad-agad decisions, and my action plans.” (participant I) Personal Hobbies Mobile games, social media, peer groups, clubs with same interests “may club naman yung mga soccer sabay yun nga yung sinabi mong mobile legends. sabay yung mga books -- book worms yung mga nanghihiram ng mga libro doon sa mag ano ahh jan sa may vagle mga walang pambili.” (participant A) Moreover, participant (A) also stated that being involved in physical activities, including sports activities, gyming, and outdoor activities, can be beneficial in coping with the difficult set-up of night shifters. For instance, engaging in physical activities, such as home workouts, and occasionally visiting the gym when seeking a more challenging routine are practices observed and done by participant (A). This shows that continuously participating in physical regimens improves the working conditions of customer service representatives. In the support system, participants (A), (B), (C), and (D) highlight the importance of social, emotional, and psychological support systems within workspaces. As per participant (I), his experience with management is good. The management itself is considerate, taking the time to engage in discussions rather than making immediate decisions and involving him in the formulation of action plans, he stated. Moreover, participant (I) shared that the management has an action plan and is considerate when it comes to their employees, taking into consideration the situation of each of the employees. This relates to the study of Zito et al (2018) the organization plays an important role on the employees well-being, this increased the job satisfaction, motivation, citizenship behaviors, and enhanced coworkers belongingness. But on the other hand, participant (A) stated that he has not experienced any kind of support system from the company where he is working. This reveals that there is still a need for support systems in companies, and not all customer service representatives receive all the social, emotional, and peer support they need. Furthermore, the use of mobile games, social media, peer groups, and clubs with similar interests are good coping mechanisms, according to participants (A) (E), (H), (I), and (D). To specify, participant (A) also shared that the company has a different club that the employees could join, and there is also a place at Citibank where the employees could borrow books. Furthermore, participant (J) claimed that it is essential for night shift employees to prioritize their mental health, achieve peace of mind, and practice what is healthy.
