Excluding night work, between half and three-quarters of the working population in France work, during their professional lives, with "« atypical working hours«", staggered, long or weekend, which degrade their health and impair their social and family life, says Anses (National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety), advocating for better regulation.
To define atypical working hours, in a statement published Wednesday, September 2, The health agency identified three main forms: weekend work, long hours of more than 8 hours per day and/or 40 hours per week, or staggered hours between 5:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. and between 7:00 p.m. and midnight.
“ This is anything but marginal: today in France, it affects between 551 and 751 part-time workers (TP3T) depending on the definition used. Whatever your profession, you may be affected at some point by one of these forms of atypical work schedules.«", explains Henri Bastos, scientific director for Health and Work at Anses, to AFP, and "« There can be an accumulation of exposures throughout your career“.
While flexible working hours have increased since the 1980s, there is no legal definition of atypical working hours. They affect, to varying degrees, employees, public servants, self-employed workers, farmers, shopkeepers, manual laborers, nurses, caregivers, salespeople, cashiers, maintenance workers, home care workers, bakers, cooks, waiters, and others.
Unusual working hours: a still limited body of scientific literature
There is "« There is a great deal of scientific literature on the effects of night work on health (…) with mechanisms of biological clock desynchronization and identified effects. » – sleep, mental health, the onset of cancers and cardiovascular diseases…-, identified by an expert report by ANSES, in 2016, Mr. Bastos reminds us.
This is less the case for atypical work schedules. Based on 172 studies deemed relevant on the subject, the agency noted effects on health, but also on family and social life,« modulated by the workload or nature of the work, stress, or even the duration and rhythms of sleep“.
Without identifying a causal link, "« Studies highlight statistical associations of varying strengths, depending on the type of work schedule." , with " The harmful effects of long working hours have been proven on anxiety, sleep, and the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases.", summarizes Mr. Bastos.
Probable negative effects have also been noted on reproductive health, metabolic health, the risk of depression, work-life balance, and workplace accidents.
Read also Working shifts may accelerate cognitive decline
ANSES proposes protections similar to those for night work
Working weekends is detrimental to personal life, but also, studies suggest, to mental health – depression, anxiety – and physical health – disrupted sleep, pain, fatigue, musculoskeletal disorders, accidents. Sleep deprivation, stress, and disruption to family life accumulate…»You will recover less, have less restorative sleep, with consequences for your overall condition and mental health.«" explains Mr. Bastos.
Studies suggest that shift work has adverse effects on socio-family life, especially for evening work, and on mental health, cardiovascular health and sleep, particularly for morning shifts.
«"When you only ever see your spouse, your children, when you can't see your friends, access collective services like childcare, this desynchronization with collective rhythms degrades your social and family life, and can subsequently have effects on your health," explains Mr. Bastos.
Working atypical hours« must be limited as much as possible«" , concludes Anses. When it cannot be avoided, it must be better regulated, by applying for example certain protections provided for night work: medical monitoring, provisions for pregnant women.
Police officers conduct a nighttime traffic stop in Lille, April 25, 2026. Credit: AFP/Archives – Sameer Al-Doumy
For the worker, this organization must be "« transparent, predictable and balanced »"and be accompanied by compensation mainly non-monetary, favorable to his health: reduced working hours at constant pay, compensatory rest, assistance with transport, childcare, etc., the agency believes.
It also recommends raising awareness of the effects of these schedules among self-employed workers, those who are poly-exposed throughout their careers, or those not covered by the Labor Code.
The agency also believes that a legal definition would make it possible to better prevent occupational risks.
Its experts also recommend weighing the advantages and disadvantages of this organization beyond the company, by including the additional costs for the community: childcare, access to transport, overconsumption of energy…
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