Night Shifts Linked to 88% Higher Risk of Long COVID, New Research Shows
Published on 08/14/2026 at 10:12 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
The toll of round-the-clock work schedules is coming under fresh scrutiny as new findings from a major European study reveal a stark health disparity for night workers. The research, conducted in Catalonia between 2021 and 2023, found that employees who regularly work night shifts face a dramatically elevated chance of developing long COVID compared to their daytime counterparts.
Among 1,899 infected individuals in the COVICAT study, 284 suffered from persistent symptoms. The analysis, carried out by the Medical University of Vienna and published in the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, points to sleep disruption as a key driver of the increased vulnerability.
Sleep deprivation alone raises the risk of long COVID by 42%, according to the researchers. For night workers suffering from chronic insomnia, the probability of developing the condition climbs to 2.7 times that of day workers — a figure that underscores the compounding health consequences of irregular schedules.
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Sick Leave Figures Paint a Grim Picture
The strain on workers is visible in absenteeism data across Germany. The Techniker Krankenkasse reports an average of 33 sick days per year for nursing staff in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, with physical exhaustion and psychological pressure cited as the primary causes.
The education sector shows similar distress. In Berlin, 225 tenured and 155 contracted teachers have been on sick leave for at least a year, with 18 individuals out of work for a full decade. The district of Marzahn-Hellersdorf records the highest concentration of long-term absent educators.
Employers and Unions Clash Over Working Time
As health concerns mount, a parallel dispute is intensifying over how working hours should be structured and compensated. The German Crafts Association (ZDH) has criticised a recent cabinet decision on the 2026 annual tax law, arguing that new rules will make salary conversion schemes for shift workers less attractive.
Industry leaders are pushing in the opposite direction. Nikolas Stihl, chairman of the supervisory board at the power tool company bearing his name, has called for a debate on extending working hours without wage compensation in the metal and electrical sectors. His proposal aims to counter the loss of roughly 500,000 industrial jobs.
Public opinion appears divided on the way forward. A reader survey found 34% backing a return to the 40-hour week, while 28% believe boosting productivity is the more critical lever.
Data from the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) shows working hours per person have already been drifting downward — from 28.8 hours per week in 2023 to 28.5 hours in 2025. That decline translates into the equivalent of 460,000 full-time positions lost.
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Heat, Siestas, and Pension Reform Enter the Mix
Climate adaptation is adding another layer to the workplace debate. In Saxony-Anhalt, unions and business groups have jointly rejected proposals for a multi-hour siesta modelled on southern European practices, though calls for concrete heat protection measures are growing louder.
One facility has already taken action: the Katharinenstift care home in Sinsheim invested 150,000 euros in air conditioning systems to shield both residents and nursing staff from prolonged heat waves, even as questions linger over how such investments will be funded in the long term.
Pension policy is also being revisited. The government's pension commission has recommended scrapping the Altersteilzeit model — a form of phased retirement with a release period — along with the so-called "pension at 63" scheme. Alternative approaches under discussion include a stress-based protective pension and hardship provisions, which experts believe could be implemented within the next two to three years.
