Table 1 Question guide for focus groups

Health and work hours/schedule

 Let’s talk about your work hours and schedule.

  1. Briefly describe the type of work that you do.

  2. What is your typical work hours and work schedule?

a. How long is your shift?

b. What are your work start and end times?

c. What days do you work over a week? Month? Season?

  3. How do your work hours and/or schedule change?

a. How does your work start and end times and/or shift length change?

b. How do the days you work over a week change? Month? Season?

 i. What causes your work hours or schedule to change? Weather? Production changes? Staff shortage or absences?

 ii. How often are your work hours and/or schedule changed?

 iii. How much advance notice of work hours/shift changes are you given?

 iv. Are you ever on-call? For how long?

 v. Why do you work extra work hours/shifts?

 vi. Are the extra work hours/shifts mandatory or voluntary?

c. Outside of this job, what other types of work (paid or unpaid) do you do?

  4. What aspects of your work hours and schedule are the biggest obstacle to your health and well-being?

a. How does your work hours/schedule:

 a.  Increase your stress at work? Outside work (i.e., at home, with family)?

 b. Get in the way of your ability to:

  i. Sleep or relax?

  ii. Participate in healthy activities?

  iii. Participate in leisure activities?

  iv. Be involved in home or family activities?

  v. Be involved in community activities?

  vi. Have good relationships with family or friends?

  5. Are there ways that your work hours or schedule benefit your health or well-being (being happy and enjoying life)?