As a verb, it means to move or change position, or to change from one state, idea, or activity to another. As a noun, it can mean a work period, such as a night shift, or a change in something.
From Old English 'sciftan' meaning 'to arrange, divide, change', related to 'shift' as in 'change clothes'. The sense of a work period developed from the idea of taking turns.
When workers do different 'shifts', they’re literally shifting places and times to keep things running. The same word covers tiny movements in your seat and giant shifts in culture—showing how we think of change as a kind of sliding around.
'Shift work' has been central to feminized sectors like nursing, caregiving, and service work, often undervalued and underpaid. Gendered expectations around who takes night or flexible shifts intersect with care responsibilities at home.
When discussing shifts, recognize how scheduling can affect people differently based on caregiving roles, which are often gendered, without assuming who holds those roles.
["work period","rotation","change","transition"]
Highlight how women and marginalized workers have organized around shift conditions, including demands for safer hours and fair compensation.
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