Precarious schedules linked with workplace aggression in a high‐risk occupation

Night work and prolonged work hours increase the risk for workplace aggression, however, the risk related to precarious schedules remains unknown. Methods Cross‐sectional study among Parole Probation Officers (PPOs) ( n  = 35). A precarious schedules index was created including the following indicators (a) experiencing one or more unexpected shifts during the last 4 weeks; (b) having minimal control over work hours; and (c) shifts notifications of less than a week. Generalized Poisson Regressions estimated the association between precarious schedules and self‐reported client‐based aggressive incidents (verbal, threating, property, or physical) during the last 12 months. Results Workplace aggression was highly prevalent (94.3%). PPOs who experienced precarious schedules (74.3% prevalence) had an adjusted rate of workplace aggression 1.55 times greater than PPOs without precarious schedules ( IRR  = 1.55, 95% CI 1.25, 1.97, P  < 0.001). Conclusions Precarious schedules were associated with workplace aggression. Further research ought to examine whether improving schedule predictability may reduce client‐based aggression.