A comparative analysis between the Navy standard workweek and the work/rest patterns of sailors aboard U.S. Navy cruisers

Abstract

In March 2008, two U.S. Navy ships failed their Inspection and Survey (INSURV) assessments with deficiencies ranging from inoperable equipment to inadequate housekeeping practices. The question of why these problems exist must be addressed. A study to determine the total number of hours Sailors actually work in contrast with the Navy Standard Workweek Model is extremely important. Previous research regarding this topic has indicated that the Navy Standard Workweek does not accurately reflect the daily activities of Sailors. In fact, results from a recent study on USS CHUNG HOON by Haynes, showed that a majority of the Sailors received much less sleep and worked longer hours than allocated in the Navy Standard Workweek Model. This research focuses on widening the scope from the Haynes study on U.S. Navy destroyers, to determine if similar conditions exist onboard U.S. Navy cruiser vessels. The results indicated that 85% of the participants within the study exceeded the 81 hours of available time allotted by the Standard Navy Workweek. On average, Sailors in the current study, excluding officers, worked 9.90 hours per week more than allotted in the Navy Standard Workweek.