Much of this strain reflects the demands of healthcare work. Healthcare
organisations have been characterised as ‘greedy institutions’ (Coser 1974) that place
excessive demands on workers’ time, energy and commitment, and expect paid work to be
prioritised over non-work commitments (Maher, Lindsay and Bardoel 2010; Simon et al.
2004). Shiftwork, common in the health professions, is a well-established source of work–
life strains, as shift schedules are often incompatible with other life activities such as
socialising, school schedules and family time, and can make it difficult to maintain healthy
routines of diet, exercise and sleep (Perrucci et al. 2007).