Constitution and Rules

As agreed at the inaugural meeting at the XIV International Symposium an Night and Shiftwork, Wiesensteig, Germany, September 13.-17. 1999 and amended at:

• the XV International Symposium on Night and Shiftwork, Hayama, Japan, September 10.-13. 2001)
• the XVIII International Symposium on Night and Shiftwork, Yeppon, QLD, Australia, August 28.-31. 2001)

(Former name: International Society for Working Time and Health Research (ISWTHR)

1. Name

The name of the Society shall be the Working Time Society (here-inafter referred to as the "Society"). The accepted abbreviation of the Society's name shall be the "WTS".

2. Aims

The aims of this Society shall be:

2.1 To promote research into working time and health, including the impact of working hours and the health, safety and quality of life of those concerned.

2.2. To offer practical advice at the manner in which the various adverse effects of working hours may best be minimised.

2.3 To represent the scientific and professional interests of researchers working in the area of working time and health.

2.4.1 To provide a forum for researchers in this area to meet and discuss their common research interests and findings, including organising the approximately biannual International Symposia on Night and Shift Work.

2.4.2 To disseminate Information regarding the effects of working time an health, safety and quality of life, including the publication of the Shiftwork International Newsletter (SIN).

2.4.3 To maintain a website to further the various aims of the Society and those of the Scientific Committee on Shiftwork of the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH)

2.5 To collaborate fully with the Scientific Committee on Shiftwork of the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) in pursuing these common aims.

3. Rules

3.1.1 Throughout these rules "The Executive Board" shall mean the Executive Board of the Society, and "President", "Secretary", "Treasurer" and any other named Officer, shall refer to the President, Secretary, Treasurer etc. of the Society unless otherwise stated.

3.2 Membership

3.2.1 Full membership of the Society shall be open to all individuals who are actively engaged in this area and who are interested in furthering the work of the Society, as demonstrated by the written endorsement of one member of the Society in good standing. Membership will continue at the discretion of the Executive Board, provided that the said member has paid all dues, subscriptions or assessments as laid down from time to time by the Executive Board.

3.2.2 Student membership fee will be reduced.

3.2.3 The Executive Board may elect members of the Society as "Fellows" in recognition of their special contributions to the society.

3.2.4 The Executive Board may elect non-members of the Society who they wish to honour as "Honorary members" in recognition of their distinguished contribution to the area.

3.2.5 Approval of Applications All applications for membership will be considered by the membership subcommittee of the Society, which will comprise the President and Secretary. If an application is not approved the Secretary shall report the name of the applicant to the next meeting of the Executive Board, together with a statement of the grounds an which the application was refused.

3.3 Meetings

3.3.1 The Society shall hold such meetings, conferences and workshops and engage in such other activities as may be conducive to its aims.

3.3.2 The Society shall hold Biannual General Meetings at the International Symposia on Night and Shiftwork that shall be jointly organised with the Shiftwork Committee of the International Commission on Occupational Health.

3.3.3 An Extraordinary Meeting of the Society may be convened at any time by the Executive Board or at the request in writing of not less than 20 full members of the Society.

3.3.4 Members of the Society will be given at least 28 days notice of any meeting. The announcement of an "International Symposium on Night and Shiftwork" will be deemed to be notice of the Intention to hold a Biannual General Meeting at that symposium.

3.3.5 The Business at a Biannual General Meeting will include any Business that the Executive Board may decide to put to the meeting. The Business at an Extraordinary Meeting shall be confined to that stated in the notification of the meeting.

3.3.6 Only Full members of the Society are eligible to vote an Business at the Society's meetings.

3.3.7 The quorum necessary for the transaction of Business at a Biannual or Extraordinary meeting shall be twenty members who are personally present and entitled to vote.

3.3.8 In the event of a Biannual or Extraordinary meeting being in-quorate the Executive Board may hold an anonymous postal ballot of the full membership an any matter(s) requiring resolution. Such a Ballot must be held within six months of the said inquorate meeting, and the result will be decided by a simple majority of returned voting papers.

3.3.9 Questions arising at meetings will be decided by a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote, with the President having a second or casting vote in the event of a tie. The only exception to this are questions that require a change to these rules, in which case a two/thirds majority of those entitled to vote will be required.

3.4 Officers and Members of the Executive Board

3.4.1 The elected officers shall be a President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

3.4.2 The Executive Board shall comprise these three elected officers, the three past elected officers, and no fewer than six other elected members.

3.4.3 Officers shall normally be elected for a three year term, and may not be elected for more than two consecutive terms. Retiring officers will be coopted onto the Executive Board for a further three year term as "Past Officers". Following this they will be eligible for election as Executive Board members, but not as officers until a further three years has elapsed.

3.4.4 Only members of the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) in good standing shall be eligible to stand for election as officers of the Society.

3.4.5 Executive Board members shall be elected for a three year term, and may not be elected for more than three consecutive terms. They will then not be eligible to stand for Executive Board membership until a further three year term has elapsed, but will be eligible for election as officers.

3.4.6 Only full members of the Society may serve as Officers or Executive Board Members. Nominations for Officers and Members of the Executive Board will be called for via email. Nominations must be made to the Secretary in writing and with the written consent of the nominee. If nominations exceed vacancies then election shall be by a written secret Ballot using a single transferable vote. Voting may take place via internet.

3.4.7 The Executive Board may fill any vacancy that arises during a term by cooption, but only until the expiry of that term.

3.4.8 The Executive Board may also coopt additional Executive Board members for periods of up to three years at a time. If they are not already an the Executive Board, the principal organiser of each "International Symposium on Night and Shiftwork" would normally be coopted in this man-ner for four years, starting two years before the symposium in question.

3.4.9 The Executive Board will appoint Chief Editors of (i) the Shiftwork International Newsletter (SIN) and (ii) the Society's Website, for periods of time to be determined by the Executive Board. These two chief editors will be coopted as members of the Executive Board.

3.4.10. The President may also appoint additional Board members for periods of up to end of the triennium of the President. The maximum number of such appointed members is the num-ber of elected members of the board.

3.4.11 Coopted Executive Board members and Members appointed by the president shall have no voting rights.

3.5 General

3.5.1 English shall be the official and working language of the Society.

3.5.2 The Society will not endorse any activity or research an hours of work that appears to promote discrimination based an age, gender, race, religion or politics.

3.6 Finance

3.6.1 The society is a non-profit making Organisation; it does not pursue business purposes of its own.

3.6.2 Membership dues shall be kept to a minimum and any changes in dues shall be subject to a vote at a Biannual General meeting.

3.6.3 Membership dues and Shiftwork International Newsletter subscriptions will normally be included in the registration costs for the "International Symposia on Night and Shiftwork"

3.6.4 All monies raised by or an behalf of the society shall be used to further the objects of the Society and for no other purpose.

3.6.5 The Treasurer shall keep proper accounts of the finances of the society.

3.6.6 The goal of the society is exclusively the direct public benefit within the meaning of the section "Purposes subject to lower tax rates" in the Tax Code.

3.6.7 The Funds of the society may only be used for the purposes permitted by these rules. Members of the society or other persons shall receive Funds from the society only if this is necessary to fulfil the tasks of the society. The amount of such funds must be appropriate to the task in hand and approved by the Executive Board.

3.6.8 In the event of the dissolution or termination of the society, or if the current purpose ceases to apply, the Executive Board shall decide who shall receive any assets of the society, with such recipients being limited to those who will use them directly and exclusively for the public benefit.