The relationships among part-time work, work-family interference, and well-being

Gender Differences in Job Satisfaction and Work-Life Balance Among Chinese Physicians in Tertiary Public Hospitals

Background: Gender has been associated with job-related experience, including job satisfaction and work-life balance. This study aimed to identify gender differences in job satisfaction and work-life balance among Chinese physicians in a large, nationally representative sample. Methods: A national cross-sectional survey was conducted between March 18 and 31, 2019, using an anonymous online questionnaire. The questionnaire included the short-form MSQ (Chinese version) and a work-life balance item. The demographic and job-related factors were also collected. Findings: In total, 22,128 physicians (9,378 males and 12,750 females) from 144 tertiary public hospitals completed the survey. The overall MSQ score (job satisfaction) was 70.31 ± 12.67, and it was 69.89 ± 13.24 in males, and 70.63 ± 12.22 in females, respectively (p < 0.001). Only 931 (4.21%) physicians were very satisfied with WLB (421 males, 510 females), and 2,534 (11.45%) were rated as satisfied. Age, education, monthly income, working hours, specialty, and professional titles were significantly associated with job satisfaction; while number of children, specialty, professional titles, monthly income, age, working hours were significantly associated with WLB. No significant gender differences were observed in job satisfaction or WLB after controlling confounding factors (both p > 0.05). Interpretation: While many demographic and work-related factors are significantly associated with job satisfaction and WLB, we found no significant gender differences, which is different from many other studies. To improve Chinese physicians' job satisfaction and work-life balance, interventions should be focused on certain specialties and on other modifiable factors, such as income, working hours.

Strain-based work-to-family conflict as a predictor of lumbar and cervical pain in Tunisian nursing staff

Objective. This study aimed to examine the association of the different dimensions and forms of work-family conflict with the occurrence of neck and lower back pain (LBP) in Tunisian nurses. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study on nurses assigned to a district hospital in Tunisia. The work-family interface was assessed with the work-family conflict scale of Carlson et al. Psychosocial and organizational constraints at work were assessed through the nursing work index - extended organization in its specific version designed for nurses. Assessment of neck and lumbar pain was carried out with the standardized Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire. Results. Seventy-two nurses participated in the present study (participation rate = 100%) with a mean age of 42.38 ± 10.85 years. Binary logistic regression analyses retained strain-based work-to-family conflict as a significant determinant of both LBP (p < 10^-3; odds ratio [OR] = 5.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] [2.1, 11.7]) and neck pain (p = 0.001; OR = 6.8; 95% CI [2.13, 22]). Conclusions. Strain-based work-to-family conflict was found to predict lumbar and cervical pain more than the other types of conflict in nursing staff. Thus, reducing strain in health-care settings should be a central component of the preventive approach of musculoskeletal disorders in nursing staff.

A resource-based perspective on work–family conflict: meta-analytical findings

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an updated and theory-driven meta-analysis of work–family conflict (WFC). The authors quantitatively review the relationships between WFC and three pairs of antecedents and several consequences.

Design/methodology/approach

A meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the research model. Specifically, the authors adopt a resource-based perspective (i.e. conservation of resources (COR) theory) to investigate the relationships between three pairs of antecedents (demand/control, autonomy/hours spent at both work and family domains and role overload/flexibility) and WFC. While COR theory argues that resource loss perceptions would generate much more influential impact on individuals comparing to that of resource gain, both favourable and unfavourable antecedents, representing resource gain and resource loss, respectively, are incorporated in each pair of antecedents. This inclusion of contrary antecedents allows the authors to investigate the comparison of the relationships between the favourable antecedents – WFC relationships and the unfavourable factors – WFC relationships. In addition, the authors analyse how and to what extent WFC influences employees’ attitudes (i.e. commitment), behaviours (i.e. performance) towards both work and family, and their career consequences.

Findings

The meta-analytical findings generally support the hypotheses. Work and family demands are found positively related to WFC, while having a control at either work or family would be negatively related to WFC. Perceiving a high level of autonomy at work is negatively related to WFC, and hours spend at work has a positive relation with WFC. Role overload at both work and family are associated with WFC, while having flexibility from work schedule would be negatively related to WFC. In addition, WFC is negatively related to employee career development outcomes.

Originality/value

First, the authors adopt a resource-based view to organise both favourable and unfavourable antecedents of WFC. Second, this paper aims at extending the investigation on WFC consequences to performance at both work and family, commitment to both work and family, and employee career outcomes, because all of them are critical consequences but not fully explored in previous meta-analyses. Third, this paper has incorporated newly explored correlates of WFC (e.g. employee career development-related outcomes) and quantitatively reviewed their relationships with WFC.

The Gutenberg health study: associations between occupational and private stress factors and work-privacy conflict

Background

Work-privacy conflict (WPC) is no longer a rarity but constitutes a societal problem. The objectives of the present study were (1) to investigate the distribution and prevalence of WPC among the employed participants in the Gutenberg Health Study at baseline and (2) to study the dependence of WPC on a broad range of private life and occupational characteristics as well as on psychosocial working conditions.

Methods

This analysis is based on a representative, population-based sample of 3,709 employees participating in the Gutenberg Health Study. Descriptive and bivariable analyses were carried out separately for women and men. Distribution and prevalence of WPC were examined according to socio-demographic and occupational characteristics as well as psychosocial working conditions. Further, stepwise selection of Poisson log-linear regression models were performed to determine which socio-demographic and occupational characteristics were most associated with the outcome variable WPC and to obtain adjusted prevalence ratios from the final model. The multivariable analyses were conducted both separately for women and men and with all subjects together in one analysis.

Results

There was a high prevalence of WPC in the present study (27.4 % of the men and 23.0 % of the women reported a high or very high WPC). A variety of factors was associated with WPC, e.g. full-time employment, depression and many of the psychosocial risk factors at work. Also, the multivariable results showed that women were of higher risk for a WPC.

Conclusions

By affecting the individual work life, home life, and the general well-being and health, WPC may lead to detrimental effects in employees, their families, employers, and society as a whole. Therefore, the high prevalence of WPC in our sample should be of concern. Among women, the risk for suffering from WPC was even higher, most likely due to multiple burdens.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-016-2881-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Work-Family Conflict, Task Interruptions, and Influence at Work Predict Musculoskeletal Pain in Operating Room Nurses

Background

The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints in Swiss operating room (OR) nurses, and to investigate how work–family conflict, work interruptions, and influence at work are related to lumbar and cervical back pain.

Methods

Participants in this correlational questionnaire study included 116 OR nurses from eight different hospitals in Switzerland.

Results

We found that 66% of the OR staff suffered from musculoskeletal problems. The most prevalent musculoskeletal complaints were lumbar (52.7%) and cervical pain (38.4%). Furthermore, 20.5% reported pain in the mid spine region, 20.5% in the knees and legs, and 9.8% in the hands and feet. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that work–family conflict (p < 0.05) and interruptions (p < 0.05) significantly predicted lumbar and cervical pain in OR nurses, while influence at work (p < 0.05) only predicted lumbar pain.

Conclusion

These results suggest that reducing the work–family conflict and interruptions at work, as well as offering opportunities to influence one's workplace, help to promote OR nurses' health.

Part time work, productivity and institutional policies

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test a multilevel framework for examining the links between part time work, productivity and institutional context. The authors emphasize the importance of integrating different theoretical perspectives to enrich the understanding of nonstandard work arrangements such as part time and organizational effectiveness such as productivity.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors used data from 2,839 businesses in 21 OECD countries. At the firm level, primary data were collected from the 2008 to 2010 survey of the Cranet research network. At the national level, the authors used information from OECD and Botero et al. (2004). The authors analysed the data using hierarchical linear modelling.

Findings

– Firm use of part time work relates negatively to employment legislation but positively to gender empowerment. The relationship between part time work and productivity at firm level is moderated by employment legislation.

Research limitations/implications

– This study provides a basis for research in nonstandard work, firm outcomes and institutional policies to further advance.

Practical implications

– Results indicate how managers should consider the relevant institutional context when deciding whether to promote the use of part time work. Results also show that policy-makers should be careful since employment policies may have adverse effects on use of part time in specific contexts.

Originality/value

– The authors make theoretical and empirical contributions to the study of nonstandard arrangements by introducing a framework that better captures the complex interrelations between use of part time work, productivity and institutional context. Theoretically, the authors combine the resource based view with institutional theory into a multilevel framework that challenges the conventional model of the flexible firm.

The Impact of Subjective Work Control, Job Strain and Work-Family Conflict on Fertility Intentions: a European Comparison

The link between employment and fertility is often only examined by focussing on women's labour market status or the impact of part- versus full-time employment. This study introduces a new explanation by extending research to examine how women's subjective perceptions of control or autonomy over work, job strain and work-family conflict influence fertility intentions. National-level measures of childcare enrolment under the age of three and the occurrence of part-time work are also included to examine their relation to fertility intentions and their interplay with perceptions of work. Using data from 23 countries from the 2004/5 European Social Survey (ESS), multilevel logistic regression models of fertility intentions are estimated separately for women without children and women with one child. Women with higher levels of work control are significantly more likely to intend to have a second child. Higher levels of job strain (time pressure) significantly lower fertility intentions for mothers in contexts where childcare availability is low. The prevalence of part-time work amongst the female work force significantly predicts the intention to become a mother but has different effects for women who work part-time themselves compared with full-time employees.

Expanding the boundaries of work—family research: A review and agenda for future research

Given the dominance of work—family research within the context of the United States and a disparate and fractured understanding of the dynamic interplay between work and family for those who live and work beyond the borders of the United States, we review and synthesize 219 empirical work—family studies that have targeted employees outside of the United States. Our review answers four questions about international work—family research. First, what constitutes the work—family interface and is there consensus about how to measure it? Second, what theories have researchers used to explain the work—family interface? Third, which antecedents and consequences of the work—family interface are common across countries and which are unique to particular countries? Fourth, what can we learn from this review that will inform future research in this area? Based on our review, a universal theoretical framework that integrates both work—family conflict and facilitation is provided. Future research directions are also discussed.

Work-life conflict and musculoskeletal disorders: a cross-sectional study of an unexplored association

Background

The health consequences of work-family or rather work-life conflict (WLC) have been studied by numerous researchers. The work-related causes of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are also well explored. And stress (at work) has been found to be a consequence of WLC as well as a cause of MSD. But very little is known about a potential association between WLC and MSD and the possible mediating role of stress in this relationship.

Methods

Survey data collected in 2007 among the workforces of four large companies in Switzerland were used for this study. The study population covered 6091 employees. As the exposure variable and hypothesized risk factor for MSD, WLC was measured by using a 10-item scale based on an established 18-item scale on work-family conflict. The outcome variables used as indicators of MSD were (low) back pain and neck/shoulder pain. Stress as the assumed intervening variable was assessed by a validated single-item measure of general stress perception. Correlation coefficients (r), standardized regression coefficients (β) and multiple adjusted odds ratios (OR) were calculated as measures of association.

Results

WLC was found to be quite strongly associated with MSD (β = .21). This association turned out to be substantially confounded by physical strain at work, workload and job autonomy and was considerably reduced but far from being completely eliminated after adjusting for general stress as another identified risk factor of MSD and a proven strong correlate of WLC (r = .44). A significant and relevant association still remained (β = .10) after having controlled for all considered covariates. This association could be fully attributed to only one direction of WLC, namely the work-to-life conflict. In subsequent analyses, a clear gradient between this WLC direction and both types of MSD was found, and proved to be consistent for both men and women. Employees who were most exposed to such work-to-life conflict were also most at risk and showed a fivefold higher prevalence rate (19%-42%) and also an up to sixfold increased relative risk (OR = 3.8-6.3) of suffering greatly from these types of MSD compared with the least exposed reference group showing very low WLC in this direction. Including stress in the regression models again reduced the strength of the association significantly (OR = 1.9-4.1), giving an indication for a possible indirect effect of WLC on MSD mediated by stress.

Conclusion

Future research and workplace interventions for the prevention of MSD need to consider WLC as an important stressor, and the MSD risk factor identified in this study.

Changes in working time arrangements over time as a consequence of work-family conflict

Existing longitudinal studies on the relationship between working time arrangements (WTA) and work-family conflict have mainly focused on the normal causal relationship, that is, the impact of WTA on work-family conflict over time. So far, however, the reversed relationship, that is, the effect of work-family conflict on adjustments in WTA over time, has hardly been studied. Because work-family conflict is highly prevalent in the working population, further insight in this reverse relationship is invaluable to gain insight into secondary selection processes. The aim of this study is to investigate whether work-family conflict is prospectively related to adjustments in work schedules, working hours, and overtime work, and to explore sex differences and different time lags in this relation. Data of the prospective Maastricht Cohort Study were used. To study the effect of work-family conflict on a change from shift- to day work over 32 months of follow-up, male three-shift (n = 727), five-shift (n = 932), and irregular-shift (n = 451) workers were selected. To study effects of work-family conflict on reduction of working hours over 12 and 24 months of follow-up, respectively, only day workers (males and females) were selected, capturing 5809 full-time workers (> or =36 h/wk) and 1387 part-time workers (<36 h/wk) at baseline. To examine effects of work-family conflict on refraining from overtime work over 12 months of follow-up, only day workers reporting frequent overtime work at baseline were selected (3145 full-time and 492 part-time workers). Cox regression analyses were performed with adjustments for age, educational level, and presence of a long-term illness. Work-family conflict was associated with a significantly increased risk of changing from shift- to day work over 32 months of follow-up in three-shift workers (relative risk [RR] = 1.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19-2.63) but not in five-shift workers (RR = 1.32, 95% CI 0.78-2.24) and irregular-shift workers (RR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.50-1.31). Within day workers, work-family conflict among full-time workers was associated with a significantly increased risk of reducing working hours during 1 yr of follow-up in women (RR = 2.80, 95% CI 1.42-5.54) but not men (RR = 1.34, 95% CI 0.81-2.22). In part-time workers, work-family conflict was associated with a significantly increased risk of reducing working hours during 1 yr of follow-up both in women (RR = 1.99, 95% CI 1.04-3.82) and men (RR = 4.03, 95% CI 1.28-12.68). Whereas the effects of work-family conflict on a reduction of working hours somewhat decreased among female full-time workers after 2 yr of follow-up (RR = 2.13, 95% CI 1.24-3.66), among male full-time workers the effects increased and reached statistical significance (RR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.05-2.21). Work-family conflict was not significantly associated with refraining from overtime work over 1 yr of follow-up. This study shows that work-family conflict has important consequences in terms of adjustments in work schedules and working hours over time, with considerable sex differences. The study thereby clearly illustrates secondary selection processes both in shift- and day workers, with significant implications for labor force participation, emphasizing the need for prevention of work-family conflict.

Work-life conflict and associations with work- and nonwork-related factors and with physical and mental health outcomes: a nationally representative cross-sectional study in Switzerland

Background

The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to examine work- and nonwork- related factors and physical and mental health outcomes associated with combined time- and strain-based work-life conflict (WLC) among adult employees living and working in Switzerland as well as possible gender differences in this regard.

Methods

The data used for the study were taken from wave 6 of the nationally representative Swiss Household Panel (SHP) collected in 2004. The analysis was restricted to 4'371 employees aged 20 to 64 years. Trivariate crosstabulations and multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses stratified by gender were performed in order to calculate gender-specific prevalence rates (%), beta coefficients (β) and crude as well as multiple adjusted odds ratios (OR) as measures of association.

Results

Every eighth person (12.5%) within the study population has a high or very high WLC score. Prevalence rates are clearly above average in men and women with higher education, in executive positions or managerial functions, in full-time jobs, with variable work schedules, regular overtime, long commuting time to work and job insecurity. Working overtime regularly, having variable work schedules and being in a management position are most strongly associated with WLC in men, whereas in women the level of employment is the strongest explanatory variable by far, followed by variable work schedules and high job status (managerial position). In both men and women, WLC is associated with several physical and mental health problems. Employees with high or very high WLC show a comparatively high relative risk of self-reported poor health, anxiety and depression, lack of energy and optimism, serious backache, headaches, sleep disorders and fatigue. While overall prevalence rate of (very) high WLC is higher in men than in women, associations between degrees of WLC and most health outcomes are stronger in women than in men.

Conclusion

This important issue which up to now has been largely neglected in public health research needs to be addressed in future public health research and, if the findings are confirmed by subsequent (longitudinal) studies, to be considered in workplace health promotion and interventions in Switzerland as elsewhere.

Interference between work and outside-work demands relative to health: unwinding possibilities among full-time and part-time employees

BACKGROUND

Demands from work and home may interfere with one another and the stress engendered by that can be detrimental to health.

PURPOSE

To study the relationship between experienced interference and subjective health, and address the impact of unwinding on these associations.

METHOD

Questionnaire data from a representative sample of the Swedish population are used considering full-time and part-time employed women and men aged 25-64. The associations between negative interference (either work-home or home-work) and sleep quality, self-rated health, and the use of sleeping pills/tranquillizers are analyzed by means of logistic regressions, compiling odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The impact of adjustment for lack of unwinding on these associations is assessed.

RESULTS

Work-home interference is associated with suboptimal sleep quality and self-rated health for both women and men. The significance of this disappears among women after adjustment for lack of unwinding, regardless of work schedule. Among both sexes, home-work interference is associated with suboptimal sleep quality and self-rated health. When adjusting for lack of unwinding, the relationship to sleep quality disappears, but not the one to self-rated health, equally for women and men.

CONCLUSION

Only among women, unwinding seems to buffer the association between work-home interference and health.

Combining work and family in the Netherlands: blessing or burden for one's mental health?

In this article we study which characteristics of combining work and family put people at risk for mental illness. Two alternative perspectives on the impact of multiple social roles on mental health are tested: the role accumulation perspective and the role strain perspective. Both perspectives are studied with data from a cross-sectional national survey held among a large, representative sample of Dutch people (N=1008). Multivariate analyses provided support for both perspectives. Having more social roles was related to better mental health. We also found a positive mental health effect of having a full-time job in combination with having children. However, having a partner who contributes less to household duties or having a job with low decision latitude or lower skill discretion was related to mental illness. So, certain aspects of social roles may also threaten people's mental health. Overall, our findings do not support the idea that combining work and family is necessarily a burden and harmful for people's mental health. Whether multiple social roles are a blessing or burden for people's mental health seems to depend on the characteristics of the social roles.