An exploratory study to assess the impact of work demands and the anticipation of work on awakening saliva cortisol

Examining workweek variations in computer usage patterns: An application of ergonomic monitoring software

Alternative work arrangements have emerged as potential solutions to enhance productivity and work-life balance. However, accurate and objective measurement of work patterns is essential to make decisions about adjusting work arrangements. This study aimed at evaluating objective computer usage metrics as a proxy for productivity using RSIGuard, an ergonomics monitoring software. Data were collected from 789 office-based employees over a two-year period between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2018 at a large energy company in Texas. A generalized mixed-effects model was utilized to compare computer usage patterns across different days of the week and times of the day. Our findings demonstrate that computer output metrics significantly decrease on Fridays compared to other weekdays, even after controlling for total active hours. Additionally, we found that workers' output varied depending on the time of day, with reduced computer usage observed in the afternoons and a significant decrease on Friday afternoons. The decrease in the number of typos was much less than that in the number of words typed, indicating reduced work efficiency on Friday afternoons. These objective indicators provide a novel approach to evaluating the productivity during the workweek and can help optimize work arrangements to promote sustainability for the benefit of employers, employees, and the environment.

Does salivary cortisol secretion mediate the association of work-related stressors with workers' depression?

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to verify the mediating role salivary cortisol intensity plays between work organization conditions and depression. This study simultaneously considered psychological and physiological (salivary cortisol) stress indicators on workers' depression in a single model.

METHODS

We relied on cluster sampling of 341 workers in 34 Quebec establishments. Five saliva samples (on awakening, 30 min after awakening, at 2:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., and bedtime) were collected per day. The weekly collection period spanned a period of 3 days (1 day off and 2 work days). We evaluated the main effects of work organization conditions on salivary cortisol intensity and depression, as well as the mediation effect of salivary cortisol intensity between work organization conditions and depression. To adjust for design effects, the direct and indirect (mediation) associations between the variables were evaluated while accounting for the non-independence of the data.

RESULTS

Skill utilization and job insecurity were associated with salivary cortisol intensity, while psychological demands and job insecurity were associated with higher depression levels. Work-related variables were not found to have an indirect effect on depression via worker's salivary cortisol (AUC) intensity.

CONCLUSION

Work-related stressors examined in this study did not indirectly affect worker's depression levels. Additional studies are necessary to be able to identify all work-related stressors that could potentially increase worker's depression levels through salivary cortisol.

Dynamics in typewriting performance reflect mental fatigue during real-life office work

Mental fatigue has repeatedly been associated with decline in task performance in controlled situations, such as the lab, and in less controlled settings, such as the working environment. Given that a large number of factors can influence the course of mental fatigue, it is challenging to objectively and unobtrusively monitor mental fatigue on the work floor. We aimed to provide a proof of principle of a method to monitor mental fatigue in an uncontrolled office environment, and to study how typewriting dynamics change over different time-scales (i.e., time-on-task, time-of-day, day-of-week). To investigate this, typewriting performance of university employees was recorded for 6 consecutive weeks, allowing not only to examine performance speed, but also providing a natural setting to study error correction. We show that markers derived from typewriting are susceptible to changes in behavior related to mental fatigue. In the morning, workers first maintain typing speed during prolonged task performance, which resulted in an increased number of typing errors they had to correct. During the day, they seemed to readjust this strategy, reflected in a decline in both typing speed and accuracy. Additionally, we found that on Mondays and Fridays, workers adopted a strategy that favored typing speed, while on the other days of the week typing accuracy was higher. Although workers are allowed to take breaks, mental fatigue builds up during the day. Day-to-day patterns show no increase in mental fatigue over days, indicating that office workers are able to recover from work-related demands after a working day.

Adolescent Life Stress and the Cortisol Awakening Response: The Moderating Roles of Attachment and Sex

This longitudinal study investigated how past versus current life stresses relate to adolescents' cortisol awakening response (CAR), an index of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity. Ninety-nine adolescents reported previous year life stress at ages 12 and 18. At the second assessment, participants also provided self-reports of parent and peer attachment and 3 days of cortisol samples. Current stress was associated with heightened CAR for both males and females, whereas past stress was associated with attenuated CAR for males. Attachment to peers buffered the relationship between past stress and attenuated CAR for all adolescents; attachment to parents was a buffer for male adolescents only. Results demonstrate the protective roles of adolescent relationships and highlight sex differences in biopsychosocial development across adolescence.

The moderating role of personality traits in the relationship between work and salivary cortisol: a cross-sectional study of 401 employees in 34 Canadian companies

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to evaluate the contribution of personality traits in explaining the relationship between workplace stressors and variations in salivary cortisol concentrations.

METHOD

Multilevel regression analyses were performed on a sample of 401 employees from 34 Quebec firms. Saliva samples were collected five times a day (on awakening, 30 min after awakening, and at 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and bedtime). Sample collection was repeated on three days (1 rest day, 2 working days). Work-related variables comprised skill utilization, decision authority, psychological demands, physical demands, job insecurity, irregular schedule, number of working hours, and social support from coworkers and supervisors. Personality traits comprised self-esteem, locus of control, and the Big Five.

RESULTS

Cortisol levels at awakening and 30 min later were significantly higher for work days than for days off. Psychological demands and job insecurity were associated with lower cortisol levels at bedtime. Also, self-esteem moderated the relationship between physical demands and cortisol levels at awakening and 4 p.m. Agreeableness was associated with lower cortisol levels at awakening and at 2 p.m. and further moderated the relationship between number of hours worked and cortisol at 2 p.m. Neuroticism moderated the relationship between coworker support and cortisol at bedtime.

CONCLUSION

Specific working conditions and certain personality traits are associated with variations in salivary cortisol concentrations. In addition, certain personality traits moderate the relationship between stressors and salivary cortisol concentrations. In conclusion, salivary cortisol concentrations at work seem to be modulated in part by personality traits.

Long-term impact of role stress and cognitive rumination upon morning and evening saliva cortisol secretion

The long-term impact of role stress (conflict and ambiguity), cognitive rumination and their interaction were analysed upon morning and evening saliva cortisol secretion. The sample consisted of 52 male and 24 female British white-collars who had participated in a survey study on psychosocial working conditions 3.5 years earlier. Saliva cortisol secretion was measured over seven consecutive days with two measures: in the morning on awakening and at 22.00 hours. Stepwise linear multiple regression analyses was used for the statistical analyses. Role ambiguity at baseline and the interaction between role ambiguity and trait rumination contributed to explaining elevations in morning saliva cortisol secretion 3.5 years later (R(2) = 0.045; F = 4.57; p < 0.05), while role conflict at baseline significantly predicted increases in long-term evening saliva cortisol (R(2) = 0.057; F = 8.99; p < 0.01). The findings support a long-term relationship between chronic stress exposure and saliva cortisol secretion and some support for the assumption of cognitive rumination moderating the stressor-strain relationship. STATEMENT OF RElevance: The study is of interest for ergonomics practice because it demonstrates that work role ambiguity and role conflict, typically associated with organisational downsizing and restructuring, may contribute to long-term psycho-physiological reactivity. This could expose workers to increased health risks. Therefore, stress management programmes should include the concept of role stress, especially at a time where many work organisations are undergoing significant change. Management should also be made aware of the importance of communicating clear goals, objectives and lines of authority as well as providing sufficient training for those in new job roles.