Change in Work-Time Control and Work-Home Interference Among Swedish Working Men and Women: Findings from the SLOSH Cohort Study.

Constanze Leineweber,Petra Lindfors,Göran Kecklund,Linda L Magnusson Hanson

doi:10.1007/s12529-016-9565-8

Constanze Leineweber, Petra Lindfors + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-016-9565-8

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Abstract

PurposeThe aim is to study the influence of change in work–time control (WTC) on work–home interference (WHI) while adjusting for other work-related factors, demographics, changes at work and WHI at baseline among women and men. An additional aim was to explore sex differences in the relation between change in WTC and WHI.MethodsThe study included working participants of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) study of the third (2010) and fourth (2012) waves (n = 5440). Based on a seven-item index, four groups of WTC were formed: stable high (40 %), stable low (42 %), increasing (9 %), or decreasing (9 %) WTC over the 2 years. WHI was measured by four items and individuals were categorised in whether suffering or not suffering of WHI. Sex-stratified logistic regression analyses with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate the odds of experiencing WHI by change in WTC.ResultsControlling for demographics and work-related factors, women with stable low (OR = 1.46; 95 % CI 1.14–1.88) and women and men with decreasing WTC (women OR = 1.99; 95 % CI 1.38–2.85; men OR = 1.80; 95 % CI 1.18–2.73) had higher odds of WHI than those with a stable high WTC. Additionally, adjusting for changes at work and WHI at baseline did not alter the results substantially. Interaction analysis did not reveal any significant sex difference in the relation between WTC and WHI.ConclusionsFor both women and men decreased and for women only, low control over working hours resulted in WHI also after adjusting for work-related factors and demographics.

Highlights

Many employees experience difficulties in satisfactorily combining work and home demands, which may result in conflicts between these demands
Interaction analysis did not reveal any significant sex difference in the relation between work–time control (WTC) and work–home interference (WHI). For both women and men decreased and for women only, low control over working hours resulted in WHI after adjusting for work-related factors and demographics
One possible measure to facilitate the compatibility of work and home demands is to increase work–time control (WTC) which can be defined as ‘an employee’s possibilities of control over the duration, position and distribution of his or her work time’ [5]

Summary

Introduction

Many employees experience difficulties in satisfactorily combining work and home demands, which may result in conflicts between these demands. In Sweden, more than 30 % of all parents seldom or never experience balance between demands from the work and home spheres [1], with figures from other European countries being similar. This type of imbalance may be associated with short- and long-term stress reactions and has been related to negative health outcomes including e.g. suboptimal sleep quality [2], poor self-rated health [2] and sickness absence [3]. An adequate balance between work and private demands is important for the individual and for organisations that want healthy and productive employees.

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