Work-related Internet use as a threat to work-life balance – a comparison between the emerging on-line professions and traditional office work

Abstract

In the present study, the authors focused on the comparison of work characteristics related to the possibility of striking the right work- nonwork balance, as well as satisfaction with the actual work-life balance (WLB), negative work-to-home conflict and the quality of life related to social relationships, between a new group of on-line workers (social media or e-marketing specialists, search engine optimization or search engine marketing specialists, e-public relations experts etc.) and traditional office workers. The authors conducted a questionnaire study covering 189 on-line workers (whose work required permanent presence on-line) and 200 office workers (using the Internet mainly to communicate with other departments and to search for information). The results showed that the on-line workers reported a significantly lower satisfaction with WLB and a higher negative work-home interaction. The authors found no differences as regards the social quality of life between the studied groups. These findings confirm that technology advancement opens a new chapter in organizational psychology and occupational health, especially in the context of the emerging on-line occupations. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2020;33(1):21-33.