Changes In Working Hours Research Articles

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers

Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers’ perception of job pressure as well as their anxiety and depression levels. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from 109 healthcare workers enrolled in two MBA courses in Healthcare Human Resources Management at a university in the Southern USA, respectively, Fall 2020 and Fall 2021. A path analysis was conducted to test a model of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers’ perception of job pressure as well as their anxiety and depression levels. Findings The study results showed treatment of COVID-19 patients led to increased work hours for healthcare workers; changes in work hours and work methods were related to healthcare workers’ perception of job pressure; healthcare workers perceptions of job pressure were positively related to their anxiety levels; organizational support was negatively related to healthcare workers’ anxiety levels; and healthcare workers’ anxiety levels were positively related to their depression levels. Originality/value Findings from the tested model provide support for the Job Demands-Resources model in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unveiling the health implications of working hours in the Indonesian workforce

This research aims to evaluate and compare the impact of working hours on the physical and psychological well-being of workers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, where people were forced to work from home. While existing studies primarily concentrate on the physical and mental health of office workers, there is a notable gap in understanding how changes in work hours affect individuals in various professional sectors. This study seeks to address this gap by conducting a comprehensive investigation across a diverse range of employment, encompassing white collar, gray collar, and blue collar occupations. Using datasets from Indonesia's National Labor Survey (Sakernas) in 2019 and 2020, the study focuses on the working-age population engaged in various occupations, including employees, casual agricultural workers, and casual non-agricultural workers. Further categorization involves classifying individuals into white collar, gray collar, and blue collar segments. The total number of individuals analyzed was 215,607 in 2019 and 201,077 in 2020. Employing an ordered logistic regression method due to the categorical nature of the dependent variable, the study reveals consistent findings regarding the impact of working hours on health across the years 2019 and 2020. Extended work hours correlate with improved health outcomes, indicating better health for those working longer, while individuals with fewer hours exhibit lower chances of achieving good health. In 2019, occupational status significantly influences worker health, with gray and blue collar workers having lower probabilities of better health compared to white collar workers. However, this occupational effect on health is absent in 2020.

The role of multidimensional health patterns over time in older workers' labor force participation

Abstract Background A non-negligible share of workers is affected by adverse health at the end of their careers. While many of them drop out of the labor force, others remain, prompting the question of how various health indicators interact to influence these different pathways. Therefore, we investigate the effect of multidimensional health patterns on labor force participation among older workers. Methods We used six-year-longitudinal data from 5007 older workers (Mean age: 55.8 years; 55.9 % female) from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. First, we conducted a latent transition analysis with four indicators (chronic diseases, limitations with activities, perceived health, and depression) to identify multidimensional health patterns. Second, we examined individual change in these patterns over time and their association with workers’ job situations and changes in work hours four years later using Wald-tests. Results We identified four multidimensional health patterns with high structural stability over time (ranging from <.005 to .25): (1) Overall healthy workers, (2) workers with moderate activity limitations and low perceived health, (3) overall unhealthy workers, and (4) physically healthy workers with low perceived health and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, individuals predominantly remain in the same pattern over time, except for pattern (4), where 56% of the individuals transition to pattern (1). Moreover, we found differences between the patterns in job situation (p < .001) and changes in work hours (p < .001) four years later with patterns (2) and (4) showing the greatest reduction in working hours. Conclusions The high rate of transitions from the pattern (4) to the more favorable pattern (1) may be explained by the relatively high potential for recovery from depression. Our findings suggest that interventions among older workers with depressive symptoms and moderate activity limitations may improve their chances to remain in the labor force. Key messages • We identified four largely stable multidimensional health patterns over time. • Older workers with moderate activity limitations and low perceived health reduced their work hours most strongly.

Time to Grow Up? Adult Children as Determinants of Parental Labor Supply

Abstract As children transition to adulthood, do they remain a major determinant of parental labor supply? To answer this question, we examine how college costs affect the labor supply of mothers and fathers by exploiting the roll-out of nine generous state merit aid programs in the United States from 1993 to 2004, which made college more affordable. Mothers of college-age children decreased their annual hours of work after the introduction of these state-wide programs, while fathers did not adjust their labor supply. Mothers of college-going children were entirely responsible for the decline in hours of work, where mothers of children who did not go to college experienced no change in hours of work. The decline in labor supply was mainly due to adjustments among high-income, married, more educated, and white mothers, whose labor supply was more elastic to college costs.

1007-P: Employment and Work Conditions among U.S. Adults with Diagnosed Diabetes Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Pandemic

Persons with diabetes mellitus (DM) have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic compared with those without diabetes. How the pandemic has affected the employment and work conditions of persons with DM is unknown. Using 2018-2021 National Health Interview Survey data, we examined changes in the likelihood of being employed, having paid sick leave, and changes in work hours per week before and after the pandemic among US adults aged 18-64 years with DM using Chi-squared or t-tests. We also examined the likelihood of having social distance measures in place at work and working closer than 6 feet to other people during the pandemic. We compared the changes in the gap of these measures between persons with and without DM before and after the pandemic using multivariable linear regression. Compared with the pre-pandemic period, persons (men and women, and those with and without DM) worked longer hours and were more likely to have paid sick leave after the pandemic. Changes in the gap between persons with and without diabetes in those measures were not statistically significant (see table). Men with DM were more likely to work closer than 6 feet to others than men without DM. The COVID-19 pandemic does not appear to have affected labor market outcomes for persons with DM relative to those without DM. Future research may confirm this finding and explore reasons to explain the identified patterns. Disclosure S.Tang: None. Y.Chen: None. P.Zhang: None.

Changes in work/sleep patterns due to the COVID-19 pandemic are associated with psychological distress among Japanese workers.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted working life quality. This study investigated whether changes in work/sleep patterns due to the pandemic are related to poor psychological status among Japanese workers during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (December 2020). We hypothesized that workers who experienced drastic changes in working hours and sleep duration would be at an increased risk of psychological distress. A cross-sectional self-administered Internet survey was conducted that included questions regarding socio-demographics, lifestyle, health, and occupational background and conditions. Multivariable logistic regression models were utilized to examine the association between psychological distress and a combination of changes in working hours and sleep duration. Among 25,762 workers, decreased work hours and decreased sleep duration presented 2.59 times higher odds of psychological distress (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.05-3.28) compared to those who had no changes in work hours combined with unchanged sleep duration (reference group). Increased work hours and decreased sleep duration were associated with 1.98 times higher odds of psychological distress (95% CI = 1.64-2.39). Our observations confirmed that decreased sleep duration could be a key factor for psychological distress, irrespective of working hours. Interestingly, workers with a combination of decreased work hours and sleep duration posed the highest risk of psychological distress. Decreased work hours accompanied by financial difficulties in the early stage of the pandemic may have caused decreased sleep duration, resulting in a high prevalence of psychological distress. Our study underlined the importance of sleep management in maintaining workers' mental health, moreover, the need to consider situations and conditions of other daily tasks, such as work hours, for better sleep management.

Disparities in COVID-19 Impacts on Work Hours and Career Satisfaction by Gender and Race among Scientists in the US: An Online Survey Study

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on work–life balance may be unequal between female and male scientists. Further information is needed regarding whether the working conditions and career satisfaction for women and racialized scientists are disproportionately affected by the pandemic. This online survey collected data from 1171 scientists in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), and medicine (STEMM), public health, or other areas of science/engineering working in the US to examine potential disparities in changes in work hours and career satisfaction by gender and race/ethnicity. A significantly higher percentage of women reported increased work hours compared to men. Women, especially racialized women, experienced disproportionately higher increases in teaching and service than the other groups, which contributed to the increased total work hours for women. Satisfaction with the current career progress was lowest for racialized women compared to their counterparts. Our results indicate that the pandemic has inequitably affected allocation of workloads and career satisfaction by gender and race in scientific fields. Institutions of higher education and other research organizations should acknowledge the gender/race differences in science before and during the pandemic to better support the career development and achievement of all scientists, especially women and even more so racialized women.

Essential and non-essential US workers’ health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic

We seek to quantify the relationship between health behaviors and work-related experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic by predicting health behaviors as a function of essential worker status, job loss, change in work hours, and COVID-19 experiences. We use multivariate models and survey data from 913 employed adults in a semi-rural mid-Atlantic US county, and test whether essential worker results vary by gender, parenthood, and/or university employment. Multivariate models indicate that essential workers used tobacco on more days (4.5; p <.01) and were less likely to sleep 8 h (odds ratio [OR] 0.6; p <.01) than non-essential workers. The risk of sleeping less than 8 h is concentrated among essential workers in the service industry (OR 0.5; p <.05) and non-parents (OR 0.5; p <.05). Feminine essential workers exercised on fewer days (-0.8; p <.05) than feminine non-essential workers. Workers with reduced work hours consumed more alcoholic drinks (0.3; p <.05), while workers with increased work hours consumed alcohol (0.3; p <.05) and exercised (0.6; p <.05) on more days. Essential worker status and changes in work hours are correlated with unhealthy behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Differences in self-perception of productivity and mental health among the STEMM-field scientists during the COVID-19 pandemic by sex and status as a parent: A survey in six languages.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented challenges for working conditions for scientists, but little is known for how the associations of these challenges with scientists' mental health and productivity differ by sex and status as a parent. This online survey study in six languages collected data from 4,494 scientists in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine fields across 132 countries during October-December 2021. We compared the type of challenges for work, changes in work hours, and perception in productivity during the pandemic by sex and status as a parent (children <18 years living at home). Regression analyses analyzed the impacts of changed working conditions and work-life factors on productivity and mental health. We found that the percentage of participants with increased work hours was the highest in female participants, especially without children. Disproportionately higher increases in work hours were found for teaching and administration in women than men and for research/fundraising in non-parent participants than parent participants (p-value<0.001). Female participants were more concerned about the negative impacts of the pandemic on publications and long-term career progress, and less satisfied with their career progress than their male counterparts. There were differences in the type of institutional actions for the pandemic across study regions. The identified obstacles for work and home-life factors were associated with higher risks of experiencing depression, anxiety, and stress. Decision makers should consider the gender differences in the pandemic's adverse impacts on productivity in establishing equitable actions for career progress for scientists during pandemics.

Non-Standard Employment and Unemployment during the COVID-19 Crisis: Economic and Health Findings from a Six-Country Survey Study.

The COVID-19 crisis is a global event that has created and amplified social inequalities, including an already existing and steadily increasing problem of employment and income insecurity and erosion of workplace rights, affecting workers globally. The aim of this exploratory study was to review employment-related determinants of health and health protection during the pandemic, or more specifically, to examine several links between non-standard employment, unemployment, economic, health, and safety outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden, Belgium, Spain, Canada, the United States, and Chile, based on an online survey conducted from November 2020 to June 2021. The study focused on both non-standard workers and unemployed workers and examined worker outcomes in the context of current type and duration of employment arrangements, as well as employment transitions triggered by the COVID-19 crisis. The results suggest that COVID-19-related changes in non-standard worker employment arrangements, or unemployment, are related to changes in work hours, income, and benefits, as well as the self-reported prevalence of suffering from severe to extreme anxiety or depression. The results also suggest a link between worker type, duration of employment arrangements, or unemployment, and the ability to cover regular expenses during the pandemic. Additionally, the findings indicate that the type and duration of employment arrangements are related to the provision of personal protective equipment or other COVID-19 protection measures. This study provides additional evidence that workers in non-standard employment and the unemployed have experienced numerous and complex adverse effects of the pandemic and require additional protection through tailored pandemic responses and recovery strategies.

ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF COVID IN THE SECOND YEAR ON INCOME OF WORKERS IN WEST JAVA WITH MULTINOMIAL LOGISTIC REGRESSION

The COVID-19 pandemic that hit Indonesia had a huge impact on the economy. The long period of restriction of population mobility impacted the changes of people's income. West Java is the province with the most workers affected by this pandemic. The income of workers in West Java in the first five months of the pandemic decreased by 50.1%. The existence of these problems shows that an analysis of the impact of covid on changes in worker income is very necessary. This study aims to determine the factors that have a significant effect on changes in workers' income in West Java. Based on the results of the multinomial logistic model suitability test, it was found that there was no difference in the model between the observed results and the predicted results for male workers, therefore the model could be used. In the second year of the covid pandemic, the opportunity for a person's income to decrease in West Java is still very high, at 0.9891. The factors with the highest opportunities that affect income changes in the reduced category are self-employed employment status, changes in work hours, the implementations of WFH, and workers working at terminal/station/airport locations.

Retiring From Pediatric Emergency Medicine Too Soon?: A Survey to Discover the Reasons and Start a Conversation About Solutions.

ObjectivePediatric emergency medicine is a subspecialty known for high acuity, high stress, and variable scheduling that may be difficult to maintain as one gets older. This survey sought to gain information on the reasons or plans for early retirement in pediatric emergency medicine and offer ways to address these concerns to improve longevity in the field.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was sent via email to board-certified pediatric emergency medicine physicians who were older than 50 years to assess preretirement and postretirement considerations. Results were collected from October 3, 2019, through March 15, 2020.ResultsPediatric emergency medicine physicians who find it more difficult to perform simple procedures are 3.02 (1.23–7.36) times more likely to retire before the age of 66 years. In addition, women were significantly more likely to report an intention to retire before the age of 66 years versus men (50% vs 31%, P = 0.022).DiscussionThe topic of retirement in a field that requires a wide range of procedural skills as well as constantly evolving technology is important. Understanding when and why physicians choose to retire may identify strategies to make it possible for pediatric emergency medicine physicians to prolong their careers. This may involve changes in work hours, a shift in responsibilities to a greater educational or mentor role, and/or providing opportunities to maintain skills.ConclusionsPerceived basic procedure skills deterioration significantly increased the risk for early retirement. In addition, women were significantly more likely to express intention to retire before the age of 66 years. Further research should be directed toward obtaining more detailed information to develop strategies to retain pediatric emergency medicine physicians in a capacity that benefits the physician, their institution, and their patients.

Working More, Less or the Same During COVID-19? A Mixed Method, Intersectional Analysis of Remote Workers

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed where paid work is done. Workers able to do so have been required to work remotely. We draw on survey data collected in October 2020 from a nationally representative sample of 3,017 remote workers, as well as qualitative survey data collected from 231 remote workers, to examine perceived changes in work hours from before to during the pandemic. Results indicate women are at greater risk of change (either a major decrease or a major increase)—rather than stability—in work hours. Gender also intersects with caregiving, race/ethnicity, prior remote work experiences, and socioeconomic status to shape changes in hours. Women and men in the sandwich generation, as well as women (but not men) with pre-school children, are the most likely to report a decrease in work hours, whereas women with older children at home or caring for adults (but not both) are the most likely to have an increase in hours. Remote working Black women and women moving into remote work are more likely to experience a major increase in hours worked, even as Hispanic women and Black men are the most likely to report somewhat of a reduction in work hours. Gender also intersects with SES, such that women without a college degree are more likely to have a decrease in work hours, while women with an advanced degree and women managers report a considerable increase in work hours. Qualitative data further illuminate why work hours change or remain stable for remote workers during COVID-19.

The initial impact of COVID-19 on Australasian Sonographers Part 1: Changes in scan numbers and sonographer work hours.

IntroductionCOVID‐19 has seen a series of lockdowns and suspension on non‐urgent elective surgeries. Subsequently, there was a drop in the number of diagnostic imaging services billed in April, May, 2020. A survey was undertaken from March to June 2020 to determine the initial impact of COVID‐19 on Australasian Sonographers. This article, the first in a 3‐part series presents and discusses the results of this survey pertaining to changes in the number of scans performed, and changes in the working hours of sonographers. The remaining two articles in this series address other initial COVID‐19 impacts on Australasian Sonographers.MethodsAn online survey was conducted containing questions regarding changes to work hours and examination numbers.Results444 participants answered the survey. Seventy eight percent of sonographers reported a decrease in the number of examinations being performed in their department A decrease in work hours was reported by 68% of sonographers with almost a quarter of these reporting that they had lost all their hours. A higher percentage of work hours changes were seenin private practices. Many reductions in work hours were reported to be voluntary.ConclusionScan numbers in ultrasound departments were affected by COVID‐19, as were sonographers' work hours.

Graduate nursing student stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted graduate nursing students at work, home, and school. Stress can influence the ability to focus, study, and may delay continuation in graduate school. The purpose of this study was to identify the stressors of graduate nursing students during the pandemic. A prospective, descriptive, online survey design was used to identify graduate nursing student stressors during the pandemic at one educational institution in the United States. Questions related to employment, COVID-19 exposure, institutional support, future graduate plans were summarized for the total sample and stratified by program (MS, DNP, PhD). Changes in a total stress score were evaluated pre and post onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 222 graduate nursing students completed the survey. The vast majority of students were employed before the pandemic and a significant decrease in employment occurred during the pandemic (97.3% to 90.1%, p < .001). Overall stress increased (p < .001). The increased total stress was associated with students participating in clinical rotations (q = 0.024) and having a change in work hours (q = 0.022). Nursing schools need to address graduate student concerns during the pandemic, including having clear communication platforms and offering support services.

Shift work and overtime across a career in law enforcement: a 15-year study

PurposeTo characterize changes in work hours across a career in law enforcement.Design/methodology/approachN = 113 police officers enrolled in the BCOPS cohort were studied. The police officers started their careers in law enforcement between 1994 and 2001 at a mid-sized, unionized police department in northwestern New York and continued to work at this police department for at least 15 years. Day-by-day work history records were obtained from the payroll department. Work hours, leave hours and other pay types were summarized for each calendar year across their first 15 years of employment. Linear mixed-effects models with a random intercept over subject were used to determine if there were significant changes in pay types over time.FindingsA total of 1,617 individual-years of data were analyzed. As the police officers gained seniority at the department, they worked fewer hours and fewer night shifts. Total paid hours did not significantly change due to seniority-based increases in vacation time. Night shift work was increasingly in the form of overtime as officers gained seniority. Overtime was more prevalent at the beginning of a career and after a promotion from police officer to detective.Originality/valueShiftwork and long work hours have negative effects on sleep and increase the likelihood of on-duty fatigue and performance impairment. The results suggest that there are different points within a career in law enforcement where issues surrounding shiftwork and long work hours may be more prevalent. This has important implications for predicting fatigue, developing effective countermeasures and measuring fatigue-related costs.

Australian radiographers' and radiation therapists' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

IntroductionRadiographers and radiation therapists are key patient‐facing health practitioners supporting the delivery of optimal patient care during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The aim of this research was to investigate the impact of COVID‐19 on clinical service delivery and well‐being of these healthcare professionals in Australia.MethodsA cross‐sectional online survey of Australian radiographers and radiation therapists was conducted in June–July 2020. The survey collected data on demographic characteristics, and the impact of COVID‐19 on professional practice, infection control and workplace‐related stress.ResultsA total of 218 responses were received. Changes in work hours (P < 0.001) and workload (P = 0.022) were experienced due to COVID‐19. Diagnostic radiographers reported increased procedural pressure on mobile radiography, computed tomography and general radiography. For radiation therapists, most pressure included areas of simulation and linear accelerator. PPE was in short supply at the start of the pandemic, and at the time of the study, shortages were identified for all PPE items. There was no difference in PPE supply reported by diagnostic radiographers and radiation therapists except for hand sanitiser (P = 0.003). Respondents experienced increased personal stress (61.4%) and anxiety (58.2%) at work due to COVID‐19. In addition, their work caused increased stress to their family, partners or friends (57.4%).ConclusionsCOVID‐19 has resulted in changes to clinical working patterns and service delivery. PPE shortages, as well as increased workplace‐related stress, were identified. Workplaces should seek to mitigate the pandemic impact through the provision of adequate PPE for safe practice as well as implement strategies to support and enhance staff well‐being.

Changes in the Frequency of Coworker Incivility: Roles of Work Hours, Workplace Sex Ratio, Supervisor Leadership Style, and Incivility

AbstractPrevious research has identified individual characteristics that affect experiences of coworker incivility. However, much less is known about environmental characteristics that affect these experiences. Drawing on the social learning theory and the frustration–aggression hypothesis, this study examined the effects of supervisor incivility and work hours on coworker incivility. Data collected from 692 full‐time employees showed that changes in the frequency of supervisor incivility positively predicted changes in the frequency of coworker incivility over the next 6‐month period. This relationship tended to be stronger for employees who had a supervisor lower rather than higher in the levels of autocratic leadership style. Furthermore, changes in work hours positively predicted changes in coworker incivility. The workplace sex ratio was not an important factor that differentiated experiences of coworker incivility for either men or women. The results of this study highlight the importance of attending to the environmental characteristics of the workplace to understand the occurrence of coworker incivility.

12-Year longitudinal study linking within-person changes in work and family transitions and workplace injury risk

Introduction: Despite the rich tradition of research on predictors of workplace injury, most studies rely on cross-sectional, between-person designs. Furthermore, prior research has often overlooked the possibility that factors outside the work domain can influence the occurrence of actual injuries at work. To address these limitations, the current study examined the effects of work and family demands on the occurrence of workplace injury. Drawing on the intuition of the work-home resources model (W-HR), we investigated how within-person level changes in demands and resources from both domains influence work injuries over a 12-year period. Method: We used 12 years of longitudinal data (N = 7,820) to study the long-term within-person changes in work and family domains and to capture the event of low frequency incidence such as workplace injury. Specifically, we conducted multilevel analyses to study the links between within-person change in time and energy resources both in work and family domains and within-person change in the likelihood of experiencing a workplace injury. Results and conclusion: The findings showed that within-person changes in work hours, spousal work hours, income and number of children, were significantly associated with changes in the likelihood of experiencing a workplace injury. We conclude with a discussion of implications for theory and future research of workplace injuries. Practical application: The research provided useful insights on the intimate association between work and family domains in the context of safety management.

A Shift from Cubicles to Couches

A cross-sectional, online survey was conducted in June 2020 to understand the perceptions of those who work from home (WFH). A questionnaire using Google Forms was sent across to employees of different age groups, job sectors and of various places. Queries included comfort, stress, change in work and family hours, online meetings, disrupting, most convenient and irritating factors of WFH, feeling of social isolation and missing of work-team activities. Of 72 respondents, 79% were men, 60% were above 40 years and two-thirds were in supervisory role. One in two are comfortable and relaxed with WFH. More than 60% reported increase in work hours. Family time has increased to all those who had working hours reduced. No-travel was the most convenient factor for one-third, while ‘increased work hours’ was the most irritating factor for 35%. Lack of proper infrastructure, privacy, family responsibilities and mindset were the main disruptions. Comfort-Stress factors did not vary significantly with age, gender, number of children and job level. Change in work hours, change in family time, infrastructure, privacy, balance between work-home responsibilities in addition to missing team activities, social isolation were the factors of significance for comfort and stress. Given proper infrastructure, more privacy and regulated working hours, WFH can be more comfortable and stress-free. A study with larger sample size would provide comparable data across factors. Conducting organizational level surveys across its employees in WFH could reveal more insights to help decide on cost cutting, output quality and revised compensation structures.