Non-work Activities Research Articles

Who Cares (For Whom)?

The debate about care has intensified in the COVID-19 crisis. A consensus appears to be emerging that care work—mostly provided by women—is not only essential to our societies, but also undervalued, reputationally as well as—for the paid work—regarding its remuneration. As care is essential for the cohesion of societies, there is an urgent need to improve the situation. However, care comes in too many forms for general recommendations for improving the situation to be effective. Its majority in terms of working hours is unpaid, but the paid part of it in health, caring or education, is indispensable for any society built upon a division of labor. Finally, not every activity is work, and not every work is care—thus leisure activities are not necessarily care work. Care can be motivated by a plethora of reasons, and take a diversity of forms. To allow for effective suggestions for improvement to be formulated, we deem it necessary to more systematically distinguish different classes of care (each class of course being an ideal type including a wide range of activities). We suggest doing so by first using the “potential third party” criterion to distinguish work and non-work activities, secondly classify work according to the beneficiaries (which is closely linked to but not the same as organizational characteristics), and thirdly characterize the specific role of care work in these categories. The beneficiaries also reflect the motivation held by agents why care work is undertaken, although rarely any motivation comes in isolation. Starting from the proximate causes, the first class of care is caring for oneself, be it in terms of health care, hygiene, or the self-production of consumer goods, both short and long lived. The second class we suggest is caring for the family (native and chosen family including friends). It again includes caring for their health, but also their household (either the common one, or the one the caretaker is managing for the care receiver). It often includes nursing the elderly, disabled or young children, but can also be a kind of neighborhood support, from joint gardening to mutual help in building or renovating a flat or house. Extending the reach of care even wider, we come to care for the public good, with the community from village or city district to higher levels being the beneficiaries. This includes the volunteers working with environment, development, feminist, trade unions, food banks or belief organizations. Finally, there is a whole range of professional care activities, with the possibility to take over any of the previously mentioned activities if there is a financial benefit to be expected, or one is offered by (government) subsidies. We observe a permanent process of substituting professional, exchange value oriented care work for voluntary, use value based care, and vice versa. This dynamic, in combination with the ongoing changes of technology, social security systems and work organization in the remunerated work sets the framework conditions which will determine the future of care, commercial and societal. However, such trends are no destiny; they can be shaped by political interventions. Whether or not a professional or voluntary approach is preferable, depends on the assessment criteria applied which in turn represent political, ethical and cultural preferences.

Factors Affecting Job Stress in Construction Workers

Introduction: TIn the 3rd SDGs target is “Ensure Healthy and Promote Wellbeing for all ages", it is hoped that the workforce is not only free from illness but also free from psychological disorders, one of which is job stress. Job stress is a negative impact of a job, especially in dealing with situation and demand that exceed the worker’s ability to cope. Job stress arises because knowledge of workers problem solving not fit with job demand at organization or company. Job stress can degrade workers ability to solve problem. The worker's ability to cope with job stress is not same. Job stress may occur in construction workers whose jobs are monotonous. This study aims to analyze the factors that affect job stress in construction workers. Internal factors include exercise habit and social support. External factors include job demand, work period, and non-work activities. Method: This was observational study which approach by cross-sectional in a construction company. The sample of this study was 55 workers. This study used National Institute Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Generic Job Stress Questionnaire instrument. The variables in this study were internal factors: exercise habit and social support. External factors: job demand, work period and non-work activities. The data were analyzed statistically with the Ordinal Regression Test. Results: Internal factor that have a significant effect was exercise habit variable (p=0.014). External factor that have a significant effect was job demand (p=0.045). Conclusion: Exercise habit can affect the ability of workers to deal job stress. The job demand factor can affect the job stress.Keywords: construction workers, job stress, the SDGs 3rd

A Social Policy Case for a Four-Day Week

AbstractThere has been an explosion of interest in the “four-day-week” movement across the globe, especially due to its potential in addressing many of the societal challenges left by the COVID-19 pandemic. Four-day-week is a movement set to shorten the working hours of full-time workers without a reduction in pay. I aim to set out the case for a national move towards a four-day-week explaining why social policy scholars should lead the debate. First, I provide evidence of the societal costs that the current long-hours work culture has on workers’ and their family’s well-being and welfare, social inequality, and social cohesion. Shorter working can help tackle these issues by giving workers right to time, shifting the balance between work and non-work activities in our lives and valuing them both. Social policy scholars need to lead this debate owing to our existing knowledge and expertise in dealing with these social issues and state-level interventions. In addition, without pressing for fundamental changes in our labour market, we cannot adequately address some of the key challenges we face as a society. The paper ends with key research questions social policy scholars should address as a part of this move.

Impact of working from home on activity-travel behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An aggregate structural analysis.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created significant public health concerns that led the public and private sectors to impose stay-at-home and work-from-home policies. Although working from home has been a conventional albeit infrequent behavior, the prevalence of this option was significantly and rapidly accelerated during the pandemic. This study explored the impacts of working from home on activity-travel behavior during the pandemic. Both work and non-work activity participation declined during the pandemic but to what extent was this due to working from home? How did working from home affect other measures of travel such as person-miles traveled? We approached these questions by developing a Structural Regression model and using cross-sectional data for the early phase of the pandemic when the infection curve was flattened and activity-travel behavior became relatively stable following the drastic changes observed during the pandemic’s initial shock. Combining U.S. county-level data from the Maryland Transportation Institute and Google Mobility Reports, we concluded that the proportion of people working from home directly depended on pandemic severity and associated public health policies as well as on a range of socio-economic characteristics. Working from home contributed to a reduction in workplace visits. It also reduced non-work activities but only via a reduction in non-work activities linked to work. Finally, a higher working from home proportion in a county corresponded to a reduction in average person-miles traveled. A higher degree of state government responses to containment and closure policies contributed to an increase in working from home, and decreases in workplace and non-workplace visits and person-miles traveled in a county. The results of this study provide important insights into changes in activity-travel behavior associated with working from home as a response strategy to major disruptions such as those imposed by a pandemic.

Identifying bereaved grievers with greatest medical or social service needs in Japan

ObjectiveSevere grief adversely affects the health of bereaved families, potentially burdening medical and community health services. Interventions for effective community health maintenance must identify the people likely to face severe...

Twelve-Month Stability of Accelerometer-Measured Occupational and Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Compensation Effects

Introduction: Little is known about the stability of occupational physical activity (PA) and documented compensation effects over time. Study objectives were to (a) determine the stability of accelerometer estimates of occupational and nonoccupational PA over 6 months and 1 year in adults who do not change jobs, (b) examine PA stability in office workers relative to employees with nonoffice jobs who may be more susceptible to seasonal perturbations in work tasks, and (c) examine the stability data for compensation effects seen at baseline in this sample. Methods: City/county government workers from a variety of labor sectors wore an accelerometer at initial data collection, and at 6 (n = 98) and 12 months (n = 38) following initial data collection. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated for accelerometer counts and minutes by intensity, domain, and office worker status. Partial correlation coefficients were examined for compensation effects. Results: ICCs ranged from .19 to .91 for occupational and nonwork activity variables. ICCs were similar by office worker status. In both counts and minutes, greater occupational PA correlated with lower total nonwork PA. However, as minutes of occupational moderate to vigorous physical activity increased, nonoccupational moderate to vigorous physical activity did not decrease. Conclusions: There was moderate to high stability in occupational and nonoccupational PA over 6- and 12-month data collection. Occupational PA stability was greater in nonoffice workers, suggesting that those employees’ PA may be less prone to potential cyclical factors at the workplace. Confirmation of the compensation effect further supports the need for workplace intervention studies to examine changes in all intensities of activity during and outside of work time.

Impact of tanezumab on health status, non-work activities and work productivity in adults with moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis

BackgroundTo evaluate the impact of tanezumab on health status, non-work activities, and work productivity in a pooled analysis of two large phase 3 osteoarthritis (OA) studies.MethodsSubcutaneous tanezumab (2.5 mg and 5 mg) was tested in double-blind, placebo-controlled, 16-week (NCT02697773) and 24-week (NCT02709486) clinical trials in patients with moderate-to-severe OA of the hip or knee. At baseline and week 16, all patients completed EQ-5D-5L and the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment-OA (WPAI-OA) activity impairment item. Those currently employed also completed WPAI-OA work time missed, impairment while working, and overall work impairment items. Between-group differences in least squares (LS) mean changes from baseline at week 16 were tested using analysis of covariance.ResultsOf 1545 pooled patients, 576 were employed at baseline. Improvements in EQ-5D-5L index value at week 16 were significantly greater for the tanezumab 2.5-mg group (difference in LS means [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.03 [0.01, 0.05]; p = 0.0083) versus placebo. Percent improvements (95% CI) in activity impairment (− 5.92 [− 8.87, − 2.98]; p < 0.0001), impairment while working (− 7.34 [− 13.01, − 1.68]; p = 0.0112), and overall work impairment (− 7.44 [− 13.22, − 1.67]; p = 0.0116) at week 16 were significantly greater for the tanezumab 2.5-mg group versus placebo. Results for the tanezumab 5-mg group were generally comparable to the tanezumab 2.5-mg group, although, compared with placebo, percent improvement (95% CI) in work time missed was significantly greater for the tanezumab 5-mg group (− 3.40 [− 6.47, − 0.34]; p = 0.0294), but not the tanezumab 2.5-mg group (− 0.66 [− 3.63, 2.32]; p = 0.6637).ConclusionsThese pooled analyses showed that health status, non-work activities, and work productivity were significantly improved following tanezumab administration, compared with placebo.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02697773, NCT02709486.

A qualitative investigation of the work-nonwork experiences of dual-career professional couples without children

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the idiosyncratic relationships between work and nonwork among dual-career professional couples (DCPCs) intentionally without children, considering individual members' role salience, nonwork responsibilities and care or career orientation.Design/methodology/approachInterview data from 21 Canadian and American couples (42 individuals) was used to explore the research question: How do DCPCs without children perceive their work-nonwork balance?FindingsDCPCs without children are a heterogenous demographic. Some couples are career oriented, some care oriented, some exhibit both orientations, shaping their experience of work-nonwork balance. Unlike popular stereotypes, they do have nonwork responsibilities and interests outside of their thriving careers. Similar to their counterparts with children, they face conflicts managing work and nonwork domains.Originality/valueBased on theories of role salience, work-nonwork conflict, enrichment and balance, the authors suggest that analyses of work-nonwork balance should include nonwork activities other than child caring. The authors further propose that the experience of the work-nonwork interface varies according to whether couples are careerist, conventional, non-conventional or egalitarian. The study also demonstrates that work-nonwork experiences are relational in nature and should be explored beyond a strictly individual perspective.

Shared Responsibility: a legal framework for managing the risks associated with non-work related activities

Shared Responsibility: a legal framework for managing the risks associated with non-work related activities

Racial Differences in Time at Work Not Working

Racial differences in effort at work, if they exist, can potentially explain race-based wage/earnings disparities in the labor market. The authors estimate specifications of time spent on non-work activities at work by Black and White males and females with data from the American Time Use Survey. Estimates reveal that trivially small differences occur between non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White males in time spent not working while on the job that disappear entirely when correcting for non-response errors. The findings imply that Black–White male differences in the fraction of the workday spent not working are either not large enough to partially explain the Black–White wage gap, or simply do not exist at all.

Are All Domains of Life Satisfaction Equal? Differential Associations With Health and Well-Being in Older Adults

Growing evidence documents strong associations between overall life satisfaction and favorable health and well-being outcomes. However, because most previous studies have assessed satisfaction with one’s life as a whole, we know little about whether specific domains of life satisfaction (e.g., satisfaction with income) might be driving better health and well-being outcomes. Data were from 13,752 participants in the Health and Retirement Study—a nationally representative cohort of US adults aged >or=50. We evaluated if positive changes in seven domains of life satisfaction (between t0;2008/2010 and t1;2012/2014) were associated with 35 indicators of physical, behavioral, and psychosocial health and well-being (at t2;2016/2018). Satisfaction with family life and non-work activities showed the largest associations with subsequent psychological factors, followed by satisfaction with financial situation and income. Effect estimates were double in magnitude for certain domains of life satisfaction (e.g., the association between satisfaction with family life and purpose in life (β=0.22, 95% CI:0.16,0.27) was more than twice as large as the association between satisfaction with housing and purpose in life (β=0.09, 95% CI:0.02,0.16). Further, some domains showed associations with physical health outcomes (e.g., participants with the highest satisfaction with health had a 21% decreased mortality risk (95% CI: 0.66,0.95)), health behaviors (e.g., higher satisfaction with income decreased risk of sleep problems by 11% (95% CI:0.80,0.99)), and social factors (e.g., loneliness (β: -0.16 to -0.42)). Individual domains of life satisfaction might be novel targets for interventions and policies seeking to enhance specific facets of health and well-being in our rapidly aging population.

Even Superheroes Need Rest: A Guide to Facilitating Recovery from Work for Health-care Workers during COVID-19 and beyond.

The COVID-19 pandemic burdens health-care workers (HCWs) worldwide. Amid high-stress conditions and unprecedented needs for crisis management, organizations face the grand challenge of supporting the mental health and well-being of their HCWs. The current literature on mental health and well-being primarily focuses on improving personal resilience among HCWs. However, this puts the responsibility for coping with COVID-19-related stress almost fully on the individual. This chapter discusses an important alternative framing of this issue - how health-care organizations (HCOs) can facilitate recovery from work processes (i.e., returning to a baseline level by engaging in nonwork activities after work) for their workers. Based on a narrative review of the occupational health psychology literature, we provide practical strategies for supporting the four key recovery experiences of detachment, control, mastery, and relaxation, as well as present general recommendations about how to promote recovery. These strategies can help HCOs facing the grand challenge of sustaining worker well-being and functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as during future pandemics and for workers facing high work pressure in general.

Effect of physical activity intervention on the musculoskeletal health of university student computer users during homestay

Objectives. The coronavirus outbreak delivered the condition of dying from infection and forced people (especially university student computer users) to perform all working and non-working activities during homestay. In this situation, device usage for a longer duration is mainly responsible for work-related health issues. This study aims to discover the effect of a physical activity intervention (PAI) on computer users’ musculoskeletal health during homestay. Methods. The investigation was performed on 40 university student computer users. To measure body discomfort before and after using the PAI, the body part discomfort scale of Corlett and Bishop was applied. Results. After implementing the PAI, the musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) decrement in major body regions was reported as wrist/forearm (from 8.17 ± 1.45 to 4.57 ± 1.10), lower back (from 8.01 ± 1.42 to 4.40 ± 1.14), elbow (from 7.57 ± 1.71 to 3.49 ± 1.13) and neck (from 7.40 ± 1.71 to 4.02 ± 0.81). Conclusions. PAI significantly decreased the discomfort among users in various body regions. This research suggested that PAIs may reduce the risk of MSDs in the long term for different body regions.

Home-Based urban commute and Non-Commute trip generation in Less-Studied Contexts: Evidence from Cairo, Istanbul, and Tehran

The determinants of travel demand, i.e., commute and non-commute trip generation, in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are unknown, while the main factors behind travel generation in high-income countries have been studied since the 1990 s. This paper aims at shedding light on these determinants and comparing them in Cairo, Istanbul, and Tehran as case-study cities. Three research questions were answered by this paper: (1) are there any significant differences between urban travel generation levels of the three cities? (2) which factors determine urban travel generation, including commute trips and non-work activities in the large agglomerations of the MENA region? and (3) how similar or different are these determinants in the three mentioned cities? The analysis was based on a mobility survey undertaken in 2017 in 18 neighborhoods of the three cities. The data resulted from 8284 face-to-face interviews (Cairo: 2786, Istanbul: 2781, Tehran: 2717). Weighted Least Squares models showed that 19 and 18 variables related to individual and household status, socioeconomics, attitudes, the built environment, and accessibility define commute and non-commute trip generation, respectively. The results of Analysis of Variance indicate that these determinants are almost similar in a holistic view, but there are some relative differences between them in the three cities. This study addresses the contextual differences between the determinants in the MENA region and high-income countries and concludes that travel demand is context sensitive. The findings specially show how street network configuration and neighborhood-level facilities can be a tool for urban planners to control mobility demand. Highly connected street networks with adequate neighborhood amenities are associated with the frequency of commute and non-commute trips in the case cities, thus planners and decisionmakers in the MENA region are encouraged to use land use and street connectivity to gain control on trip generation for attaining a more sustainable travel modal share.

Effects of a modified shift work organization and traffic load on air traffic controllers’ sleep and alertness during work and non-work activities

A ‘compressed’ shift schedule (substitution of a rest day by a shift, shortening the duration of work breaks) was introduced for a better fit with aircraft traffic load. Thereafter, the company asked for a survey assessing the effects of the compressed shift system. Air traffic controllers (ATCOs) completed retrospectively a specific questionnaire assessing the effects of shift schedule (modified vs. initial) and of traffic load on fatigue, alertness (on-shift, upon awakening, during daily non-work activities), and sleep (duration, satisfaction). Work organization had marginal and unexpected effects, which might indicate ATCOs' disapproval of the intervention. Traffic load affected sleep satisfaction and alertness during work and non-work activities. Specific effects of shift included reduced sleep time prior to morning shifts compared to night shifts, whereas alertness and fatigue were rated at comparable levels for both shifts. Results suggest that shiftwork features which favor sleep loss across a work cycle have deleterious consequences on alertness and increase the need for recovery, which are further enhanced by traffic load.

Have I learned anything? Sharing my perspectives from a career in acoustics

After graduation, a career of 30–40 years can seem like a long time to many of us, with so many questions to resolve. Where do I want to work – both in terms of company and geography? How do I get ahead—in my career and in life? How do I best contribute to advancing and balancing my personal ambitions, the mission of my company, professional opportunities, and so forth? And what about non-work activities? How do I best balance those? I cannot answer these questions for anyone, but in this presentation, I will share some of my perspectives on some of these questions, and what I have personally learned over many years of striving to contribute in my discipline, while also striving to live a fulfilled life.

Association of Visual Display Terminal Usage with Self-Rated Health and Psychological Distress among Japanese Office Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The aim of this study was to examine the association of the duration of visual display terminal (VDT) usage for work and non-work activities with self-rated health (SRH) and psychological distress among office workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. A cross-sectional data of 7088 office workers from a web-based, self-administered survey conducted from 25 August 2020, to 30 September 2020, was used. Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied. Compared to those who used a VDT for 4–9 h for work, office workers who used a VDT for ≥10 h for work had poor SRH (odds ratio (OR): 1.65; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13, 2.41) and severe psychological distress (OR: 2.23; 95% CI: 1.52, 3.28). VDT usage for less than 1 h (OR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.67) and 1–3 h (OR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.80) for work were also associated with severe psychological distress. Stratification analysis by age showed a significant association of VDT usage for work with poor SRH among 30–64-year-olds, while a U-shape association was found between VDT usage for work and psychological distress with the younger age group (15–29 years old). During the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, the prolonged usage of VDT for work can deteriorate both general and psychological health, while moderate usage of VDT for work can reduce psychological distress.

Are all domains of life satisfaction equal? Differential associations with health and well-being in older adults.

PurposeGrowing evidence documents strong associations between overall life satisfaction and favorable health and well-being outcomes. However, because most previous studies have assessed satisfaction with one’s life as a whole, we know little about whether specific domains of life satisfaction (e.g., satisfaction with family life, income) might be responsible for longitudinally driving better health and well-being.MethodsData were from 13,752 participants in the Health and Retirement Study—a prospective and nationally representative cohort of US adults aged > 50. We evaluated if positive changes in seven individual domains of life satisfaction (between t0; 2008/2010 and t1; 2012/2014) were associated with 35 indicators of physical, behavioral, and psychosocial health and well-being (at t2; 2016/2018).ResultsMost domains of life satisfaction were associated with psychological outcomes: satisfaction with family and non-work activities showed the largest associations (sometimes double in magnitude) with subsequent psychological factors, followed by satisfaction with financial situation and income. Further, some domains showed associations with specific physical health outcomes (e.g., mortality, number of chronic conditions, physical functioning limitations), health behaviors (e.g., sleep problems), and social factors (e.g., loneliness).ConclusionsAs countries seek innovative and cost-effective methods of enhancing the health and well-being of our rapidly aging populations, findings from our study suggest that some domains of life satisfaction have a substantially larger influence on health and well-being outcomes than others. Individual domains of life satisfaction might be novel targets for interventions and policies seeking to enhance specific facets of health and well-being.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11136-021-02977-0.

Association of individual and device usage factors with musculoskeletal disorders amongst handheld devices users during homestay due to pandemic

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic is spreading in India and different parts of the world. The outbreak delivered not only the condition of dying from infection but also forced people (especially office workers and students) to perform all working (office work, classes, assignments, etc.) and non-working activities (leisure activities such as social media, gaming, etc.) at home using handheld devices (HHDs). In this situation, HHD usage for longer durations is mainly responsible for work-related health issues. Therefore, the paper aims to explore HHD usage patterns and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) amongst HHD users during homestay and the impact of individual and HHD usage–related factors on MSDs.Design/methodology/approachFrom different states of India, 651 people (especially HHD users from universities and industries) were sampled by using systematic cluster random sampling. In addition, an online questionnaire was used to collect data on the prevalence and risk factors of MSDs. Finally, mean comparisons and chi-square analysis was used to analyse the collected data.FindingsThe prevalence rate of MSDs was higher in upper body parts as compared to the lower body parts. The association of gender with MSDs in various body parts was substantial. The time spent on various working and non-working activities using HHDs was significantly associated with MSDs in upper body parts.Practical implicationsHomestay work may be used as an alternative working arrangement, and the risk factors that have the most significant impact on the health of HHD users may be identified by organizations. The findings suggest the proper use of HHDs as per their essential need with intermediate recreational activities.Originality/valueIt is observed that the musculoskeletal health of office workers and university students is a cause for concern during homestay. The current study provides the prevalence of MSDs experienced by HHD users and the association of individual and HHD usage factors with MSDs.

Switching Off From The Home Office

COVID-19 pandemic has forced millions of employees to work from home. Working remotely and working from home has specific elements that cause workload and increase need for recovery. Psychological detachment is the most important form of recovery; it helps people to temporarily detach from their workload. There is limited research of psychological detachment in remote working, and none of it has focused on exploring activities for self-promotion of detachment. COVID-19 pandemic outlines a new context for remote working, whereas the literature to date has considered remote working as voluntary or partial agreement. We conducted 87 interviews to examine remote workers’ experiences from home-based working and the ways they self-promote psychological detachment. The findings reveal the conditions in the home environment that cause a need for recovery: Increasing working hours and work intensity, decreased physical activity among remote employees, weakened social network and slowness in support. Further, we found that remote workers self-promote psychological detachment through cognitive, physical, time-bound and nonwork activities. The current study extended the literature of recovery and psychological detachment to remote working, added a new context to literature for remote working and provided guidelines for remote workers and employers to enhance employee well-being and recovery from work.