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"Because Work Time Is Life Time" - Employees' Perceptions of Individual Overemployment, Its Causes and Its
Julia Hiemer1, Maike Andresen1
1Chair of Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour, Department of Social Sciences, Economics, and Business Administration, University of Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany.
Frontiers in Psychology
|September 3, 2019
Summary
Overemployment, where employees work more than preferred, is a complex issue. This study defines its dimensions and drivers, highlighting work time sovereignty
Area of Science:
- Organizational Behavior
- Work Psychology
Background:
- Overemployment is a growing phenomenon where employees prefer reduced work hours but continue working extensively.
- The concept of overemployment lacks a clear definition and understanding from the employee perspective.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define overemployment based on employees' experiences.
- To identify the drivers behind employees working more than they prefer.
- To understand the individual consequences of overemployment.
Main Methods:
- Grounded Theory approach was employed.
- Qualitative data was collected from 26 overemployed employees.
Main Results:
- Overemployment is characterized by four dimensions: work time length, competition with non-work time, task distribution, and density.
- A self-reinforcing cycle of personal and situational factors perpetuates overemployment.
- Psychosocial consequences vary, with work time sovereignty acting as a moderator.
Conclusions:
- A multidimensional framework for understanding overemployment is proposed.
- This framework aids in comprehending employee perceptions and behaviors related to overemployment.
- Findings can inform strategies to mitigate overemployment and improve employee well-being.
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