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Bending Work Time: Curvilinear Relationship Between Working Time Dimensions and Psychological and Somatic Symptoms
1Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
Objectives:
Study examines the curvilinear associations of working time dimensions (working hours, time pressure, work schedules, and control of work time and pace) on psychological and somatic symptoms.
Methods:
Representative Finnish Quality-of-Work-Life Surveys conducted in 2003, 2008, and 2013 were restricted to those (N = 11,165) regularly working over 10 h/wk with more than 1-year tenure in their job. Generalized additive models were utilized in analysis.
Results:
Working hours had U-shaped relationships with psychosomatic symptoms, while time pressure had a threshold effect. Work pace control had linear effect. The effects of work time control and work schedules were insignificant. There were interaction effects between working time dimensions.
Conclusions:
Organizations should acknowledge the dynamics of working time dimensions. Notably, time pressure has a hazardous relation to psychosomatic symptoms, but working pace control can buffer the negative effect.
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