Coworker Phubbing and Links to the Psychosocial Work Environment Among Electricians in Sweden

"Phubbing" (phone snubbing) has been consistently associated with negative intra- and interpersonal outcomes across various social contexts. However, the potential impact of phubbing on horizontal workplace relationships has not been extensively explored. The present study aimed to examine associations between coworker phubbing during breaks and social support and community, horizontal trust, and organizational commitment among electricians in Sweden. An auxiliary aim was to adapt and validate a coworker phubbing scale. In Studies 1a and 1b, confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess and validate the coworker phubbing scale in two samples. In Study 2, structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationship between phubbing and included psychosocial work environment measures. Exposure to phubbing from coworkers was associated with lower perceived support and community, trust, and commitment. The associations were stronger for more severe phubbing behaviors. Engaging in phubbing others was not considerably linked to the psychosocial measures. Younger participants reported engaging in more phubbing and lower perceived exposure to more severe phubbing. Smartphone habits at work may have implications for the psychosocial work environment and, by extension, important outcomes such as well-being, job satisfaction, performance, and turnover.