Congruence is not everything: a response surface analysis on the role of fit between actual and preferred working time arrangements for work-life balance.

Working time arrangements that match employees' preferences have been proposed as determinants of employees' well-being, an assumption rooted in person-environment fit theory. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of fit and misfit between actual and preferred working time arrangements (length of working hours, control over the beginning and end of workdays, and workplace segmentation) for employees' satisfaction with work-life balance. We analyzed data from 8,580 employees from the BAuA-working time survey - a representative study among the working population in Germany - by means of polynomial regression and response surface analyses. Analyses did not point toward congruence effects but revealed significant main effects: Satisfaction with work-life balance was higher in case of shorter actual and longer preferred weekly working hours, and it was decreased if employees worked longer than they preferred. Moreover, more supplies and lower preferences in terms of control over the beginning and end of workdays, more workplace segmentation supplies, and lower workplace segmentation preferences were related to higher satisfaction with work-life balance. Overall, this study sheds light on the roles of fit and misfit between actual and preferred working time arrangements for employees' work-home interface. Findings suggest that while employees' preferences should find entrance into the design of work schedules, congruence is not a precondition for achieving a good work-life balance. Most importantly, for a good work-life balance, working hours should not be longer than preferred, and employees should have some control over their scheduling and possibilities to segment work and private life.

Working time preferences and early and late retirement intentions.

Career decisions are based on the fit between an individual and his/her environment. This study explores the effect of person-environment fit regarding actual and preferred weekly working hours on early and late retirement intentions in a sample of 7,859 employees aged 50 to 65 years of age living in Germany. Findings from multinomial logistic regression analysis show that a preferred decrease in working hours was associated with an increased risk for early retirement compared to regular retirement intentions (OR = 1.82). A preferred increase in working hours was associated with higher odds for a late career (OR = 1.87).

Working time dimensions and well-being: a cross-national study of Finnish and German health care employees.

Health care professionals often face irregular working hours and high work pace. We studied associations of the five working time dimensions duration (weekly working hours), timing (shift work and weekend work), on-call work, working time autonomy, and work tempo (deadline and performance pressure) with well-being among health care employees in Finland and Germany. We used data on working time dimensions and indicators of well-being (work-life conflict, poor perceived health, sleep difficulties, and fatigue) from a cohort of 5050 hospital employees (Working Hours in the Finnish Public Sector Study 2015, WHFPS) and 1450 employees in the health care sector in Germany responding to the German BAuA-Working Time Survey in 2015 (BAuA-WTS). Findings from logistic regression analyses showed that high work tempo was associated with increased work-life conflict (WHFPS: odds ratio [OR] = 3.64, 95%CI 3.04-4.36 and BAuA-WTS: OR = 2.29, 95%CI 1.60-3.27), sleep difficulties (OR = 1.75, 95%CI 1.43-2.15 and OR = 1.33, 95%CI 1.03-1.71) and fatigue (OR = 2.13, 95%CI 1.77-2.57 and OR = 1.64, 95%CI 1.29-2.10) in both datasets. Weekend work was associated with increased work-life conflict (OR = 1.48, 95%CI 1.27-1.72 and OR = 1.61, 95%CI 1.12-2.32); and high working time autonomy with decreased work-life conflict (control over the timing of breaks: OR = 0.65, 95%CI 0.55-0.78 and OR = 0.52, 95%CI 0.33-0.81). The associations between other working time dimensions and well-being were less consistent. These results suggest that tight deadlines, performance pressure, weekend work and lack of working time autonomy are linked to impaired well-being among health care employees.

Health and work-life balance across types of work schedules: A latent class analysis.

This study explores how different aspects of working time demands (e.g., shift work) and working time control (e.g., beginning/end of workday) can be clustered into distinct types of work schedules and how they relate to health and work-life balance. Data from 13,540 full-time employees interviewed in the 2015 BAuA-Working Time Survey was used. By means of latent class analysis, we extracted six types of work schedules. Subjective health was highest in the flexible extended and flexible standard schedules, both featuring high working time control. Work-life balance was highest in the flexible standard and rigid standard schedules and lowest in schedules with high working time demands, namely the extended shift, rigid all-week, and rigid extended schedules. Employees with high working time demands and low control represent risk groups prone to impairments of well-being. Overall, this study offers an intuitive taxonomy for the design of sustainable work schedules.