Work-Time Control and Exhaustion: Internal Work-to-Home Interference and Internal Home-to-Work Interference as Mediators

Abstract

Strong work-time control (WTC) has been linked to reduced employee exhaustion, with work-to-home interference as an underlying mechanism. In this study, we aimed to investigate the mediation effect of both directions of internal work–home interference, namely internal work-to-home interference (IWHI) and internal home-to-work interference (IHWI). The analysis is based on data from the 2015, 2017, and 2019 BAuA-Working Time Survey, a representative German panel study. Cross-lagged panel models were estimated separately for IWHI and IHWI, based on the balanced panel (n = 3390). We investigated the hypothesized indirect as well as potential direct, reversed, and reciprocal effects of the constructs. WTC had a small but significant indirect effect on exhaustion via IWHI. Contrary to assumptions, WTC positively affected IHWI. Unexpectedly, there was no significant effect of IHWI on exhaustion. Hence, only IWHI was identified to mediate WTC’s effect on exhaustion. This implies that WTC helps employees avoid exhaustion from psychological preoccupation with work during free time. In addition, analyses suggested reversed and reciprocal relationships between the investigated constructs. Further investigation is needed to explore the role of psychological preoccupation with private matters during work time in the context of WTC and employee well-being.

Work-Schedule Management in Psychiatric Hospitals and its Associations with Nurses’ Emotional Exhaustion and Intention to Leave: A Cross-Sectional Multicenter Study

“…Previous studies on work-schedule control have also found small but consistent effects on employees' higher musculoskeletal symptoms, depressive symptoms, and work-life balance (Albrecht et al, 2020;Nijp et al, 2012). Higher levels of perceived work-schedule control may protect nurses from psychological preoccupation with work in their free time and thus prevent emotional exhaustion (Vieten et al, 2022). Nurses' preferences on shift work and schedule patterns vary depending on their age or caregiving responsibilities (Ejebu et al, 2021).…”

“…Nurse preferences on shift work and patterns vary depending on their age and care responsibilities (Ejebu et al, 2021), so they should have a certain degree of control over their work schedules and be supported in their needs in scheduling by their supervisors (Dhaini et al, 2018;Vieten et al, 2022). Studies from acute-care hospitals in Europe have shown that a high perception of control over one's work schedule is positively associated with the expectation to remain in the same job until retirement (Liebermann et al, 2015) and have described supporting this perception as a promising approach to increasing nurse retention (Leineweber et al, 2016).…”

“…The relationship of nurses' overtime and perception of work-schedule control to emotional exhaustion and intention to leave has been studied (Sharififard et al, 2019;Vieten et al, 2022). However, while shift changes at short notice and support from supervisors in work scheduling are considered relevant factors in emotional exhaustion and intention to leave, they have been not examined.…”