Buffering effects of job resources on the association of overtime work hours with psychological distress in Japanese white-collar workers

Assessing psychological distress of healthcare workers with and without work injuries: The role of job control

INTRODUCTION

The study investigates the relationship between work-related injuries, psychological distress, and the influence of perceived job control on healthcare workers, using Bakker and Demerouti's (2007) job demands-resources model as theoretical grounding.

METHOD

We analyzed data from 610 healthcare workers (81.1% female) at a northern UK hospital, incorporating both self-reported and organizationally recorded work injury incidents over the three years preceding the survey, along with measures of psychological distress and perceived job control.

RESULTS

Unexpectedly, we found that the occurrence of work-related injuries, irrespective of the method of reporting, is not related to lower psychological distress among those employees who report a high level of job control. This relationship holds even when adjusting for various demographic and occupational variables.

CONCLUSIONS AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Given the prevalence of work injuries in the healthcare sector, our findings suggest a need for a deeper exploration into how job characteristics might interact to offset the consequences of work injuries, challenging existing assumptions and opening new avenues for research into the psychology of workplace safety.

Association between overtime and depressive symptoms among Chinese employees

Objectives

This study examines the correlation between overtime and depressive symptoms, and analyzed the moderating effect of age, education level, and income level on their correlation by using a nationally representative sample from the Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS) in 2018.

Methods

Participants are divided into three groups: 30-44 h/week, 44.1-61.9 h/week (defined as overtime group), and ≥ 62 h/week (heavy overtime group). The multiple ordered logistic regression models are conducted to estimate the association between overtime and depressive symptoms. The interaction term of overtime and moderators including age, education level, and income level are introduced into the models to test the moderating effect.

Results

The overtime group have an increased probability of depressive symptoms (OR = 1.11, 95% CI 1.04-1.20) compared with those who reported working hours 30-44 h/week, after controlling for important confounders. What's more, the worsening of depressive symptoms is more pronounced in the heavy overtime group (OR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.22-1.44). The moderating effect results show that younger employees, employees with high education levels, and those with high income level are more likely to be affected by the negative effects of overtime.

Conclusion

Working overtime increased the likelihood of depressive symptoms. Younger employees, high-educated employees and employees with high income level are more vulnerable to the negative effects of overtime on mental health.

Interplay of organizational constraints and workplace status in intent to stay of frontline nurses caring for patients with COVID-19

This study examined workplace status as a moderator of the relationship between organizational constraints and frontline nurses' intent to stay in their profession. Data were collected from 265 nurses working in hospitals designated for caring for patients with COVID-19 across Nigeria. The measurement and structural models were assessed with partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results showed a negative relationship between organizational constraints and intent to stay, whereas workplace status was positively related to intent to stay. Further, the relationship between organizational constraints and intent to stay was moderated by workplace status such that it was more positive when workplace status was high rather than low. The results provide evidence for keeping frontline nurses in their profession by reducing the organizational constraints they encounter and elevating their status in their workplace.

The Effect of Worktime Control on Overtime Employees' Mental Health and Work-Family Conflict: The Mediating Role of Voluntary Overtime

Overtime has become a widespread phenomenon in the current information age that creates a high speed working pace and fierce competition in the high technology global economy. Based on the time-regulation mechanism and effort-recovery model, we examined the effect of worktime control (WTC) on mental health and work-family conflict (WFC) among overtime employees, and whether voluntary overtime mediated the relationships. We also examined two separate dimensions of WTC (control over time-off and control over daily hours). The results showed that control over time-off was related to decreased depression, anxiety, stress and WFC, while control over daily hours was related to decreased stress and WFC. Generally, control over time-off was beneficial to females and employees with dependents. Furthermore, mediation results showed that voluntary overtime was a complete mediator of relationships between WTC and depression and anxiety as well as a partial mediator of the relationship between WTC and stress. However, this study did not find a mediating effect of voluntary overtime on the WTC-WFC relationship. Limitations and practical implications are discussed.

Relationship Between Work Engagement and the Onset of Long-term Sickness Absence Due to Mental Disorders: A 4-year Retrospective Cohort Study

The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between work engagement and long-term sickness absence due to mental disorders such as mood disorders and anxiety, and whether the relationship differs between men and women, during a 4-year follow-up period. Data were obtained from 21,293 workers at four pharmaceutical companies belonging to the Collabo-Health Study Group in 2014. The baseline data were collected by self-administered questionnaires. We obtained information about long-term sickness absence from the personnel records of the surveyed companies from the baseline survey in 2014 until March 2018. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using the low work engagement group as a reference were calculated by Cox proportional hazards analysis as the outcome, defined as the period leading to mental health-related sick leave. A total of 12,025 participants had complete data for analysis, and 123 exhibited long-term sickness absence during a 4-year follow-up period. The high work engagement group for men had a significantly lower HR (0.52, 95% CI: 0.31-0.88, P = 0.015) compared with the low work engagement group. Conversely, among women, the moderate work engagement group had a significantly higher HR (2.44, 95% CI: 1.03-5.84, P = 0.043) compared with the low work engagement group. Work engagement in men may predict the occurrence of long-term sickness absence due to mental disorders in the subsequent four years, but this relationship was different in women. Further research is needed to clarify this issue.

Association Between Overtime-Working Environment and Psychological Distress Among Japanese Workers: A Multilevel Analysis

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Objective:

The study aims to examine the association between overtime-working environment (OWE) and individual psychological distress among Japanese workers.

Methods:

Data of 7786 workers from 101 companies in Japan were analyzed. Psychological distress was assessed through a 29-item questionnaire. The OWE was evaluated by calculating the proportion of workers whose monthly overtime was 45 hours or more in a workplace. Multilevel logistic regression was used.

Results:

As 10% increase in the OWE was associated with a 16% higher risk of individual psychological distress after adjustment of individual covariates, including overtime working hours. Cross-level interaction showed that the risk was varied depending on individual overtime working hours.

Conclusions:

OWE was associated with the psychological distress of workers. It is necessary to create a non-OWE at workplaces to prevent psychological distress for workers.

The Combined Effect of Long Working Hours and Low Job Control on Self-Rated Health: An Interaction Analysis

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effects of long working hours and low job control on self-rated health.

Methods:

We analyzed employees’ data obtained from the third Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS). Multiple survey logistic analysis and postestimation commands were employed to estimate the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI).

Results:

The odds ratio (OR) for poor self-rated health was 1.24 [95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.13 to 1.35] for long working hours, 1.04 (95% CI: 0.97 to 1.13) for low job control, and 1.47 (95% CI: 1.33 to 1.62) for both long working hours and low job control. The RERI was 0.18 (95% CI: 0.02 to 0.34).

Conclusion:

These results imply that low job control may increase the negative influence of long working hours on self-rated health.

Solidarity, job satisfaction, and turnover intent in employees

Purpose

While the role of solidarity in the workplace has been examined in previous research, it is still an important component of the workplace for Japanese employees. The purpose of this paper is to integrate findings on solidarity at the workplace, job satisfaction and intent to turnover. A moderated mediation model is hypothesized where solidarity predicts intent to turnover via job satisfaction, but the strength of this whole mediation process is moderated by employees’ length of working overtime or working long hours.

Design/methodology/approach

The data analyzed in this study were acquired from the Japanese General Social Survey 2010, which was administered to 527 men and 278 women.

Findings

The results generally supported the assumptions; the proposed mediation model proved to be statistically significant, even when background covariates were introduced into the model to control for pre-existing differences. Also, the proposed moderated mediation model was supported; solidarity strongly increased job satisfaction when working overtime was low.

Research limitations/implications

Because of measurement of solidarity, this study results may limit the generalizability. Researchers should explore the relationship between the dimension of solidarity and job satisfaction.

Practical implications

The paper includes the implications for human resource management, the developing of solidarity at the workplace and for managing the strain of working overtime.

Originality/value

This study was the first to examine the relationship between solidarity at the workplace and job satisfaction and the moderating effects of working overtime.

The effect of changes in overtime work hours on depressive symptoms among Japanese white-collar workers: A 2-year follow-up study

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of changes in overtime work hours on depressive symptoms among Japanese white-collar workers.

METHODS

Participant data were collected from a company's annual mental health survey in June 2013 and June 2014. The participants comprised 922 workers who responded to the survey in both the years and had records of monthly working hours in the past 2 years. We obtained information on monthly working hours from personnel records from June 2012 to May 2014. Depressive symptoms were measured by the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire. Changes in overtime work hours were measured by creating a five-category variable for each monthly average of overtime work hours in the past year: (a) stable short, (b) decreased, (c) stable medium, (d) increased, and (e) stable long groups. Analysis of covariance was conducted to estimate the degree of depressive symptoms of each group for changes in overtime work hours.

RESULTS

Significant differences among the groups were observed (F = 3.67, P = 0.006). In the Bonferroni multiple comparison test, significantly lower depressive symptoms were observed in the decreased group (point estimate = 9.56) compared to the stable short (10.76), stable medium (10.71), and increased groups (10.99). There was no significant difference between the decreased group and the stable long group (10.98).

CONCLUSIONS

A decrease in overtime work hours may prevent the deterioration of mental health. This knowledge could support the necessity of mental health measures through decreasing overtime work hours proposed by national policy in Japan.

Working Hours and Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction and Stroke Among Middle-Aged Japanese Men - The Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study Cohort II

BACKGROUND

Evidence from prospective cohort studies regarding the relationship between working hours and risk of cardiovascular disease is limited.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study Cohort II involved 15,277 men aged 40-59 years at the baseline survey in 1993. Respondents were followed up until 2012. During the median 20 years of follow up (257,229 person-years), we observed 212 cases of acute myocardial infarction and 745 stroke events. Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for sociodemographic factors, cardiovascular risk factors, and occupation showed that multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) associated with overtime work of ≥11h/day were: 1.63 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-2.63) for acute myocardial infarction and 0.83 (95% CI 0.60-1.13) for total stroke, as compared with the reference group (working 7 to <9 h/day). In the multivariable model, increased risk of acute myocardial infarction associated with overtime work of ≥11 h/day was more evident among salaried employees (HR 2.11, 95% CI 1.03-4.35) and men aged 50-59 years (HR 2.60, 95% CI 1.42-4.77).

CONCLUSIONS

Among middle-aged Japanese men, working overtime is associated with a higher risk of acute myocardial infarction.

Long working hours and depressive symptoms: moderating effects of gender, socioeconomic status, and job resources

PURPOSE

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have found inconsistent associations between working hours and depressive symptoms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible moderators of this association, using data from a large-scale cross-sectional survey.

METHODS

A total of 16,136 Japanese employees (men 83.5%; women 16.5%) responded to a self-administered questionnaire inquiring about overtime working hours during the previous month and depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale), as well as moderating factors including gender, age, marital status, socioeconomic status, commuting time, sleeping hours per day, job control and worksite social support (Job Content Questionnaire), neuroticism (Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire Revised), and social desirability (Social Desirability Scale) (response rate, 85%). We conducted sequential regression analyses to investigate the main effects and interaction effects of all moderating variables.

RESULTS

The association between overtime working hours and depressive symptoms was significantly moderated by gender (interaction effect: β = 0.03), age (β = - 0.02), manager (β = 0.03), sleeping hours (β = - 0.02), job control (β = - 0.03), and neuroticism (β = 0.02). Among workers engaged in 80 + hours of overtime, higher depressive symptoms were reported by women, younger employees, non-managers, employees with low job control, low worksite social support, and high neuroticism. A significant main effect of long overtime working hours on depressive symptoms was also observed even after controlling for all independent variables (β = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Long overtime working hours is associated with depressive symptoms. We also found significant heterogeneity in the association according to employee characteristics, which may explain the inconsistent findings in previous literature.

Association between working hours, work engagement, and work productivity in employees: A cross-sectional study of the Japanese Study of Health, Occupation, and Psychosocial Factors Relates Equity

OBJECTIVES

The aims of the study were to investigate the association between working hours, work engagement, and work productivity, and to examine if work engagement moderates the influence of working hours on work productivity.

METHODS

We used cross-sectional data from the Japanese occupational cohort survey, which involved 2093 employees in a manufacturing industry. Working hours were self-reported by the study participants. Work productivity was assessed with absolute presenteeism based on the scale of the validated Japanese version of World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (WHO-HPQ). Work engagement was assessed with the Nine-item Utrecht work Engagement Scale (UWES-9). Univariate and multivariable regression analyses were conducted to examine the association of working hours and work engagement with work productivity. We also carried out stratified multivariable regression analysis separately for those with high-work engagement and those with low-work engagement.

RESULTS

Working >40 to 50 hours per week and >50 hours per week were significantly positively associated with work productivity in univariate analysis. However, the significant association no longer held after adjusting for work engagement. Work engagement was positively associated with work productivity even after controlling for potential confounders. Working hours were not significantly associated with work productivity among those with high-work engagement or among those with low-work engagement.

CONCLUSIONS

Working hours did not have any significant associations with work productivity when taking work engagement into account. Work engagement did not moderate the influence of working hours on work productivity, though it attenuated the relationship between working hours and work productivity.

Long working hours, job satisfaction, and depressive symptoms: a community-based cross-sectional study among Japanese employees in small- and medium-scale businesses

Although long working hours have been suspected to be a risk factor for depressive symptoms (DS), it is not well understood the conditions under which long working hours are associated with it. This study investigated the moderating effect of job satisfaction on the relationship between working hours and DS. A total of 2,375 full-time non-shift day workers (73% men), aged 18-79 (mean 45) years, in 296 small- and medium-scale businesses were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire evaluating working hours, job satisfaction, DS and covariates. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) was used to assess DS. Risk of DS (CES-D ≥ 16) by working hours, job satisfaction, and both combined was estimated by multivariable logistic regression analysis. Compared to participants working 6-8 hrs/day, those working 12+ hrs/day had significantly higher odds of DS (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.49), while participants with low satisfaction, as opposed to high satisfaction, had increased odds of DS (aOR 1.81). Furthermore, compared to those working 6-8 hrs/day with high satisfaction (reference group), participants working 6-8 hrs/day, > 8 to 10 hrs/day, and > 10 hrs/day combined with low satisfaction had dose-response increase of DS (aOR 1.48, 2.21 and 2.31, respectively, p < 0.05), whereas those working > 8 to 10 hrs/day and > 10 hrs/day combined with high satisfaction had not (aOR 0.93 and 1.39, respectively, p > 0.10). The results suggest that long working hours are associated with increased risk of DS only under reduced job satisfaction condition, which highlights the importance of improving job satisfaction, particularly among those working excessive hours.

Validation of the Japanese version of the job crafting scale

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to validate the Japanese version of the job crafting scale (JCS-J). JCS measures four independent job crafting dimensions, namely increasing structural job resources, decreasing hindering job demands, increasing social job resources, and increasing challenging job demands.

Methods:

The translated and back-translated JCS-J questionnaires were administered online to 972 employees of a Japanese manufacturing company. The data were then divided into independent explorative and confirmative samples. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to evaluate the factorial validity of JCS-J. The relationship with potential consequences of job crafting (e.g., job demands, job resources, and psychological well-being) was investigated to evaluate construct validity. Internal consistency was examined to evaluate the reliability of the four JCSs.

Results:

An exploratory factor analysis extracted a five-factor solution. Decreasing hindering job demands was further split into two separate dimensions supporting a five- rather than four-factor structure. A series of confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the modified five-factor model that allows covariance between items fits the data best. Construct validity was generally supported by the expected correlations of each job crafting dimension with each corresponding job resource (+), job demand (+), and psychological well-being (+). Cronbach's α coefficient was sufficient for each of the four dimensions of job crafting (α ranged between 0.76 and 0.90).

Conclusions:

This study confirmed that JCS-J is an adequate measure of job crafting that can be used in the Japanese context.

Co-worker perceptions of return-to-work opportunities for Japanese cancer survivors

PURPOSE

This study examined workplace factors and perceptions of Return-to-Work (RTW) opportunities for colleagues with cancer-related symptoms and/or treatment side effects in Japan.

METHODS

We conducted an online, cross-sectional survey of 3710 employed Japanese individuals of working age. Colleagues' perceptions of RTW opportunities for cancer survivors were examined (using a Japanese questionnaire), along with workplace factors such as job demand, job control and workplace social support (using the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire). Associations between workplace factors and RTW opportunities were evaluated using multiple logistic regression analysis, with participants stratified in tertiles (low, middle and high) according to their levels of workplace social support and job control.

RESULTS

Colleagues' perceptions of inadequate RTW opportunities were associated with low workplace social support (middle tertile: Odds Ratio [OR] 1.22, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.08-1.36; low tertile: OR 1.43, 95%CI: 1.30-1.57; p for trend <0.01); low levels of job control (middle tertile: OR 1.27, 95%CI: 1.06-1.50; low tertile: OR 1.91, 95%CI: 1.64-2.21; p for trend <0.01); and no prior experience working with a cancer survivor (OR 2.08, 95%CI: 1.83-2.31).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that workplace factors and prior experience of working with a cancer survivor may affect a colleagues' perception of RTW opportunities in Japanese workplaces. Consideration of workplace social factors (workplace support and job control), as well as increased openness and awareness of the particular needs of cancer survivors, is therefore essential to facilitate successful RTW in Japan, as elsewhere.Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Working hours and self-rated health over 7 years: gender differences in a Korean longitudinal study

Background

To investigate the association between long working hours and self-rated health (SRH), examining the roles of potential confounding and mediating factors, such as job characteristics.

Methods

Data were pooled from seven waves (2005–2011) of the Korean Labour and Income Panel Study. A total of 1578 workers who consecutively participated in all seven study years were available for analysis. A generalized estimating equation for repeated measures with binary outcome was used to examine the association between working hours (five categories; 20–35, 36–40, 41–52, 53–68 and ≥69 h) and SRH (two categories; poor and good health), considering possible confounders and serial correlation.

Results

Associations between working hours and SRH were observed among women, but only for the category of the shortest working hours among men. The associations with the category of shortest working hours among men and women disappeared after adjustment for socioeconomic factors. Among women, though not men, working longer than standard hours (36–40 h) showed a linear association with poor health; OR = 1.41 (95 % CI = 1.08–1.84) for 52–68 working hours and OR = 2.11 (95 % CI = 1.42–3.12) for ≥69 working hours. This association persisted after serial adjustments. However, it was substantially attenuated with the addition of socioeconomic factors (e.g., OR = 1.66 (95 % CI = 1.07–2.57)) but only slightly attenuated with further adjustment for behavioural factors (e.g., OR = 1.63 (95 % CI = 1.05–2.53)). The associations with job satisfaction were significant for men and women.

Conclusions

The worsening of SRH with increasing working hours only among women suggests that female workers are more vulnerable to long working hours because of family responsibilities in addition to their workload.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2641-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.