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Cited by 119Workplace Health and Well-beingSleep and Work-Related FatigueOccupational Health and Safety in Workplaces

Effect of employee worktime control on health: a prospective cohort study

Open access
Ala-Mursula, L, Vahtera, J, Pentti, J, Kivimäki, M·2004·Occupational and Environmental Medicine
DOI 10.1136/oem.2002.005983PMC PMC1740736
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Abstract

Aims:To investigate the health effects of employee worktime control. Methods:Prospective cohort study among 4218 permanent full time municipal employees linking questionnaire data from 1997 and 2000 with sickness absence records from 1997 and 2001. Worktime control was considered high for the highest tertile in both 1997 and 2000, low for the lowest tertile for both years, and intermediate for all other combinations. Self rated health status, psychological distress, and medically certified periods of sickness absence were used as the health outcomes. Adjustments were made for age, baseline health status, occupational status, marital status, dependent children, and behavioural health risks. Results:In the follow up, women with a low level of worktime control had a 1.9 times (95% CI 1.4 to 2.5) higher odds ratio for poor self rated health, a 1.4 times (95% CI 1.1 to 1.8) higher odds ratio for psychological distress, and a 1.5 times (95% CI 1.3 to 1.7) higher risk of medically certified sickness absences than women with a high level of worktime control. The health effects of worktime control were particularly evident among women with families. Among men, worktime control was not associated with self rated health or distress, but it predicted sickness absences in two subgroups: those with dependent children and those with manual occupations. Conclusions:A low level of worktime control increases the risk of future health problems. The risk is highest among women, especially those with families, and among manual workers. The results suggest that worktime control can help workers integrate their work and private lives successfully.

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  • Recent studies have found evidence for a buffering effect of high worktime control on stress, sickness absence, and worklife balance (34-38).

    “Some recent studies indeed have found evidence for a buffering effect of high worktime control on stress, sickness absence, and worklife balance (34-38).”

    From A diary study to open up the black box of overtime work among university faculty members (2008) · cites this paper as [35]

    The Abstract (page unavailable) reports lower psychological distress and sickness absence among women with high rather than low worktime control. It suggests that worktime control may help integrate work and private life, but work–life balance was not measured as an outcome, so the claimed buffering effect on it is not established by this study. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 25

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Ala-Mursula, L., Vahtera, J., Pentti, J., & Kivimäki, M.
Affiliations
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FI)
ORCID
Vahtera, J
Venue
Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2004-02-25
Volume
61
Issue
3
Pages
254-261
ISSN
  • 0007-1072 (ISSN-L)
  • 1351-0711
  • 1470-7926
DOI
10.1136/oem.2002.005983
PMC
PMC1740736
OpenAlex
W1990222486
Cited by
119
References
4
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 8
FWCI
14.92
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Occupational and Environmental Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Academy of Finland
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Workplace Health and Well-being
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Safety in Workplaces
Keywords
self-rated health, psychological distress, sick leave, municipal employees, gender differences, working mothers, manual occupations, work-life balance, occupational health
MeSH terms
Female, Follow-Up Studies, Health Status, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Prospective Studies, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sex Factors, Stress, Psychological, Work Schedule Tolerance, Cohort Studies, Occupational Health, Sick Leave

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