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Impact of Working Hours on Work-Life Balance

Author

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  • Sarah Holly
  • Alwine Mohnen

Abstract

To examine the influence of working hours on employees' satisfaction, this article uses a large, representative set of panel data from German households (GSOEP). The results show that high working hours and overtime in general do not lead to decreased satisfaction. Rather, increasing working hours and overtime have positive effects on life and job satisfaction, whereas the desire to reduce working hours has a negative impact on satisfaction. In 2009, nearly 60% of employees wanted to reduce their working hours. The overall number of hours by which employees want to reduce their working time is driven mainly by overtime compensation.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah Holly & Alwine Mohnen, 2012. "Impact of Working Hours on Work-Life Balance," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 465, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwsop:diw_sp465
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    File URL: https://www.diw.de/documents/publikationen/73/diw_01.c.407372.de/diw_sp0465.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sebastian Stępień & Jan Polcyn & Michał Borychowski, 2021. "Determinanty zrównoważonego rozwoju ekonomiczno-społecznego rodzinnych gospodarstw rolnych w Polsce," Ekonomista, Polskie Towarzystwo Ekonomiczne, issue 1, pages 56-86.
    2. Verena Tobsch & Elke Holst, 2019. "Potenziale unfreiwilliger Teilzeit in Deutschland," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1032, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    3. Beckmann, Michael, 2016. "Self-managed working time and firm performance: Microeconometric evidence," Working papers 2016/01, Faculty of Business and Economics - University of Basel.
    4. Grund, Christian & Tilkes, Katja Rebecca, 2021. "Working Time Mismatch and Job Satisfaction - The Role of Employees' Time Autonomy and Gender," IZA Discussion Papers 14732, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Cem Başlevent, 2014. "The Work-Life Conflict and Well-Being of Turkish Employees," Ekonomi-tek - International Economics Journal, Turkish Economic Association, vol. 3(1), pages 57-76, January.
    6. Cem Baslevent, 2014. "The Work-Life Conflict and Well-Being of Turkish Employees," Working Papers 827, Economic Research Forum, revised May 2014.
    7. Cem Başlevent & Hasan Kirmanoğlu, 2014. "The Impact of Deviations from Desired Hours of Work on the Life Satisfaction of Employees," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 118(1), pages 33-43, August.
    8. Sebastian Stępień & Jan Polcyn & Michał Borychowski, 2021. "Determinanty zrównoważonego rozwoju ekonomiczno-społecznego rodzinnych gospodarstw rolnych w Polsce," Ekonomista, Polskie Towarzystwo Ekonomiczne, vol. 1, pages 56-86, January.
    9. Wanger, Susanne, 2017. "What makes employees satisfied with their working time? : The role of working hours, time-sovereignty and working conditions for working time and job satisfaction," IAB-Discussion Paper 201720, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    10. Muhammad Owais & Danish Ahmed Siddiqui, 2021. "Effect of Spirituality, Demographics, and Culture on Career Satisfaction, Organizational Fairness Climate, and Affective Commitment in Pakistani Organization: The Mediatory Role of Ethical Leadership," International Journal of Human Resource Studies, Macrothink Institute, vol. 11(1), pages 266305-2663, December.
    11. Beckmann, Michael, 2016. "Self-managed working time and firm performance: Microeconometric evidence," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145623, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    12. Holtmann, Doris & Matiaske, Wenzel, 2021. "Betriebliche Arbeitszeitpolitiken: Exploration in ausgewählten Frauen- und Männerbranchen Ost- und Westdeutschlands," Working Papers 7, Helmut Schmidt University, Research Cluster OPAL.
    13. Ehing, Daniel, 2013. "Unter- und Überbeschäftigung in Deutschland: Eine Analyse wesentlicher Einflussfaktoren auf die Unterbeschäftigung in Teilzeit," FZG Discussion Papers 53, University of Freiburg, Research Center for Generational Contracts (FZG).
    14. Cem Başlevent & Hasan Kirmanoğlu, 2017. "Gender Inequality in Europe and the Life Satisfaction of Working and Non-working Women," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 107-124, February.
    15. Mohnen, Alwine & Mückenhausen, Verena & Toporova, Nevena & Kern, Maximilian, 2021. "Personalmanagement in Familienunternehmen: Recruiting, Arbeitsbedingungen, Weiterbildung," Studien, Stiftung Familienunternehmen / Foundation for Family Businesses, number 250040.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Satisfaction; overtime; work¿life balance; working hours; working time arrangements;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J28 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy
    • J81 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Working Conditions
    • M12 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Personnel Management; Executives; Executive Compensation

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