A recent study, published last March in The
American Sociological Review and which made echo the New York Times, has tried
to explain if the stress of working life conflicts may be alleviated if the employees
have more control over their schedules, including the possibility of working at
home. As expected, the answer is Yes.
In the study, funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of United States, participated in a large
multinational information technology department. The researchers included
psychologists, physiologists, economists and academic experts in public health.
As part of the investigation, the heads of department
were trained to encourage them to show support for the family and personal
lives of employees, said Erin Kelly, Professor of sociology at the University
of Minnesota and one of the main authors of the study. Then, gave employees
more control over their schedules to what it was before. They "were free
to work where and when to prefer, provided that the work was done",
explained.
The results were that employees nearly doubled
the amount of time working at home, reaching an average of 19.6 hours in front
of 10.2 start times. The total number of hours worked remained more or less at
the same level. For Professor Kelly, the fact of focusing on outcomes rather
than time spent in the office and the reduction in the number of "low value" meetings and other
tasks, helped employees achieve greater flexibility.
In comparison with another group that did not
have the same flexibility, workers interviewed by the researchers indicated
that they felt happier and were less stressed, they had more energy and were
using their time more effectively, added Kelly. There was no sign that the
quality of work improved or worsened with the changed times, it concluded.
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