Involuntary Full- and Part-Time Work: Employees’ Mental Health and the Role of Family- and Work-Related Resources

• Main Authors: Deborah De Moortel, Nico Dragano, Morten Wahrendorf
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-10-01
• Series: Societies
• Subjects: work hour preferences; stress theory; family roles; household work; German socio-economic panel; conditional change models
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/10/4/81

Resources related to a good work-life balance may play an important role for the mental health of workers with involuntary working hours. This study investigates whether involuntary part-time (i.e., working part-time, but preferring full-time work) and involuntary full-time work (i.e., working full-time, but preferring part-time work) are associated with a deterioration of mental health and whether family- and work-related resources buffer this association. Data were obtained from the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) with baseline information on involuntary working hours and resources. This information was linked to changes in mental health two years later. We found impaired mental health for involuntary full-time male workers and increased mental health for regular part-time female workers. The mental health of involuntary full-time male workers is more vulnerable, compared to regular full-time workers, when having high non-standard work hours and when being a partner (with or without children). Involuntary part-time work is detrimental to men’s mental health when doing a high amount of household work. This study is one of the first to emphasize the mental health consequences of involuntary full-time work. Avoiding role and time conflicts between family and work roles are important for the mental health of men too.