The Effect of Employee-Oriented Flexible Work on Mental Health: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The effect of flexible work on mental health is not well known. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the effects of employee-oriented flexible work on mental health problems and associated disability. Literature searches were conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, ProQuest and EconPapers databases from their inception through October-November 2020. Sixteen studies on the associations of worktime control, working from home, or flexible working arrangements with mental health related outcomes were included in the review: one cluster randomized controlled trial, two non-randomized controlled trials, two cross-over studies, and 11 prospective cohort studies. Three reviewers independently assessed the met-hodological quality of the included studies and extracted the data. The included studies differed in design, intervention/exposure, and outcome, so meta-analysis was not carried out and qualitative results were reported. A few prospective cohort studies found that low employees’ control over worktime increases the risk of depressive symptoms, psychological distress, burnout, and accumulated fatigue. One cross-over and a few cohort studies found small beneficial effects of working partly from home on depressive symptoms, stress, and emotional exhaustion. A small number of controlled trials, cross-over or cohort studies found that flexible working arrangements increase employees’ control over working hours, but have only modest beneficial effects on psychological distress, burnout, and emotional exhaustion. This systematic review suggests that employee-oriented flexible work may have small beneficial effects on mental health. However, randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies are needed to identify the health effects of flexible work.

Work schedule flexibility and teleworking were not good together during COVID-19 when testing their effects on work overload and mental health

“…Highly suitable jobs or professions for telework include managerial and specialized professional information-based tasks, performed using devices such as computers and cell phones, which can be planned in advance and performed at any time of day and which require high levels of concentration and autonomy (Tavares, 2017). Shiri et al (2022) found FWAs may have varying impacts on work depending on its implementation. In the case of teleworking, Mann et al (2000) found it involves an important change in communications; there is a reduction in face-to-face communications and communications can occur outside traditional times and spaces.…”

“…Systematic reviews of WFH and WSF show both positive and negative consequences for employees ( Kotera and Correa Vione, 2020 ; Oakman et al, 2020 ; Lunde et al, 2022 ; Shiri et al, 2022 ). In particular, evidence suggests there are positive impacts of such arrangements when they are implemented under the right conditions.…”

“…Pre-pandemic literature about FWAs and their impact on employee health has shortcomings and is scant. There are a few studies addressing the different types of FWAs ( Van Steenbergen et al, 2018 ; Shifrin and Michel, 2021 ), but most have been cross-sectional ( Van Steenbergen et al, 2018 ; Shiri et al, 2022 ), which does not allow exploration of employee impacts over time, or establishment of causal inferences from the findings ( Taris et al, 2010 ; Hayes, 2013 ). In addition, pre-pandemic literature focuses mainly on the association between FWAs and mental health rather than seeking explanatory models to clarify these relations between the two ( Beckel and Fisher, 2022 ).…”

“…First, the study adds to the body of knowledge of FWA literature using a longitudinal design, granting a better understanding of the causality between two different FWAs and mental health. This represents an important contribution to the field of FWAs, as, according to recent systematic reviews, studies of the impact of FWAs on mental health have mostly relied on cross-sectional designs ( Oakman et al, 2020 ; Lunde et al, 2022 ; Shiri et al, 2022 ). Second, although Kossek and Michel (2011) indicated that combining various types of FWAs can maximize positive outcomes for both employees and employers, a recent meta-analysis by Shifrin and Michel (2021) found there is not yet enough evidence to support this claim.…”

Occupational safety and health of flexible work style

“…This trend is expected to spread in the post-pandemic world based on the internet technology progress and globalization, and more companies are giving workers more control over their daily work based on self-management and self-discipline. Several studies are performed on the association between flexible working styles and workers' health outcome [1][2][3][4] , however, the resulting demand for increased autonomy and self-management may put an undue burden on workers. This special issue deals with the impact of flexible working styles on workers' health and safety and social life.…”