Dream of having the freedom to set your own work schedule?
Be careful what you wish for, because the more autonomy and control you have over where and when you do your job, the more likely that work will encroach on your personal time - creating more, not less, conflict with family life, a new study from the University of Toronto warns.
"Most people would say the flexibility and the ability to schedule when you work should be good things. But the surprise is that this freedom brings with it a blurring of the line between work responsibilities and personal life," says sociology professor Scott Schieman.
Surveying the work habits of 2,600 U.S. workers, Prof. Schieman and doctoral student Paul Glavin discovered that the more flexibility employees reported having on when and where they did their work, the more likely that bosses and co-workers felt free to contact them during non-working hours.
Most of that was because of technology, he says.
"The old style was you punch in at 9 and punch out at 5, and the borders around work were really fixed and rigid," Prof. Schieman says. "Now, because of communication technology, work can find you any time it wants."
In the study, participants were asked to rate the amount of freedom they felt they had to choose when and where they did their work. Those reporting the most flexibility also reported the greatest number of interruptions and requests to do work-related activities during what they considered their personal time, Prof. Schieman says. Those reporting the most job flexibility had, on average, one more interruption a week during evening hours than those who said they did most of their work during the normal work day, though some reported several, Prof. Schieman says.
The finding was true for both men and women in the study, published in the November issue of the journal Social Problems.
"This is not just people who take home work with them from the office. This is about being at home at night and getting a call from a client customer or supervisor and having work intrude on your personal life?"
The study also asked questions about the kinds of conflicts created by demands to do work on personal time. Responses included insufficient time for family and friends, insufficient energy to do things with family and having to miss an important event.
Prof. Schieman says the findings are important because other research has established that conflict between work and family responsibilities is a key source of stress, which can lead to illness.
"The message is you have to set strong borders around your work and life to avoid the blurring that can lead to family conflict," he says.