With work-related stress, longer hours on the job might not to blame

Although people complain that working long hours creates stress, the blame may be misplaced, according to the first large study of the effects of long days on the job.

University of Arkansas researchers report that stress symptoms, sick days and life satisfaction are more likely to be affected by other characteristics of the workplace, such as job autonomy, learning opportunities, supportive supervisors and scheduling flexibility.

“Hours of work showed very little association with overall well-being,” says Daniel C. Ganster, professor of management at the University of Arkansas.

According to the survey of 3,000 workers, feelings of well-being were most affected by whether the work environment was supportive and by job quality. Having control over pressures on the job seems to lessen the effect of working longer hours, says Ganster. But work overload, unreal expectations and an unsympathetic boss may interact with long hours to increase stress.

Although this survey was conducted in 1997, Ganster presented the results last month at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management in Seattle. The current economic downturn and the longer work day might have an unexpected result, he says. “Most people are glad to be working,” Ganster says. Now, “working long hours may have even less of an effect.”

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Dianne Partie Lange