The traditional 9-to-5 workweek has in many cases been replaced by hybrid hours tailored to individual needs. But according to new research from Cornell University, working on a non-traditional schedule and checking in at all hours of the day, evening and weekends isn't necessarily beneficial for the workforce of the 21st century.
“Even if you're still working 40 hours a week, you're working in time you've mentally coded as free time, or as time that should be for a vacation, and that can suddenly make you feel like your job isn't as enjoyable. said Kaitlin Woolley, associate professor of marketing at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, at Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.
Woolley and Laura Giurge, assistant professor of behavioral sciences at the London School of Economics and former Cornell postdoctoral researcher, discuss the issue in “Working During Non-Standard Work Time Undermines Intrinsic Motivation”.
Woolley and Giurge wanted to investigate the effect of working – and studying, among students – during non-traditional hours on job satisfaction and motivation. “We felt that sometimes the ability to work when we want to can also affect how we feel about our work,” Woolley said.
In one study, the researchers approached Cornell students studying in a campus library on President's Day. They reminded half of the participants that they were studying during a federal holiday; the other half did not receive this reminder. They then measured the students' intrinsic motivation for their schoolwork and asked how fun, engaging, interesting and enjoyable they found their material. Students who were reminded that the day was a federal holiday reported that their work was 15% less enjoyable.
In another study, the researchers measured whether a simple calendar reminder on a federal holiday (MLK day) would change full-time employees' perception of job satisfaction. They found that work was 9% less enjoyable on the holiday Monday, compared to a typical Monday, despite doing similar work-related activities on both days.
In the third study, participants were surveyed on a Tuesday, without recalling that it is a typical work day, and then again on a Saturday. Some participants were reminded that it was Saturday, "a weekend day", while others were not reminded. Both groups reported lower job satisfaction on the weekend day, although the effect was stronger in the reminder group.
Woolley and Giurge think part of this discrepancy has to do with the idea of "collective leisure" - having free time when friends and family are also free.
“The real benefit of having time off on weekends or holidays is that not only do I have time off, but my family and friends have time off as well,” Woolley said. “And so one thing we suggest to managers is, can you create a 'weekend shift' so that people feel like they're in it with other people?”
The idea of a “work-life balance” – setting boundaries between work and “play” times – has been a priority for many employers and employees of late. Woolley said it can be difficult for employees who feel pressured to perform to find that balance.
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“It's sometimes hard for employees who aren't in a position of power, when I think managers have a responsibility to create that environment for their employees,” she said. “I really think people are becoming more aware of its importance and shaping their jobs and their life choices to make this happen.”
