Motivation for Shift Work and the Well-being of Parents with Evening and Night Shifts

• In Event: 431 - Regular Session. Family, Work and Well-being

Abstract

Scholars have often reported that shift work, such as evening and night-time employment, predicts reduced worker well-being. However, we know very little about whether this association holds true regardless of workers’ reasons for employment during nonstandard hours. In this working paper, I use original survey data from a sample of 646 U.S. employed parents to test the hypothesis that the harmful effects of evening and night work depend on the reasons respondents provide for doing shift work. I find that parents who provide personal or family reasons for their shifts report higher life satisfaction than those who work nonstandard hours for job-related reasons only. This results holds true among the aggregate sample, among mothers, and among parents who live with a partner, but not among fathers or single parents. Additionally, offering personal reasons for shift work reduces the work-family conflict of mothers but not fathers. The findings are relevant for families affected by shift work, employers, human resource professionals, and family support professionals.

Author

• Matthew N. Weinshenker, Fordham University