Systematic review on the association between employee worktime control and work-non-work balance,         health and well-being, and job-related outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this review was to assess systematically the empirical evidence for associations         between employee worktime control (WTC) and work-non-work balance, health/well-being, and job-related outcomes         (eg, job satisfaction, job performance).


METHODS
A systematic search of empirical studies published between         1995-2011 resulted in 63 relevant papers from 53 studies. Five different categories of WTC measurements were         distinguished (global WTC, multidimensional WTC, flextime, leave control, and "other subdimensions of         WTC"). For each WTC category, we examined the strength of evidence for an association with (i)         work-non-work balance, (ii) health/well-being, and (iii) job-related outcomes. We distinguished between         cross-sectional, longitudinal, and intervention studies. Evidence strength was assessed based on the number of studies         and their convergence in terms of study findings.


RESULTS
(Moderately) strong cross-sectional evidence was found for         positive associations between global WTC and both work-non-work balance and job-related outcomes, whereas no         consistent evidence was found regarding health/well-being. Intervention studies on global WTC found moderately strong         evidence for a positive causal association with work-non-work balance and no or insufficient evidence for         health/well-being and job-related outcomes. Limited to moderately strong cross-sectional evidence was found for         positive associations between multidimensional WTC and our outcome categories. Moderately strong cross-sectional         evidence was found for positive associations between flextime and all outcome categories. The lack of intervention or         longitudinal studies restricts clear causal inferences.


CONCLUSIONS
This review has shown that there are theoretical         and empirical reasons to view WTC as a promising tool for the maintenance of employees' work-non-work         balance, health and well-being, and job-related outcomes. At the same time, however, the current state of evidence         allows only very limited causal inferences to be made regarding the impact of enhanced WTC.
Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9104, 6500 HE, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. h.nijp@psych.ru.nl
Hylco H
HH
Nijp
Debby G J
DG
Beckers
Sabine A E
SA
Geurts
Philip
P
Tucker
Michiel A J
MA
Kompier
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004651:Employment; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance