Effects of overtime on well-being : a meta-analytic review

• Main Authors: Lai, Daphne Sihua, Seah, Aloysius Guang Liang
• Other Authors: Ho Moon-Ho Ringo
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Psychology::Applied psychology
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/52540
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The trend of overtime work has been increasing since the past two decades. The objective of this meta-analysis paper was to investigate the effect of overtime on well-being. A total of 20 eligible studies (N = 100,566) were identified and utilized in the analyses. The meta-analysis results indicate that overtime has a small but significant negative effect on overall well-being, as well as physical and psychological health. Moderator analyses conducted suggest that gender has no real effect, while study designs were associated with study outcomes. Specifically, between-subject design appears to have a stronger effect than within-subject design. Practical implications, other potential moderators and future direction are discussed. Inconsistencies in the current literature, including the definition of overtime and its measuring constructs, are also reviewed. Future research is needed to uncover the underlying mechanisms at work between overtime and well-being.