Research Report Plan: Long Working Hours and Employee Wellbeing

This research report plan investigates the multifaceted effects of long working hours on employees. It begins by outlining the problem of work-life imbalance and the pressure to exceed expectations, leading to extended work hours. The report aims to identify the issues associated with long working hours, including reduced productivity, increased stress, and the erosion of work-life balance. It examines how these extended hours impact family relationships, potentially leading to conflict and social dissatisfaction. Furthermore, the report explores the adverse health effects, such as hypertension, poor mental status, and lack of sleep, differentiating between the impact on men and women. The conclusion synthesizes these findings, emphasizing the negative consequences on employee wellbeing and suggesting recommendations for companies, like effective work structuring, ergonomic considerations, and breaks, to mitigate these issues and improve employee health and work-life balance. The report relies on several scholarly articles and research to support its findings.

Running head: RESEARCH REPORT PLAN
Research Report Plan
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Resources
1. Artazcoz, L., Cortès, I., Escribà-Agüir, V., Cascant, L. and Villegas, R., 2009.
Understanding the relationship of long working hours with health status and health-
related behaviours. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, pp.jech-2008.
2. Ten Brummelhuis, L.L. and Rothbard, N.P., 2018. The Difference Between Working
Long Hours and Workaholism: Response to Commentary on “Beyond Nine to Five”.
Academy of Management Discoveries, 4(1), pp.97-100.
3. Ganster, D.C., Rosen, C.C. and Fisher, G.G., 2018. Long working hours and well-being:
What we know, what we do not know, and what we need to know. Journal of Business
and Psychology, 33(1), pp.25-39.
4. Xiao, Y. and Cooke, F.L., 2012. Work–life balance in C hina? Social policy, employer
strategy and individual coping mechanisms. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources,
50(1), pp.6-22.
Introduction
1. Background information and outline of the problem: work life involves a major part of an
individual’s life and their lifespan. Thus, it is important that such individuals become satisfied
with the way of life. However, in the race of having better opportunities and career than the
others and to move ahead of others the employees try to give their best. Thus, such an employee
gives their best and ends up working for long hours.
2. The aim of the report is to highlight the issues that are associated with working for long hours,
the issues that are faced by the employees and also to provide the suggestions or
recommendations to reduce the same.

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Findings
Main point 1: work life balance is lost and it leads to reduced productivity and increased amount
of stress.
A study was conducted by Xiao and Cooke (2012) which emphasized on the conflicts of
work life encountered by the workers in China due to the trend of intensification of work across
the occupational groups, rapid growth in the private sector and the and the marketization of the
economy. The study highlighted that organizational leaders of China and workers tend to accept
the major conflicts that arise in the work life and due to this the individuals have adopted to the
various coping strategies on their own. In the developed countries it has been seen that the work
life balance raised due to the changes in the demography of the country which included the
ageing population and the declining labour force. This has been augmented by the intensification
of the globalized competitive pressure. Consequently, the participation of women in the aged
care and child care led, along with the full time employment has led to major debates related to
work life balance. Even if the workers are working for less number of the paid hours still women
are the worst affected by the work life conflict and majority of the women are seen to be
spending more time with the elderly care, child care and housework.
Main point 2: The employees or the workers might have issues that arise from not giving the
enough time to the family members.
Relationships take time to develop and studies have shown that the effect of working
lately affects variedly in people across different populations that are based on the working
conditions, age and gender and other factors. It has been assumed that the long working hours are
although bad for health but it has not been unanimously supported by all the researchers. A study
was conducted which emphasized on separating the behavioural component of working late (Ten

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Brummelhuis and Rothbard 2018). Also it has been seen that the working lately is often sent to
be affecting people psychologically like alcoholism. The most common assumption related to the
long working hours is that it impacts the well-being of the people. Studies have been conducted
on long hours of work affect the behaviour of the workers and the employees. The negative
outcomes working for long hours pertains to the alcohol consumption and depression. While it is
also important to mention that the individuals that work for long hours do not get enough time to
spend with their families and as a result conflicts develop. Such individuals have shown the
characteristics of social dissatisfaction, lack of concentration, somatization, hostility, irritability,
depression, anxiety, and subjective stress (Ganster et al. 2018).
Main point 3: adverse effects on health
Researches have led to the establishment of the fact that working for long hours is related
with the hypertension, poor mental status, shortage of sleep, no time for leisure and physical
activity, tendencies of smoking. Studies have been conducted on how long working hours impact
men and women differently. There are several reasons on how the long hours of work impact the
different gender differently. While it is important to note that the physiology of both men and
women differ and it not the same for men and women. Furthermore, long hours of work
contribute to the long hours of domestic and fulltime work. Additional amount of stress has been
found to be high among the women and as a result there is a inequality in the distribution of the
domestic task. Working for long hours can be attributed by the constraints that are imposed by
the labour market and the long hours of work. Thus, due to the pressures of family responsibility
and the labour market there have been different reasons for which men and women work for
different reasons it has been found that the women that work for the 40 to 50 hours are

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associated one negative health outcome while men that work for 50 to 60 hours are associated
with the three negative health outcome (Artazcoz et al. 2009).
Ideas for conclusion
From the above findings it can be concluded that the when workers or employees work
for long hours the they lose the work life balance. This lost balance leads to reduced productivity
and increased stress. Such employees do not find enough time for the family members. Later on
it leads to the adverse health impact on to the health of the employees. The adverse effect include
obesity, impact on the body posture, and impact on eye sight. Also it is important to note that the
relationship deteriorate over time due to the reduced effort and time. Working for the long hours
have negative effect on the wellbeing of the people. Research conducted over time have failed to
provide a comprehensive picture of the same.
Ideas for recommendation
The companies can frame the work in an effective manner so that the employees do not
have to work for long hours. Computer screens can be placed at the farthest distance so that it
puts the least strain on the eyes along with the facility of comfortable furniture. Companies can
also provide the breaks in between works so that the work pressure can be eased from the
employees.