The Association between Working Hours Flexibility and Well-Being Prior to and during COVID-19 in South Korea

Nataliya Nerobkova, Yu Shin Park, Eun-Cheol Park and Suk-Yong Jang
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Nataliya Nerobkova: Department of Public Health, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
Yu Shin Park: Department of Public Health, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
Eun-Cheol Park: Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
Suk-Yong Jang: Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 14, 1-11

Abstract: Objective: This study examined the relationship between the flexibility of work schedule arrangements and well-being among full-time workers prior to and after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in South Korea. Methods: Data from the fifth 2017 and sixth 2020–2021 Korean Working Conditions Survey, including a final sample of 45,137 participants (22,460 males; 22,677 females), were used. Multiple logistic regression was performed to establish the association between schedule arrangement types and the 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index. Results: The study found an association between flexible schedule arrangements and good well-being in 2017: “little flexibility” (odds ratio (OR), 1.33; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.27–1.48), “moderate flexibility” (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.28–1.71), and “high flexibility” (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.06–1.72). During COVID-19, only workers with “high flexibility” were likely to have good well-being (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.18–1.88), while the association between well-being and “low flexibility” (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.96–1.17) and “moderate flexibility” types (OR, 0.66; 95% CI 0.59–0.75) decreased. This study found that flexible working hours may contribute to better well-being among full-time workers. However, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on working conditions and employee well-being should be addressed while setting working hours.

Keywords: flexible working hours; well-being; WHO-5; working condition survey; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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