{"id":238936,"date":"2024-03-29T06:10:49","date_gmt":"2024-03-29T10:10:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=238936"},"modified":"2024-04-03T12:15:00","modified_gmt":"2024-04-03T16:15:00","slug":"job-flexibility-and-security-promotes-better-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2024\/job-flexibility-and-security-promotes-better-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Job Flexibility and Security Promotes Better Mental Health"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin sphnews-block-editorial-leadin is-style-text-over-image has-media has-media-focus-center-middle has-text-position-x-left has-text-position-y-bottom\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"2309\" height=\"1299\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2024\/03\/job-flexibility.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"Male Worker Wearing Safety Vest Loads Cardboard Boxes into Delivery Truck, Rests. Dramatic Shot\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/03\/job-flexibility.jpg 2309w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/03\/job-flexibility-636x358.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/03\/job-flexibility-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/03\/job-flexibility-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/03\/job-flexibility-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/03\/job-flexibility-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/03\/job-flexibility-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/03\/job-flexibility-992x558.jpg 992w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/03\/job-flexibility-1500x844.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/03\/job-flexibility-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/03\/job-flexibility-1984x1116.jpg 1984w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/03\/job-flexibility-755x425.jpg 755w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/03\/job-flexibility-1628x916.jpg 1628w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/03\/job-flexibility-1600x900.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/03\/job-flexibility-1366x768.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/03\/job-flexibility-1280x720.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/03\/job-flexibility-854x480.jpg 854w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/03\/job-flexibility-900x506.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2309px) 100vw, 2309px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">unemployment<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJob Flexibility and Security Promotes Better Mental Health\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">A nationwide study indicates that workplace policies that provide stability and flexibility to employees boost overall well-being and encourage workers to seek health services when they need it.<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar js-block-editorial-metabar sphnews-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">March 29, 2024<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/authors\/jillian-mckoy\/\">Jillian McKoy<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<p>Employment is&nbsp;a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/health.gov\/healthypeople\/priority-areas\/social-determinants-health\/literature-summaries\/employment\">recognized determinant<\/a> of health, and different aspects of a job can be beneficial or deleterious to mental health.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Job flexibility and job security, in particular, are key factors that contribute to employees\u2019 mental health in the United States, according to a study led by a School of Public Health researcher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamanetworkopen\/fullarticle\/2816735\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Published in the journal&nbsp;<em>JAMA Network Open<\/em><\/a>, the study found that employed adults with greater job flexibility and higher job security were less likely to experience serious psychological distress or anxiety. Greater job flexibility and higher job security were also associated with fewer days on average worked while feeling ill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7681163\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">prior research<\/a> has linked job stability and flexibility to psychological well-being, this study is the first nationally representative analysis of these job characteristics and their effects on employee mental health, work absences, and mental healthcare use.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These findings suggest that workplace policies that prioritize job flexibility and security can lead to healthier work environments that mitigate stress and improve employees\u2019 overall well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt is important to recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing mental health disparities and threatened job security, both of which especially impacted individuals in lower-wage positions, frontline workers, and marginalized communities,\u201d says study lead and corresponding author <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/monica-wang\/\">Monica Wang<\/a>, associate professor of community health sciences. \u201cGiven this context, understanding how job and work design influence mental health becomes increasingly imperative as workplaces continue to explore ways to adapt to changing work norms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the study, Wang and colleagues from SPH, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Brown University, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest College of Medicine utilized data from more than 18,000 US adults ages 18 and older who participated in the 2021 National Health Interview Survey, one of the largest national health surveys of adults. Job flexibility was based on participants\u2019 perceived ease of being able to change their work schedule to tend to personal or family responsibilities, as well as maintain regular work schedules and receive work hours in advance. Job security reflected their perceived likelihood of losing their job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The findings showed that employed adults with greater job flexibility and higher job security were 25 percent and 26 percent less likely, respectively, to experience serious psychological distress. Those with greater job flexibility were 13 percent less likely to experience daily anxiety, while participants with greater job security were 27 percent less likely to experience daily anxiety.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBeing able to predict our work schedule and have the flexibility to make time for important personal or family commitments allows us&nbsp;to better&nbsp;balance work and personal responsibilities, including the time to take care of one\u2019s health,\u201d says Wang. \u201cThis can reduce stress and anxiety while promoting greater control over schedules.\u201d&nbsp;Greater&nbsp;job security, she says, can offer a \u201cpsychological sense of stability\u201d&nbsp;and reduce work absenteeism&nbsp;as a result of higher work satisfaction, decreased job-related stress, and financial security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In examining how job flexibility and security affected work absenteeism, the team found mixed results. Employees with greater job flexibility and higher job security were associated with fewer days on average worked while feeling ill, suggesting that workers with flexible jobs felt comfortable to take sick leave when needed. But while greater job flexibility was associated with a higher number of missed workdays over the past 3 months, greater job security was associated with fewer missed days over the past 3 and 12 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The researchers speculate that the mixed results may reflect&nbsp;an interplay of multiple factors, such as the different types of job flexibility and security, individual priorities and needs, and workplace culture. Job benefits can also vary greatly across roles and industries. \u201cFor example, jobs with greater flexibility in scheduling may still be less conducive to employees taking sick leave if employees have limited or no paid sick leave,\u201d says Wang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As advocates&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/articles\/all-workers-should-be-able-to-earn-time-off-the-federal-government-should-guarantee-it\/\" target=\"_blank\">continue to push<\/a> for universal paid sick leave\u2014the US is currently the only high-income country that&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dol.gov\/general\/topic\/workhours\/sickleave\" target=\"_blank\">does not guarantee<\/a> paid time off\u2014the study highlights other changes and policies that companies can implement to promote work-life balance,&nbsp;including flexible work schedules, hybrid and remote options, and policies for adjusting work hours. They can also provide flexible employee contracts, skill development, and career advancement opportunities. Organizations could support employees\u2019 health by revising sick leave policies, expanding mental healthcare coverage, and partnering with services that address healthcare access barriers, such as telehealth counseling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWorkplaces can experiment with different flexibility initiatives to see what works best for the organization and for the employees,\u201d Wang says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At SPH, the study was coauthored by alum Katherine Togher (SPH&#8217;23).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wang recently expanded on this topic in a viewpoint for <em>The Conversation<\/em>. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/not-having-job-flexibility-or-security-can-leave-workers-feeling-depressed-anxious-and-hopeless-222364\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to read it.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Employment is&nbsp;a&nbsp;recognized determinant of health, and different aspects of a job can be beneficial or deleterious to mental health.&nbsp; Job flexibility and job security, in particular, are key factors that contribute to employees\u2019 mental health in the United States, according to a study led by a School of Public Health researcher. Published in the journal&nbsp;JAMA [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15205,"featured_media":239067,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[3434,4409,2070,2178,2847,3380,4006,3887,3681],"bu-publication":[3516],"sphnews-article-category":[3519,3525,3531,3540],"sphnews-topic":[],"bu_edition":[],"media_type":[],"profile_tax":[1208],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/238936"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15205"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=238936"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/238936\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":239365,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/238936\/revisions\/239365"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/239067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=238936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=238936"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=238936"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-article-category?post=238936"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-topic?post=238936"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=238936"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=238936"},{"taxonomy":"profile_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile_tax?post=238936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}