Better balance comes with telework

Not surprising: Telecommuters balance work and family life better than office workers. Surprising: Even while sometimes squeezing in a couple extra days\' worth...

How many hours a week do you put in working before you start to notice that it’s interfering with your personal life?

According to a study by Brigham Young University, if you’re a teleworker with flexible hours, that point is 19 hours after your office-bound counterparts have called it a week.

Office workers said they noticed a conflict after 38 hours per week compared to teleworkers’ 57 hours per week.

There is one hitch though.

Lead study author E. Jeffrey Hill, a professor in BYU’s School of Family Life, notes “telecommuting is really only beneficial for reducing work-life conflict when it is accompanied by flextime.”

The study looked at data from 24,436 IBM employees in 75 countries and also found telecommuting’s benefits were apparent among both genders. “Men are as likely as women to use flexible work arrangements,” Hill said.

The study, titled “Finding an Extra Day or Two,” will appear in the June issue of the Journal of Family Psychology.

Copyright © 2024 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    USCG/Petty Officer 2nd Class Ali FlocSeattle Police Department and Thurston County-Sheriff officers train with the U.S. Coast Guard throughout the waters of Puget Sound. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest.

    Coast Guard adds new cyber requirements for ship-to-shore cranes

    Read more
    Getty Images/iStockphoto/chombosanAI (artificial intelligence) concept.

    Shining a light on shadow AI: Three ways to keep your enterprise safe

    Read more