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. 2019;22(4):412-442.
doi: 10.1080/13668803.2019.1616532. Epub 2019 Aug 16.

Involuntary vs. Voluntary Flexible Work: Insights for Scholars and Stakeholders

Anne Kaduk  1 , Katie Genadek  2 , Erin L Kelly  3 , Phyllis Moen  4
Affiliations

Involuntary vs. Voluntary Flexible Work: Insights for Scholars and Stakeholders

Anne Kaduk et al. Community Work Fam. 2019.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Building on insights from the early stages of our research partnership with a U.S. Fortune 500 organization, we came to differentiate between voluntary and involuntary schedule variability and remote work. This differentiation underscores the complexity behind flexible schedules and remote work, especially among white-collar, salaried professionals. We collected survey data among the partner firm's information technology (IT) workforce to evaluate whether these forms of flexibility had different implications for workers, as part of the larger Work, Family, and Health Network Study. We find that a significant minority of these employees report working variable schedules and working at home involuntarily. Additionally, involuntary variable schedules are associated with greater work-to-family conflict, stress, burnout, turnover intentions, and lower job satisfaction in models that adjust for personal characteristics, type of job, work hours, family demands, and other factors. Voluntary remote work, in contrast, is protective and more common in this professional sample. Employees working at least 20% of their hours at home and reporting moderate or high choice over where they work have lower stress and intentions to leave the firm (as well as higher job satisfaction in some models). These findings point to the importance of both stakeholders and scholars distinguishing between voluntary and involuntary forms of flexibility, even in a relatively advantaged professional and technical workforce.

Edificando sobre la base de conocimientos que resultaron de las fases iniciales de nuestra colaboración con una empresa estadounidense de la Fortune 500, hemos diferenciado entre el trabajo a distancia o variabilidad de horario voluntaria e involuntaria. Esta diferenciación destaca la complejidad tras los horarios flexibles y el trabajo a distancia, particularmente para oficinistas y profesionales asalariados. Como parte del estudio más amplio “Work, Family, and Health Network Study,” lanzamos una encuesta a los empleados especializados en las tecnologías de la información (TI) de esta empresa, con fines de evaluar si dichas formas de flexibilidad laboral tienen distintas implicaciones para los funcionarios de esta empresa. Se observa que una minoría importante de los empleados declara haber experimentado variabilidad de horarios y haber trabajado desde casa de forma involuntaria. Adicionalmente, se observa que la variabilidad de horario involuntaria se asocia con mayores incidencias de conflicto entre trabajo y familia, estrés, agotamiento, intenciones de rotación laboral, y otros factores. En cambio, el trabajo a distancia voluntario protege a los empleados y es más frecuente entre esta muestra de profesionales. Aquellos funcionarios que realizan 20% o más de sus horas laborales desde casa y que declaran tener moderadas o amplias opciones de empleador presentan menos estrés y menores intenciones de renunciar (algunos modelos indican que éstos también presentan mayor satisfacción laboral). Estas conclusiones demuestran la importancia para académicos e interesados de distinguir entre la flexibilidad laboral voluntaria e involuntaria, incluso en una fuerza laboral técnica, profesional, y relativamente aventajada.

Keywords: flexible work arrangements; remote work; schedule control; telecommuting; translational research; workplace flexibility.

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References

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