Work and Leisure

130 Jiri ZuzanekChoice and control over timeAlthough feelings of time pressure have increased particularly for employeesworking long hours, the Canadian data show that, between 1992 and 1998,virtually all groups of Canada’s population experienced increases in perceivedtime pressure, the proportion who reported feeling rushed every day or a fewtimes a week growing from 64 per cent to 67 per cent between 1992 and 1998.Factors other than the length of paid and unpaid work may, however, be atthe root of feelings of time pressure, including the amount of choice andinterest people have in what they are doing; their level of control over timeand the activity they engage in; and the extent to which their time is fragmentedby frequent ‘switch-overs’ from one activity to another. As Table 7.5shows, feelings of time pressure among employed respondents are affectedmore strongly by the lack of discretion over one’s job and a sense of low levelof control over one’s life than by the length of paid working hours. Thelength of paid and unpaid working hours is thus an important, but not thesole, determinant of subjectively felt time pressure. Lack of choice, interest,and control over working and non-working time, and a rapid change-over ofactivities contribute significantly to elevated levels of time crunch.Work overload, time pressure and emotionalwell-beingRelatively few authors have addressed the question of how work overloadand feelings of time pressure affect emotional well-being (Robinson andGodbey 1997; Barnett 1998; Lehto 1998). Table 7.6 presents correlation coefficientsbetween measures of emotional well-being (job satisfaction, life satisfaction,etc.) and working hours and feelings of time pressure. The resultssuggest that longer hours of paid work, while negatively associated withwork–family balance and leisure, are, paradoxically, positively associatedTable 7.5 Relationships between feelings of time pressure, paid workload and psychologicalstate, Canada, 1994Feeling of time pressure (taking on too many things – 1–6)Pearson ‘r’BetaEstimated hours of paid work 0.07 0.08Decision latitude at work -0.13 -0.14Mastery -0.09 -0.13Source: NPHS – see Table 7.1Notes:Controlled for respondent’s age, gender, and education.Composite measure based on skill requirements and the amount of decision-making freedom at work.Controlled for respondent’s age, gender, education and the day of the week (workday).