Clarifying the effect of work hours on health through work-life conflict

Previous research on the relationship between work hours and health has produced inconclusive findings, which may be related to the use of predominantly male samples. This paper examines the relationship between work hours and health in a national Australian sample (Australian Work + Life Index) of men and women. We examine total work hours across major occupational groups and find differences in health outcomes related to gender. In addition, our findings provide important insights into the pathway through which work hours impact health. Specifically, we offer compelling evidence that work-life conflict functions as a pathway through which total work hours impact health outcomes. The results of this study suggest that human resource management practitioners pay further attention to interventions that enable workers to more successfully manage the energy exchange between work and non-work domains. We also review several related pathways by which human resource managers may reduce employee work-life conflict.