Volatile weekly work hours may have adverse effects on health, employment
Workers who juggle volatile work hours that change from week to week may experience adverse health effects that affect their ability to work, although the limitations vary by gender, say researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who conducted a recent study.
A recent study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign suggests that workers with fluctuating weekly hours may face health consequences that hinder their ability to perform their jobs. The research, led by doctoral student Sinyee Qianyi Lu and sociology professor Tim Liao, analyzed data from over 61,000 U.S. workers aged 18–64 who participated in the Current Population Survey between 2016 and 2024.
The study found that men with greater fluctuations in work hours were more likely to report declining health and stay employed, while women tended to reduce their hours, take time off for health reasons, or leave their jobs altogether. The researchers examined over 61,000 workers' self-rated health and month-to-month work hours over a 16-month period, revealing that greater volatility in work hours was linked to a gradual decline in self-rated health among men, particularly those working longer weekly hours.
However, this effect did not appear to impact women's health outcomes significantly. The findings highlight the importance of job quality, including work schedule stability, in determining health outcomes and suggest that the health consequences of unstable work schedules may not be evenly distributed between men and women.
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