ABSTRACT

A qualitative investigation of the relationship between the experience of bodily pain and work-life balance was conducted in a sample of manual/non-managerial workers in the Australian construction industry. Participants were purposefully selected for the study on the basis that they reported experiencing ongoing bodily pain. Thematic analysis of the interview data revealed that participants perceive their pain to have substantial impacts on their ability to participate successfully in family life and in social and leisure activities, indicating that the experience of bodily pain has a negative impact on the work-life balance of these manual/non-managerial construction workers. Participants regularly seek remedial treatment outside of work and adapt their activities in order to cope with their pain. Results suggest that for workers in physically demanding jobs, work-life conflict may extend beyond a time-, strain- and behaviour-based model and include a physical capacity component. The research also proposes a new form of time-based work-life conflict which occurs through an indirect pathway through which pain negatively impacts time available for non-work activities. These findings suggest that organisational work-life balance initiatives should also consider the physicality of work, which can contribute, through musculoskeletal pain, to work-life conflict.

摘要

在澳大利亚建筑行业的体力/非管理人员样本中，对身体疼痛经历与工作与生活平衡之间的关系进行了定性调查。参与者是根据他们报告经历持续的身体疼痛而有目的地选择进行研究的。访谈数据的主题分析显示，参与者认为他们的痛苦对他们成功参与家庭生活、社交和休闲活动的能力有重大影响，表明身体疼痛的经历对工作与生活的平衡有负面影响这些手工/非管理建筑工人。参与者定期寻求工作之外的补救治疗并调整他们的活动以应对他们的痛苦。结果表明，对于从事体力要求较高的工作的工人来说，工作与生活的冲突可能会超出基于时间、压力和行为的模型，并包括身体能力的组成部分。该研究还提出了一种基于时间的工作与生活冲突的新形式，这种冲突通过间接途径发生，疼痛通过这种途径对非工作活动的可用时间产生负面影响。这些发现表明，组织的工作与生活平衡举措还应考虑工作的身体状况，这可能会通过肌肉骨骼疼痛加剧工作与生活的冲突。该研究还提出了一种基于时间的工作与生活冲突的新形式，这种冲突通过间接途径发生，疼痛通过这种途径对非工作活动的可用时间产生负面影响。这些发现表明，组织的工作与生活平衡举措还应考虑工作的身体状况，这可能会通过肌肉骨骼疼痛加剧工作与生活的冲突。该研究还提出了一种基于时间的工作与生活冲突的新形式，这种冲突通过间接途径发生，疼痛通过这种途径对非工作活动的可用时间产生负面影响。这些发现表明，组织的工作与生活平衡举措还应考虑工作的身体状况，这会通过肌肉骨骼疼痛加剧工作与生活的冲突。