A lack of recovery like psychologically detaching from work can be detrimental to health. High cognitive demands may jeopardise detachment from work. Longitudinal studies concerning the long-term e...

ABSTRACT In two studies, we investigated the effects of workplace bullying on objective measures of cognitive functioning. In Study 1, 47 university employees, self-identified as current targets of bullying (n = 24) or non-targets (n = 23), completed objectively scored cognitive tasks assessing general attention and three components of working memory (central executive, visuospatial sketchpad, and

ABSTRACT Studies investigating the stressor–strain relation using daily diary designs have been interested in within-person deviations that predict well-being outcomes on the same day. These models typically have not accounted for the possibility of short-term accumulation (i.e. previous stressor experiences having a lasting effect and affecting strain on subsequent occasions) and sensitisation (i

ABSTRACT Process evaluation enables us to gain insights into the complex organisational intervention processes, but has mostly taken place post intervention, thus failing to support implementation. Using the theory of planned behaviour, we developed and validated a 7-item process evaluation questionnaire (the Intervention Preparedness Tool) that aims to evaluate the preparatory phases of the intervention

ABSTRACT Workplace burnout has strong negative consequences for both workers and organisations. Following Self-determination theory (SDT), we hypothesised that workplace materialism – the relative importance given to extrinsic (fame, money, image) versus intrinsic (relationships, pro-sociality, self-development) work goals – is a key antecedent of burnout. The relationship between work goals and burnout

ABSTRACT Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are seen as essential tools for mastering knowledge work in the twenty-first century. However, ICTs do not solely improve workflows, but are experienced by employees as an additional demand described as ICT workload. In this study, we apply the stressor-detachment model in the context of ICT, and investigated relations of ICT workload to psychological

ABSTRACT Role conflicts and role ambiguity have been identified as important risk factors for exposure to workplace bullying, particularly when combined with inadequate leadership practices. Even though role ambiguity theoretically can be considered a causal precursor to role conflicts, previous research has mainly examined these role stressors as concurrent predictors of workplace bullying. The present

ABSTRACT This study disentangles positive and negative reactions to home-to-work transitions (i.e. transitions from the home role to the work role during non-work hours; HWTs) and examines their consequences for employees’ work engagement and psychological strain. Based on boundary theory and appraisal theories, we expected that positively appraised HWTs would relate to more engagement and less strain

ABSTRACT The positive impact of coworker social support on employee behaviour and well-being is well-described in the job demands–resources model. However, the specific mechanisms through which it operates have received scarce research attention. The current study investigated the distinct roles of relatedness need satisfaction (i.e. connectedness) and need frustration (i.e. isolation) to explain how

ABSTRACT Previous research on compassion work has focused on the emotion regulation of human services workers. However, little attention has been paid to the job characteristics of this work. In this paper, we conceptualise a model of compassion work that differentiates the task characteristics (1) exposure and (2) empathy, and the work style requirements (3) compassion and (4) distancing. We tested

ABSTRACT Previous research has demonstrated that work-related self-control demands deplete regulatory resources and thus impair employees’ functioning. But what is more harmful to employees – facing consistent self-control demands throughout the day or frequently switching between activities that require varying levels of self-control (i.e. self-control demands variability)? To answer this question

ABSTRACT Constant connectivity is prevalent in modern workplaces, aided by smartphones and email. Supervisors may further pressure their subordinates to remain connected to work through their after-hours communications. We develop the concept of supervisor off-work boundary infringements (SBI) or supervisor intrusions during subordinates’ nonwork hours, which are becoming widespread due to expectations

ABSTRACT Service employees’ surface acting is exhausting, but it is unclear if exhaustion appears instantly after a single service episode. Moreover, evidence regarding the reversed causality in which exhaustion predicts surface acting is scarce and unequivocal. Our experience-sampling study investigates dynamic reciprocal relations between service employees’ exhaustion and surface acting, and additionally

ABSTRACT Researchers have consistently shown the detrimental effects that workplace bullying has on employee well-being. While there have been many studies examining moderating factors that worsen or mitigate bullying’s effects, the field lacks a common theoretical framework to integrate and explain these diverse moderators. The aim of this systematic review is to identify, categorise, and evaluate

ABSTRACT Although expecting to undertake core tasks affirming their professional identity, employees often have to deal with tasks they perceive as unnecessary or unreasonable. The concept of illegitimate tasks captures this phenomenon and has attracted growing attention since its first appearance. Illegitimate tasks have been found to explain unique variance in well-being and strain. Given a burgeoning

Supervisors play an important role in supporting employees to return to work following sickness absence due to common mental disorders; stress, anxiety and depression, however, employees may not al...

ABSTRACT Previous meta-analyses showed that challenge stressors are, though stressful, also motivating. However, their hypothesised gains related to learning are less well understood. In addition to the lack of meta-analytical assessments, there are conflicting theoretical perspectives on the learning effects of challenge stressors. In contrast to the challenge–hindrance stressor framework, action

ABSTRACT We expand research on the daily dynamics of employee effectiveness at work by integrating the core tenets of the Conservation of Resources Theory with the Broaden-and-Build Theory of positive emotions. Specifically, we argue that daily work-related self-control demands as a stressor deplete employees’ regulatory resources, which in turn impair work effectiveness because employees try to protect

ABSTRACT Fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers are exposed to demanding work schedules (including extended rosters, long shifts, and night work) which may contribute to the high levels of psychological distress they report. However, existing evidence is inconsistent. To address these issues, we developed a model of FIFO work schedules and formulated three hypotheses linking objective schedule attributes to

ABSTRACT Arguably burnout and engagement of employees play an important role in driving sustainable organisational change. Surprisingly little is known about how organisational change affects employee burnout and engagement. Drawing on the Job Demands-Resources model and the Conservation of Resources perspective, we utilise an integrative theoretical model proposing that the more employees appraise

ABSTRACT This study extends earlier works that focused on stressor appraisals (stressor as challenge and stressor as hindrance) as mediators of stressors and psychological strains. We also tested whether psychological strains would then affect organisational outcomes. Survey data were gathered from a general sample of 237 full-time employees at three time points. The first time was a screener survey

ABSTRACT This study aimed to advance insight into how employees cope with work-related boredom by developing and testing a control-process model of coping with boredom. We examined (1) the role of trait self-control in explaining whether employees cope with daily work-related boredom by engaging in distractive behaviour or job crafting, and (2) how these two coping behaviours link to changes in work-related

ABSTRACT Our study examined construct validity evidence for a measure of perceptions of Stress as a Badge of Honour, consisting of four dimensions: stress as achievement, relaxation remorse, stress-related social comparison, and stress-related impression management. A pilot study among college students (Study 1; N = 120) informed the initial development of the measure, which was further tested in two

ABSTRACT We investigate risks of exposure to workplace bullying and related mental health outcomes for men and women when being in a gender minority as opposed to working in a gender-balanced working environment or when belonging to a gender majority. Based on a social identity perspective, we tested hypotheses about the risks of bullying and differences in the increase in mental health problems in

ABSTRACT Despite converging theoretical arguments regarding non-linear relationships between workload and employee attitudes (i.e. job satisfaction) and mental well-being outcomes, prior empirical support for these curvilinear effects has been mixed. In this study we offer and test two potential explanations that may help to reconcile this discrepancy. First, existing workload scales do not assess

ABSTRACT We investigated the Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC) construct and its role in attenuating the negative effects of job demands (i.e. emotional and psychological) on psychological health (distress, emotional exhaustion, and depression). In particular, we used composition theory to understand how organisational PSC could be derived from individual perceptions of PSC. We introduce a relatively

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic forced many workers globally to work from home, suddenly, and often without choice, during a highly uncertain time. Adopting a longitudinal, person-centered approach, we explored patterns of change in employees’ psychological distress over three months following the early phase of the pandemic. We investigated how change in distress unfolded for different latent subgroups

Published in Work & Stress: An International Journal of Work, Health & Organisations (Vol. 36, No. 2, 2022)

ABSTRACT Safety training, especially when based on the active participation of trainees and aiming for transfer of learning into the workplace, is an important tool to prevent accidents and promote occupational safety, and may be particularly powerful among vulnerable groups, such as migrant workers. The present study, employing a mixed methods, before-and-after study design, evaluated a training programme

ABSTRACT To study the ever-increasing pace of work practices, we investigated leader experiences of intensified job demands (IJDs) and their effects on followers. Based on the challenge-hindrance approach, different kinds of job demands may produce either negative or positive work-related outcomes. Using this perspective, we investigated the leaders IJDs against their followers’ satisfaction with them

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate characteristics associated with employees’ ability to cope with the challenges of remote working as flexible work arrangements are predicted to constitute an increasingly pervasive model of work. More specifically, we investigated job resources specific to remote work and employees’ strengths and behaviours that may be crucial for enhancing work engagement

ABSTRACT Interventions to improve mental health can target individuals, working groups, their leaders, or organisations, also known as the Individual, Group, Leader, and Organisational (IGLO) levels of intervention. Evaluating such interventions in organisational settings is complex and requires sophisticated evaluation designs taking into account the intervention process. In the present systematic

Abstract While implementing participation in an organisational health intervention (OHI), the formation of a group of representatives responsible for developing and realising action plans is a common approach. This mixed-methods study aimed (a) to examine differential intervention effects for employees who are directly involved in intervention decision making (direct participants [DPs], N = 84) compared

ABSTRACT Work intensification (WI) is a notable job stressor, which has been hypothesised to result in various negative outcomes for employees. However, earlier empirical studies regarding this stressor hypothesis have not yet been reviewed. Our narrative review focused on the outcomes for employees of WI as a perceived job stressor. Our review was based on selected qualitative and quantitative empirical

ABSTRACT The Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model is a well-recognized theoretical framework assessing the impact of job demands and resources on well-being. Though the model conceptualises job demands and resources in terms of how jobs are both objectively designed and subjectively experienced, most studies have relied only on subjective self-reported data. In a comprehensive test of the model, our

ABSTRACT This systematic literature review synthesises the existing knowledge about the impact on working caregivers managing dual responsibilities of paid work and informal eldercare, as well as the demands and resources related to juggling these duties. Due to the increasing volume of research in this area, it is important to synthesise current knowledge and identify gaps for future research in the

(2022). Taming the flood of findings: What makes for a really useful literature review in occupational health psychology? Work & Stress: Vol. 36, Literature reviews in occupational health psychology, pp. 1-5.

ABSTRACT In this paper, we present the Integrated Training Transfer and Effectiveness Model (ITTEM), a dynamic model integrating dominant training transfer and training effectiveness models that can be used to evaluate whether mental health and wellbeing training interventions are transferred to the workplace and result in changes in emotions, cognitions and behaviours post-training. Through the integration

ABSTRACT A high workload has long been considered a harmful stressor that adversely affects employees. In the current study, we propose that work underload also has negative implications for employees, and that there is a curvilinear relationship between daily workload and rumination. These negative consequences can carry over to the next day. We collected data from a sample of 137 employees over the

ABSTRACT Clinical burnout has been associated with impaired cognitive functioning; however, inconsistent findings have been reported regarding the pattern and magnitude of cognitive deficits. The aim of this systematic review and multivariate meta-analysis was to assess cognitive function in clinical burnout as compared to healthy controls and identify the pattern and severity of cognitive dysfunction

ABSTRACT The physical activity-mediated Demand-Control model (Häusser, J. A., & Mojzisch, A. (2017). The physical activity-mediated Demand–Control (pamDC) model: Linking work characteristics, leisure time physical activity, and well-being. Work & Stress, 31(3), 209–232. doi:10.1080/02678373.2017.1303759) posits that leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) is an important variable mediating the effects

ABSTRACT Particularly in knowledge-intensive jobs, employees are increasingly challenged by complex and dynamically changing work tasks. These developments make it difficult for employees to anticipate a day's upcoming work tasks and associated activities including methods, time requirements, and potential problems arising in the work process. We present three arguments why this work unpredictability

ABSTRACT Many workers are subjected to incidents of rudeness and ignorance at work. Emerging evidence suggests that exposure to such incivility has an immediate impact on people’s well-being and commitment. In this article we contribute to this nascent area of enquiry by investigating the role of discrete emotions in explaining how exposure to incivility translates into detrimental daily consequences

ABSTRACT Research on workplace incivility principally has focused on targets’ reactions to uncivil behaviours. Moreover, incivility’s consequences have been separately investigated for targets and observers. In the present diary study (N = 164), we examined the short-term effects of experienced incivility on targets’ angry mood, depressive mood, and self-esteem. Also, we investigated the interplay

ABSTRACT Most research on workaholism has been conducted at the between-person level and has considered mainly psychological outcomes of the phenomenon (e.g. burnout, job satisfaction). Building on the allostatic load model and on the idea that workaholic cognition and behaviour may show variation at the within-person level, we tested the hypothesis that fluctuations in daily workaholism would be related

ABSTRACT Employees who remain available for work outside regular work hours often experience strain and work–home conflicts. This study clusters employees in distinct availability types based on different aspects of unregulated extended work ability, which are contacting frequency, availability expectations and perceived legitimacy of availability. Moreover, we examined covariates of class membership

ABSTRACT As a social determinant of health, work influences the health and well-being of workers. Interventions to change the conditions of work are an important complement to individually-focused wellness initiatives. This systematic literature review identified organisational- and group-level workplace intervention studies using experimental or quasi-experimental designs. It considered 83 studies

ABSTRACT Although workplace bullying has been long recognised as an organisational level phenomenon, few studies have explored how different organisational factors come together to influence bullying risk. In this study, we integrate theories on organisational psychosocial safety climate (PSC) and social information processing to understand how PSC is related to bullying exposure, mediated through

ABSTRACT While most of the workplace bullying research has focused on targets and the devastating consequences they face from being exposed to such negative behaviour, bullying does not occur in a social vacuum. Previous research has suggested that people who are exposed to bullying sometimes engage in such behaviour themselves. In this paper, we wanted to test the reciprocal nature of bullying behaviour

ABSTRACT In this study, we examine the relationship between abusive supervision and employee retaliatory behaviours. We conceptualise retaliation as both in-kind retaliation (i.e. supervisor-directed aggression) and intensified retaliation (i.e. supervisor-directed violence) to abusive supervision. We explore whether organisational intolerance of aggression prevents these retaliatory responses. In

ABSTRACT The scientific literature on workplace interventions that target individual-level determinants of mental health for primary or secondary prevention is mixed, with many studies failing to show statistically significant, sizeable effects. A methodological characteristic that may explain these mixed findings is fidelity, a multidimensional construct that captures the extent to which an intervention

ABSTRACT Flexibility regarding where and when work is completed is becoming increasingly available to employees, especially following the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent shift in the nature of work. There is a plethora of research linking various flexible work arrangements (FWA) to a variety of positive outcomes across domains including reduced work–family conflict, better psychological health, and

ABSTRACT Using two diverse cross-sectional samples (n = 361, 579), the authors investigated measurement impediments in current behavioural methods of operationalising workplace mistreatment by examining perceived intensity and intention attributions. Results indicated that bullying and incivility, assessed using common measures and analytical techniques, have moderate negative effects on employees

ABSTRACT This study investigates whether job insecurity is related to employee learning (i.e. the acquisition of knowledge, skills and competencies/characteristics; KSAOs) and whether occupational self-efficacy functions as a mediating mechanism in this relationship. We used three-wave longitudinal data, with a time lag of six months, collected among Flemish employees (N = 1708), and employed a latent

(2021). Strategies addressing the limitations of cross-sectional designs in occupational health psychology: What they are good for (and what not) Work & Stress: Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 1-5.

ABSTRACT Workers in safety critical and 24-hour operating environments face sustained exposure to many stressful situations, ranging from long periods of monotony and boredom, to sudden periods of intense time pressure. This study examines how the combination of overload and underload contributes to fatigue and wellbeing in 943 seafarers. Using latent moderated structural equation modelling, we found

ABSTRACT This study aims to examine whether employees who perceive there to be social support from supervisors and colleagues would be better able to detach from work during non-work time and thus sleep better in times of high job demands. Considering contextual factors, such as type of employment (full- and part-time) and supervisor status (with and without), which could influence the associations

ABSTRACT Individuals with higher work-to-family conflict (WTFC) in general are more likely to report poorer physical and mental health. Less research, however, has examined the daily implications of WTFC, such as whether individuals’ reactions to minor WTFC day-to-day (e.g. missing family dinner due to work obligation) are associated with health outcomes. We examined whether affective reactivity to

ABSTRACT Participation is generally recommended when implementing organisational interventions, however, understanding how participation works remains understudied. In a cluster-randomised, controlled intervention employing a wait-list control design, we explore whether perceptions of individual or collective participation had the greatest impact on a participatory organisational intervention’s outcomes;

ABSTRACT Implying an offense to self, appraising a stressor as indicating a lack of consideration by others should have effects beyond its stressfulness per se. In Stress-as-Offense-to-Self theory (SOS), such stressors are called “illegitimate stressors.” We assessed situations appraised as stressful in two diary studies (N1 = 117, N2 = 137). Outcome variables were feelings of resentment in both studies