Work-life balance in high-pressure professions: the case of nurses, police officers and journalists

Abstract

This paper addresses the issue of work-life balance based on data from a sociological study carried out in Portugal among three professional groups under high pressure to perform - nurses, police officers and journalists - based on a mixed-methods approach. The results elucidate how some characteristics of the nature of work (namely the working hours, the pace of work and the level of demand of the activity) have an impact on time management, sleep and conciliation with private/family life. The main conclusion is that there is prevalence of a totalizing nature of work.