Coping with stressful situations in social work before and after reduced working hours, a mixed-methods study

Abstract

Little is known about how reduced working hours relate to social work stressors, coping and work-life balance. An exploratory mixed methods study was therefore performed at a Swedish social service agency participating in a quasi-experimental trial of work-time reduction by 25%, with proportionally reduced workload, and retained full-time pay. Social workers that reduced their working hours reported less emotional exhaustion (n = 28, p < 0.05) on the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey, and less reactivity in stressful situations connected to time urgency and irritation (n = 28, p < 0.05) on the Everyday Life Stress Scale. In interviews, the social workers described that despite using effective, problem-focused coping behaviour at work, both before and after work-time reduction, high caseload remained a central stressor, creating time conflicts that exacerbated stressful situations involving emergencies, practical setbacks, client aggression, report deadlines, and managerial stress. In contrast, the work-time reduction was described as fully resolving time conflicts and stress during free-time in situations that involved finding time for friends, household chores, rest, exercise and childcare. Results suggest that reduced working hours lowered emotional exhaustion and situational reactivity by increasing free-time recovery opportunities and decreasing total daily exposure to work stress, but future trials should also compare reduced work-time with reduced caseload.