Overtime reduction, work-life balance, and psychological well-being for research and development engineers in Japan

Due to the recent intensification of work hour regulation by Japanese employers, a large number of engineers in research and development are increasingly unable to put in satisfactory amount of time in work, and the incidences of experiencing non-accomplishment in work are growing. This study investigates whether and how the overtime reduction affects engineers´ sense of fulfillment in work and personal life, and examines how they influence engineers´ depression and perceived health. Results show that overtime reduction has both positive and negative sides, and while on one hand it enhances the time adequacy for engineers´ private life, on the other hand it significantly reduces their sense of fulfillment in work. Furthermore, unbalance such as “non-achievement in work” and “fulfillment in private life” is likely to deteriorate their psychological well-being. Findings suggest that in order to realize engineers´ work-life balance it is not sufficient to just enhance the time in private life, but it is also necessary to ensure simultaneously a sufficient time in work.