你會因為每天嚴格的上下班時間而頭痛不已嗎?你會因為無法抽空去接孩子放學而心懷愧疚嗎?你有沒有想過，也許這種嚴格的工作制度正在慢慢侵蝕你的健康?目前的研究表明，彈性的工作制度才是一種更有利于身心健康的工作方式。歐美國家也都紛紛推廣這種制度，旨在提高公民的生活質量。不知道彈性工作制何時才能在我們身邊普及呢?

Much time and effort has been dedicated to researching the mental health benefits of flexible work environments, but can the ability to leave work early to watch your son’s soccer game, or arrive at the office a bit later in the morning in order to see to some personal errands, have broader physical health benefits beyond making you feel a bit less frazzled?

According to new research, it seems so. In a review of 10 previous studies examining the health implications of flexible work conditions for more than 16,000 people, researchers found that flexible work schedules—when employees can shift their starting times, for example—were associated with improvements in blood pressure, sleep and overall mental health. Specifically, the review showed that more flexibility in work schedules was associated with improvements in alertness, sleep quality, tiredness, heart rate and other primary health outcomes, as well as benefits to secondary health outcomes, such as perceived social support in the workplace and sense of community. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, in all of the studies included in the review, researchers found no evidence for negative effects of more flexible work schedules.

This preliminary analysis was intended to shed light on the potential health benefits of flexible work options, which are increasingly popular throughout Scandinavia, and have recently gained some ground in the U.K. In the U.S., the phenomenon is a bit slower to catch on—fewer than a third of U.S. employees have flexible work options, according to 2009 estimates from the AARP. Yet, the economic atrophy of recent years may have contributed to growth in workplace flexibility—as companies unable to reward employees with bonuses or raises may turn to other forms of compensation.

Previous research too, of course, has indicated the benefits of flexible work environments toward positive mental health outcomes. And while these latest findings are promising, the researchers stress that more study is vital to understanding the morenuanced dynamics of the relationship between flexible work and improved health outcomes. For example, employees who are most frequently granted workplace leeway are generally higher-ranking, and as such are likely of higher socioeconomic status, which could impact their overall health apart from work scheduling. To truly grasp the benefits of flexible working conditions, the researchers say, additional study analyzing health outcomes among a wider range of workers—from high-ranking executives to hourly employees—is critical to gaining a deeper understanding of the issue, and helping to shape future workplace policy.

人們花了很多時間和精力來研究彈性工作制會給員工的心理健康帶來什么好處。但是，如果下午能早點兒下班去看兒子的足球比賽，或者早上為了辦點兒私事而晚點兒去上班，這些便利只是讓你感到沒那么疲憊之嗎?除此之外，還能給你的身體健康帶來什么好處呢?

一項新的研究顯示，彈性工作制的確對身體健康有好處。在綜述了早前10個關于彈性工作制對一萬六千多人的健康有何影響的研究結果后，研究者發現彈性的工作時間——例如，員工可以調整開始上班的時間——與改善血壓、睡眠和整體心理健康有很大聯系。具體來說，對研究結果的復查還表明，靈活的工作時間不僅與主要健康結果息息相關，比如機敏性、睡眠質量、疲勞度、心率等等，還與一些次要健康結果相關，如工作場所領悟到的社會支持以及集體感。有一點也許是在意料之中，那就是，在對所有研究結果的復查中，研究者沒發現彈性工作時間有任何的負面影響。

這個初步的分析結果旨在證明彈性工作制可能會給健康帶來的好處，而這種彈性工作制在斯堪的納維亞地區越來越盛行，近來在英國也開始普及起來。在美國，這一制度的發展較為緩慢——美國退休人員協會2009年的一項調查顯示，美國只有不到三分之一的員工在享受彈性工作時間。然而，近年來的經濟衰退也許促進了彈性工作制的盛行，因為沒有能力向員工提供分紅或者加薪獎勵的公司會采取其他形式進行補償。

當然，早先的研究也指出了靈活的工作環境會對心理健康有積極影響。雖然這些最新的研究結果讓人看好，但是研究者強調，要是想了解彈性工作制和良好的健康結果之間更加細微的動態關系，則有必要進行更多的研究。例如，享受更靈活的工作時間的員工一般都身居高位，更有可能享有較高的社會經濟地位，這些因素都會影響他們的整體健康情況，所以影響他們健康的因素不僅僅是工作時間安排研究者表明，為了真正了解彈性工作制的好處，對更廣泛人群的健康結果進行研究分析至關重要——既包括高級管理人員，也包括小時工——這樣才能對彈性工作制與健康的關系有更深刻的了解，從而有助于制定未來的工作制度。

你會因為每天嚴格的上下班時間而頭痛不已嗎?你會因為無法抽空去接孩子放學而心懷愧疚嗎?你有沒有想過，也許這種嚴格的工作制度正在慢慢侵蝕你的健康?目前的研究表明，彈性的工作制度才是一種更有利于身心健康的工作方式。歐美國家也都紛紛推廣這種制度，旨在提高公民的生活質量。不知道彈性工作制何時才能在我們身邊普及呢?

Much time and effort has been dedicated to researching the mental health benefits of flexible work environments, but can the ability to leave work early to watch your son’s soccer game, or arrive at the office a bit later in the morning in order to see to some personal errands, have broader physical health benefits beyond making you feel a bit less frazzled?

According to new research, it seems so. In a review of 10 previous studies examining the health implications of flexible work conditions for more than 16,000 people, researchers found that flexible work schedules—when employees can shift their starting times, for example—were associated with improvements in blood pressure, sleep and overall mental health. Specifically, the review showed that more flexibility in work schedules was associated with improvements in alertness, sleep quality, tiredness, heart rate and other primary health outcomes, as well as benefits to secondary health outcomes, such as perceived social support in the workplace and sense of community. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, in all of the studies included in the review, researchers found no evidence for negative effects of more flexible work schedules.

This preliminary analysis was intended to shed light on the potential health benefits of flexible work options, which are increasingly popular throughout Scandinavia, and have recently gained some ground in the U.K. In the U.S., the phenomenon is a bit slower to catch on—fewer than a third of U.S. employees have flexible work options, according to 2009 estimates from the AARP. Yet, the economic atrophy of recent years may have contributed to growth in workplace flexibility—as companies unable to reward employees with bonuses or raises may turn to other forms of compensation.

Previous research too, of course, has indicated the benefits of flexible work environments toward positive mental health outcomes. And while these latest findings are promising, the researchers stress that more study is vital to understanding the morenuanced dynamics of the relationship between flexible work and improved health outcomes. For example, employees who are most frequently granted workplace leeway are generally higher-ranking, and as such are likely of higher socioeconomic status, which could impact their overall health apart from work scheduling. To truly grasp the benefits of flexible working conditions, the researchers say, additional study analyzing health outcomes among a wider range of workers—from high-ranking executives to hourly employees—is critical to gaining a deeper understanding of the issue, and helping to shape future workplace policy.

人們花了很多時間和精力來研究彈性工作制會給員工的心理健康帶來什么好處。但是，如果下午能早點兒下班去看兒子的足球比賽，或者早上為了辦點兒私事而晚點兒去上班，這些便利只是讓你感到沒那么疲憊之嗎?除此之外，還能給你的身體健康帶來什么好處呢?

一項新的研究顯示，彈性工作制的確對身體健康有好處。在綜述了早前10個關于彈性工作制對一萬六千多人的健康有何影響的研究結果后，研究者發現彈性的工作時間——例如，員工可以調整開始上班的時間——與改善血壓、睡眠和整體心理健康有很大聯系。具體來說，對研究結果的復查還表明，靈活的工作時間不僅與主要健康結果息息相關，比如機敏性、睡眠質量、疲勞度、心率等等，還與一些次要健康結果相關，如工作場所領悟到的社會支持以及集體感。有一點也許是在意料之中，那就是，在對所有研究結果的復查中，研究者沒發現彈性工作時間有任何的負面影響。

這個初步的分析結果旨在證明彈性工作制可能會給健康帶來的好處，而這種彈性工作制在斯堪的納維亞地區越來越盛行，近來在英國也開始普及起來。在美國，這一制度的發展較為緩慢——美國退休人員協會2009年的一項調查顯示，美國只有不到三分之一的員工在享受彈性工作時間。然而，近年來的經濟衰退也許促進了彈性工作制的盛行，因為沒有能力向員工提供分紅或者加薪獎勵的公司會采取其他形式進行補償。

當然，早先的研究也指出了靈活的工作環境會對心理健康有積極影響。雖然這些最新的研究結果讓人看好，但是研究者強調，要是想了解彈性工作制和良好的健康結果之間更加細微的動態關系，則有必要進行更多的研究。例如，享受更靈活的工作時間的員工一般都身居高位，更有可能享有較高的社會經濟地位，這些因素都會影響他們的整體健康情況，所以影響他們健康的因素不僅僅是工作時間安排研究者表明，為了真正了解彈性工作制的好處，對更廣泛人群的健康結果進行研究分析至關重要——既包括高級管理人員，也包括小時工——這樣才能對彈性工作制與健康的關系有更深刻的了解，從而有助于制定未來的工作制度。