The Association between Working Hours Flexibility and Well-Being Prior to and during COVID-19 in South Korea.

The study found an association between flexible schedule arrangements and good well-being in 2017: "little flexibility" (odds ratio (OR), 1.33; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.27-1.48), "moderate flexibility" (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.28-1.71), and "high flexibility" (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.06-1.72). During COVID-19, only workers with "high flexibility" were likely to have good well-being (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.18-1.88), while the association between well-being and "low flexibility" (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.96-1.17) and "moderate flexibility" types (OR, 0.66; 95% CI 0.59-0.75) decreased. This study found that flexible working hours may contribute to better well-being among full-time workers. However, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on working conditions and employee well-being should be addressed while setting working hours.