The Implications of Long Working Hours on Employee Mental Health and Productivity in the Bahrain Banking Sector

Abstract

Abstract: This study aims to investigate the relationship between long working hours, mental health, and productivity among bank employees in the Kingdom of Bahrain. A quantitative research methodology was used to investigate the relationships between variables. The Goldberg (1970) GHQ-12 model was chosen to measure the mental health of employees, as it is one of the most used models by researchers in this field. For employee productivity, the Menezes & Xavier (2018) model was used. In addition, several demographic factors were measured, such as age, gender, marital status, number of children, educational level, job rank, and years of experience. The study sample consisted of bank employees in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and statistical analysis was performed at both descriptive and inferential levels to achieve the research objectives and test the hypotheses. The responses were also subjected to a Spearman test to examine the relationship between variables The results showed that there was no linear relationship between long working hours and mental health, or between long working hours and productivity. The findings were consistent with the results of many previous studies reviewed in Chapters Two and Four, where a non-linear relationship does not necessarily imply the absence of an indirect relationship due to the interaction of various influencing factors such as work-life balance, individual adaptability, and others. The study also revealed a relationship between mental health and productivity, with women, in particular, suffering from poorer mental health compared to men. Furthermore, the study highlighted the relationship between the demographic factor (years of experience) and productivity, where increased years of experience correlated with higher employee productivity. The study concluded by providing recommendations to decision-makers and human resources professionals to implement initiatives and programs that enhance employees' mental health. Additionally, a set of recommendations was proposed for future studies focusing on the non-linear relationship between long working hours, mental health, and productivity