Comparing Relaxation Versus Mastery Microbreak Activity: A Within-Task Recovery Perspective.

Recovery from work is generally thought to occur outside of the workplace. However, employees may also have the opportunity to recover within the work day via microbreaks during demanding work tasks. Two major strategies for mitigating fatigue include psychological detachment (i.e., mentally disengaging) and replenishing motivational incentives via positive affect. This study examined whether 40-s "microbreaks" improve work recovery and to what extent different microbreak content (mastery vs. relaxation activities) boost performance. Using an experimental study, we randomly assigned individuals to receive a relaxation microbreak (n = 59), a mastery microbreak (n = 68), or no break (n = 72) in the middle of a monotonous work task and assessed work performance. Microbreaks improved task performance and within-task recovery, but only for psychological detachment (not positive affect). Mastery breaks also resulted in more psychological detachment than relaxation breaks, but this increased detachment did not explain performance differences between break types. These results build on existing recovery theories by further demonstrating within-task recovery and provide practical implications for organizations to consider the importance of microbreaks.

Workplace telepressure and work-life balance outcomes: The role of work recovery experiences.

Workplace technology has posed some challenges to worker well-being. This research examined how workplace telepressure-a preoccupation and urge to respond quickly to message-based communications-is related to work life balance evaluations, as well as how work recovery experiences might explain this relationship. Using an online survey design, Study 1 (N = 254) and Study 2 (N = 409) demonstrated that employees' workplace telepressure negatively related to satisfaction with work-life balance. Study 1 showed that psychological detachment may explain the relationship between workplace telepressure and satisfaction with work-life balance. In Study 2, psychological detachment and control over leisure time explained the relationship between workplace telepressure and global evaluations of work-life balance (satisfaction and effectiveness). Mastery and control experiences explained the relationship between workplace telepressure and work-family enrichment. Lastly, three recovery mechanisms (detachment, relaxation, and control) explained the link between workplace telepressure and work-family conflict. The evidence suggests that workplace telepressure is negatively associated with various employee evaluations of work-life balance, but the role of recovery experiences may depend on how work-life balance is measured.