Examining psychological detachment from work, work engagement, and thought control in Japanese work at home environments

Abstract Because of shifting social circumstances, a growing number of businesses are implementing work at home options. Working at home enhances work-life balance but blurs the line between work and personal life, making it challenging for workers to psychologically detach from work outside of their designated hours. This blurring of boundaries between work and personal life is thought to potentially increase work engagement. Moreover, achieving psychological detachment from work and disengaging from work-related thoughts outside of working hours are thought to demand high levels of thought control ability. This study hypothesized that (1) compared to office workers, those who work at home struggle more to detach from work and exhibit higher levels of work engagement, (2) higher levels of thought control ability reduce work-related thoughts. This study employed a combination of a cross-sectional survey design and an experimental approach using a cognitive task to examine the research questions. Focusing on Japanese workers, the results confirmed that home workers face challenges in detaching from work and show higher work engagement, identifying work from home as a potential stressor and a factor that may increase work involvement. On the other hand, the study found no link between elevated thought control ability and reduced work-related thoughts during cognitive tasks.