P-527 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENT, WORKING HOURS, AND SLEEP PROBLEMS AMONG PAID KOREAN WORKERS

Introduction Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies and the Korean government have promoted flexible work hours. However, there is a lack of adequate research on this topic. This study explores the effects of flexible work arrangements on sleep disorders. Methods We analyzed the data from the 6th Korea Working Conditions Survey involving 31,384 workers. Flexible workers were defined by self-set hours. Sleep disorders were categorized as ‘difficulty falling asleep,’ ‘frequent waking during sleep,’ and ‘waking up feeling exhausted and fatigued.’ We used chi-square tests to analyze demographic and job-related differences. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify any potential relationship between flexible work schedules and sleep disorders. Results The odds ratios were as follows: 1.27 (1.11-1.45) for ‘difficulty falling asleep’, 1.34 (1.19-1.51) for ‘frequent waking during sleep’, and 1.50 (1.36-1.66) for ‘waking up feeling exhausted and fatigued’. On average, flexible workers logged 36.97 (±13.30) hours per week, while non-flexible workers worked for 38.59 (±12.35) hours per week. Additionally, flexible workers reported working at night an average of 9.06 (±8.09) days per month, slightly fewer than the 9.20 (±6.36) days reported by non-flexible workers. Discussion Notably, despite having shorter work hours and fewer working at night, flexible workers displayed a significantly higher likelihood of experiencing sleep problems compared to their non-flexible counterparts. Conclusion While flexible workers gained advantages from reduced working hours and working at night, they still faced a heightened risk of sleep disturbances. Further research is imperative to determine the causality and underlying factors responsible for this discrepancy.