Erin L. Kelly
In addition to coauthoring the award-winning book Overload: How Good Jobs Went Bad and What We Can Do about It, MIT Sloan Professor Erin L. Kelly has coauthored dozens of scholarly articles related to well-being in the workplace; Kelly, who is Co-Director of the MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER), has had a particular focus on examining the effects of flexible scheduling initiatives on various measures of health and well-being for employees and their families.
Below is a list of more than 35 of Kelly’s journal articles that are related to well-being in the workplace, along with a very brief description of each article’s findings. (Note: Some of these articles are behind a paywall but, in those cases, clicking on the link to the title will take you to an abstract highlighting key findings from the article.)
- "The Crisis of Care: A Curated Discussion, "by Bailyn, Lotte, Julia B. Bear ... Erin L. Kelly et al. Journal of Management Inquiry, published online February 25, 2025.
This multi-author discussion includes a short essay by Kelly on the need for work redesign to better support contemporary employees’ personal lives. - "The Fulfillment Center Intervention Study: Protocol for a Group-Randomized Control Trial of a Participatory Workplace Intervention," by Erin L. Kelly, Kirsten F. Siebach, Grace DeHorn, and Megan Lovejoy. PLoS ONE Vol. 19, No. 7 (2024): e0305334.
This article describes a group-randomized controlled study in e-commerce fulfillment warehouses; the study investigated the effects of introducing Health and Well-Being Committees in the workplace. - “Employee Cardiometabolic Risk Following a Cluster-Randomized Workplace Intervention from the Work, Family and Health Network, 2009-2013” by Lisa F. Berkman, Erin L. Kelly, Leslie B. Hammer et al. American Journal of Public Health 113, no. 12 (December 2023): 1322-1331.
In this study, the researchers found that a work redesign initiative that gave employees greater scheduling flexibility and supervisor support reduced the cardiometabolic risk of some higher-risk employees. (Note: The full article is behind a paywall, but a short article about the findings is freely available.)
“Working from Home and Worker Wellbeing: New Evidence from Germany,” by Duanyi Yang, Erin L. Kelly, Laura D. Kubzansky, and Lisa F. Berkman. ILR Review 76, no. 3 (May 2023): 504- 531.
This study found that doing some work from home during regular business hours—in other words, working at home in lieu of commuting to an office—was linked to employees having greater job satisfaction and higher levels of well-being, but also with somewhat greater conflict between work and family life than strictly in-office jobs. In contrast, work that is done during off-hours at home in addition to work already performed at a company site was associated with largely negative effects for employees, especially women. (Note: A short summary of this article’s findings is also available. ) - “Organisational- and Group-Level Workplace Interventions and Their Effect on Multiple Domains of Worker Well-Being: A Systematic Review,” by Kimberly Fox, Sydney T. Johnson, Lisa F. Berkman, Marjaana Sianoja, Yenee Soh, Laura D. Kubzansky & Erin L. Kelly. Work & Stress 36, no. 1 (2022): 30-59.
The authors of this article reviewed 83 studies that involved workplace interventions with effects on worker well-being. They found that strategies that aim to improve working conditions have the potential to improve worker well-being. In particular, they write, “interventions involving increased control and opportunities for workers’ voice and participation more reliably improve worker well-being, suggesting these components are critical drivers of well-being." - “Work Redesign for the 21st Century: Promising Strategies for Enhancing Worker Well-Being,” by Meg Lovejoy, Erin L. Kelly, Laura D. Kubzansky, and Lisa F. Berkman. American Journal of Public Health 111, no. 10 (October 1, 2021): 1787-1795.
In this article, the authors draw on research on work design to propose a model that involves three strategies to improve workplace well-being: increasing workers’ schedule control and voice on the job; moderating job demands; and enhancing workplace social relations. (Note: If you are interested in learning more about this model, explore the Work Design for Health employer toolkit, which builds on this model and is freely available.) - “The Future of Research on Work, Safety, Health, and Well-Being: A Guiding Conceptual Framework,” by Glorian Sorensen, Jack T. Dennerlein, Susan E. Peters, Erika L. Sabbath, Erin L. Kelly, and Gregory R. Wagner. Social Science and Medicine 269 (2021): 113593.
Work is changing, the authors observe in this article, due to factors such as technological change, climate change, and globalization. Research, they argue, is needed to understand the kinds of policies and practices that will benefit worker safety and well-being as work circumstances change. - “Job Strain, Time Strain, and Well-Being: A Longitudinal, Person-Centered Approach in Two Industries,” by Wen Fan, Phyllis Moen, Erin L. Kelly, Leslie Hammer, and Lisa F. Berkman. Journal of Vocational Behavior 110, Part A (2019): 102-116.
The researchers compared workers whose jobs placed different levels and types of demands on them (for example, long hours and/or high degrees of strain caused by high job demands and low control). They found that workers who had a combination of tasks that involved less of that kind of job strain experienced improved well-being over time by several measures, while that was not true for employees in jobs with more stressful circumstances. - “Involuntary vs. Voluntary Flexible Work: Insights for Scholars and Stakeholders,” by Anne Kaduk, Katie Genadek, Erin L. Kelly, and Phyllis Moen. Community, Work & Family 22, no. 4 (2019): 412-442.
Using survey data from professional workers, the researchers found that involuntary work from home (for example, working from home during the weekend in addition to work during the week) is associated with negative well-being outcomes such as a greater likelihood of burnout. However, voluntary work from home, instead of coming into the office on a workday, is associated with lower stress. - “Cardiometabolic Risks Associated with Work-to-Family Conflict: Findings from the Work Family Health Network,” by Emily M. O'Donnell, Lisa F. Berkman, Erin L. Kelly, Leslie B. Hammer, Jessica Marden, and Orfeu M. Buxton. Community, Work & Family 22, no. 2 (2019): 203-228.
In a study of extended care workers, greater levels of work-to-family conflict was associated with having a higher body mass index (BMI). - “The Effects of a Workplace Intervention on Employees’ Cortisol Awakening Response,” by David M. Almeida, Soomi Lee, Kimberly N. Walter, Katie M. Lawson, Erin L. Kelly, and Orfeu M. Buxton. Community, Work & Family 21, no. 2 (2018) :151-167.
A study of information technology employees found that, after a workplace initiative designed to reduce work-family conflict was introduced, the employees’ biological stress physiology improved some on nonwork days. - “Partners’ Overwork and Individuals’ Wellbeing and Experienced Relationship Quality,” by Emily Fitzgibbons Shafer, Erin L. Kelly, Orfeu Buxton, and Lisa F. Berkman. Community, Work & Family 21, no. 4 (2018): 410-428. This study found that women whose husbands work 50 hours or more a week feel more stressed and short on time and experience lower relationship quality than women whose husbands work standard full-time hours. However, men whose wives work 50 hours or more a week report no such differences from men whose wives work standard full-time hours.
- “Effects of a Flexibility/Support Intervention on Work Performance: Evidence from the Work, Family, and Health Network,” by Jeremy W. Bray, Jesse M. Hinde, David J. Kaiser, Michael J. Mills, Georgia T. Karuntzos, Katie R. Genadek, Erin L. Kelly, Ellen E. Kossek, and David A. Hurtado. American Journal of Health Promotion 32, no. 4 (2017):963-970.
An organizational change initiative designed to give IT employees greater control over their schedules and greater managerial support for their personal lives had no significant effects on employees’ self-reported work performance, except that they worked about one hour less per week. - “Perceived Time Adequacy Improves Daily Well-Being: Day-to-Day Linkages and the Effects of a Workplace Intervention,” by Soomi Lee, Susan M. McHale, Ann C. Crouter, Erin L. Kelly, Orfeu M. Buxton, and David M. Almeida. Community, Work & Family 20, no. 5 (2017): 500-522.
A study of partnered IT employees who were also parents found that a workplace initiative giving these workers more control over their schedules and greater supervisor support for their personal lives found, among other things, that the initiative resulted in the employees spending more time with their child and feeling that they had more time to exercise. - “Can a Flexibility/Support Initiative Reduce Turnover Intentions and Exits? Results from the Work, Family, and Health Network,” by Phyllis Moen, Erin L. Kelly, Shi-Rong Lee, J. Michael Oakes, Wen Fan, Jeremy Bray, David Almeida, Leslie Hammer, David Hurtado, and Orfeu Buxton. Social Problems 64, no. 1 (February 2017): 53-85.
This research found that, for a group of technical workers, being part of a workplace initiative giving employees more control over their schedules and greater managerial support for their personal lives reduced the employees’ interest in quitting their jobs and reduced their rate of voluntary turnover over nearly three years. - “Effects of Workplace Intervention on Affective Well-being in Employees’ Children,” by Katie M. Lawson, Kelly D. Davis, Susan M. McHale, David M. Almeida, Erin L. Kelly, and Rosalind B. King. Developmental Psychology 52, no. 5 (2016): 772-777.
This study found that a workplace intervention that was designed to lower work–family conflict for employees also had benefits for their children’s emotional well-being. - “Does a Flexibility/Support Organizational Initiative Improve High-Tech Employees’ Well-Being? Evidence from the Work, Family, and Health Network,” by Phyllis Moen, Erin L. Kelly, Wen Fan, Shi-Rong Lee, David Almeida, Ellen Ernst Kossek, and Orfeu M. Buxton. American Sociological Review 81, no. 1 (2016): 134-164.
In this study, a workplace program designed to foster greater employee control over their work schedules and greater support from their supervisors for their personal lives was found to lower employee burnout, feelings of stress, and psychological distress and to increase job satisfaction. There were few such benefits, however, for employees surveyed after a company merger was announced. - “Supporting Employees' Work-Family Needs Improves Health Care Quality: Longitudinal Evidence from Long-Term Care,” by Cassandra A. Okechukwu, Erin L. Kelly, Janine Bacic, Nicole DePasquale, David Hurtado, Ellen Kossek, and Grace Sembajwe. Social Science & Medicine 157 (May 2016): 111 - 119.
A study of employees and managers in long-term care facilities found that greater support for employees’ work-family needs resulted in better quality of care, including declines in the number of falls and injuries residents experienced. - “Return on Investment of a Work-Family Intervention: Evidence from the Work, Family, and Health Network,” by Carolina Barbosa, Jeremy W. Bray, William N. Dowd, Michael J. Mills, Phyllis Moen, Brad Wipfli, Ryan Olson, and Erin L. Kelly. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 57, no. 9 (September 2015): 943-951.
The researchers calculated the return on investment to a business for an initiative providing participating employees with greater scheduling control and supervisor support for their personal lives; they found that ROI for the initiative was approximately 1.68, with the cost per participant being about $690 and the company savings per participant about $1850. - “Work–Family Conflict, Cardiometabolic Risk, and Sleep Duration in Nursing Employees,” By Lisa F. Berkman, Sze Yan Liu, Leslie Hammer, Phyllis Moen, Laura Cousino Klein, Erin Kelly, Martha Fay, Kelly Davis, Mary Durham, Georgia Karuntzos, and Orfeu M. Buxton. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 20, no. 4 (2015): 420-433.
A study of nursing home employees suggests that work-family conflicts can pose risks both to the cardiometabolic health of employees and to the amount of sleep they receive. - “Parents’ Daily Time with Their Children: A Workplace Intervention,” by Kelly D. Davis, Katie M. Lawson, David M. Almeida, Erin L. Kelly, Rosalind B. King, Leslie B. Hammer, Lynne M. Casper, Cassandra Okechukwu, Ginger C. Hanson, and Susan M. McHale. Pediatrics 135, no. 5 (May 2015): 875-882.
In this study of employees at an organization that undertook an initiative providing some employees with greater scheduling control and supervisor support for their personal lives, the researchers found that parents who participated in the initiative reported that they spent an average of 39 minutes more per day with their children after the scheduling changes. - “Constrained Choices? Linking Employees’ and Spouses’ Work Time to Health Behaviors,” by Wen Fan, Jack Lam, Phyllis Moen, Erin Kelly, Rosalind King, and Susan McHale. Social Science & Medicine 126 (2015): 99-109.
A study of IT employees and their partners found that those most likely to consume fast food were men who work 50 hours a week and women whose husbands work 45-50 hours a week. The study also found that exercise behaviors are more related to the couple’s, rather than the individual’s, work hours; for example, in couples where men work longer hours than women, the men are more likely to exercise but the women are less likely to. - “Intervention Effects on Safety Compliance and Citizenship Behaviors: Evidence From the Work, Family, and Health Study,” by Leslie B. Hammer, Ryan C. Johnson, Tori L. Crain, Todd Bodner, Ellen Ernst Kossek, Kelly Davis, Erin L. Kelly, Orfeu M. Buxton, Georgia Karuntzos, and L. Casey Chosewood. Journal of Applied Psychology 101, no. 2 (February 2016): 190-208.
A work-family initiative in nursing homes improved the reported safety compliance and organizational citizenship behaviors among participating employees. - “Latent Profiles of Perceived Time Adequacy for Paid Work, Parenting, and Partner Roles,” by Soomi Lee, David M. Almeida, Kelly D. Davis, Rosalind B. King, Leslie B. Hammer, and Erin L. Kelly. Journal of Family Psychology 29, no. 5 (2015): 788-798.
This study looked at how employed parents perceive their available time across paid work, parenting, and partner roles. The researchers identified three distinct profiles of perceived time adequacy: Family Time Protected, Family Time Sacrificed, and Time Balanced. The authors’ findings suggest that low work-to-family conflict is the most important predictor of fitting the Family Time Protected profile, while lack of partner support is the most critical predictor of ending up in the Family Time Sacrificed profile. - “Effects of a Workplace Intervention on Sleep in Employees’ Children,” by Susan M. McHale, Susan M., Katie M. Lawson, Kelly D. Davis, Lynne Casper, Erin L. Kelly, and Orfeu Buxton. Journal of Adolescent Health 56, no. 6 (June 2015): 672–677.
This study, conducted among employees at a Fortune 500 company's IT division and using a randomized controlled design, investigated the impact of a workplace scheduling flexibility intervention on the sleep patterns of employees' adolescent children. The research found that enhancing parents' work conditions by increasing their schedule control and supervisor support for their personal lives had some beneficial effects on adolescents' sleep quality. - “Effects of a Workplace Intervention on Parent–Child Relationships,” by Susan M. McHale, Kelly D. Davis, Kaylin Green, Lynne Casper, Marni L. Kan, Erin L. Kelly, Rosalind Berkowitz King, and Cassandra Okechukwu. Journal of Child and Family Studies 25 (2016): 553-561.
This study found that a workplace initiative designed to increase employees’ scheduling flexibility and supervisor support for employees’ personal lives did not have a significant effect on participating employees’ relationships with their adolescent children. - “Changing Work and Work-Family Conflict: Evidence from the Work, Family, and Health Network,” by Erin L. Kelly, Phyllis Moen, J. Michael Oakes, Wen Fan, Cassandra Okechukwu, Kelly D. Davis, Leslie B. Hammer, Ellen Ernst Kossek, Rosalind Berkowitz King, Ginger C. Hanson, Frank Mierzwa, and Lynne M. Casper. American Sociological Review 79, no 3 (2014): 485-516. 2015 Rosabeth Moss Kanter Award for Excellence in Work-Family Research.
This study involved groups of information technology workers randomly assigned to participate in a workplace initiative designed to increase scheduling flexibility and supervisors’ support for employees’ personal lives. The research found improvement in participating employees’ sense of their ability to control their schedule, of their supervisors’ support, and of having adequate time for their families, as well as a reduction in work-family conflict. - “Redesigning, Redefining Work,” by Shelley J. Correll, Erin L. Kelly, Lindsey Trimble-O’Connor, and Joan Williams. Work and Occupations 41, no. 1 (February 2014): 3-17.
In this essay, the authors argue that workplaces today often demand long work hours and/or unpredictable schedules—and that results in an increasing number of workers who struggle with conflict between the needs of caregiving and paid work. The authors explore the question of what kind of research might help motivate organizational change in this regard. - “Designing Work, Family & Health Organizational Change Initiatives,” by Ellen Ernst Kossek, Leslie B. Hammer, Erin L. Kelly, and Phyllis Moen. Organizational Dynamics 43, no. 1 (January-March 2014): 53-63.
This paper describes how researchers affiliated with the Work Family and Health Network (WFHN) developed a workplace intervention designed to improve the well-being of employees and their families by increasing scheduling flexibility and supervisor support for employees’ personal lives; the article includes seven principles for designing such initiatives. - “Toward a Model of Work Redesign for Better Work and Better Life,” by Leslie A. Perlow and Erin L. Kelly. Work and Occupations 41, no. 1 (2014): 111-134.
In this article, scholars Perlow and Kelly contrast traditional flexible work models, which accommodate individuals with no change to the overall structure of work, with a work redesign model. They offer two examples of work redesign initiatives. - “Relieving the Time Squeeze? Effects of a White-Collar Workplace Change on Parents,” by Rachelle Hill, Eric Tranby, Erin Kelly, and Phyllis Moen. Journal of Marriage and Family 75, no. 4 (August 2013): 1014-1029.
In this study, the researchers examined the effects of a corporate initiative that increased scheduling flexibility on working parents’ time with their children. The study found that mothers, but not fathers, reported that the initiative gave them increased control of their schedules and a greater sense of time adequacy; however, the researchers also found that most of the parents surveyed did not actually spend more time with their children as a result of the initiative. - “Healthy Work Revisited: Do Changes in Time Strain Predict Well-Being?” by Phyllis Moen, Erin Kelly, and Jack Lam. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 18, no 2 (2013): 157-72.
This study of a corporate initiative that increased scheduling flexibility among white-collar employees investigated how work-related time demands and control influence employee health and well-being. The researchers found that increased schedule control and a greater sense of time adequacy improved energy and measures of emotional well-being. - “Team-Level Flexibility, Work-Home Spillover, and Health Behavior,” by Phyllis Moen, Wen Fan, and Erin L. Kelly. Social Science & Medicine 84 (May 2013): 69-79.
This study found that a corporate initiative that increased scheduling flexibility reduced negative work-to-home spillover for participating individuals and teams, while also leading to lower levels of smoking among participating employees and an increase in employees’ sense that they had time for healthy meals. - “Time Work by Overworked Professionals: Strategies in Response to the Stress of Higher Status,” by Phyllis Moen, Jack Lam, Samantha Ammons, and Erin L. Kelly. Work and Occupations 40, no. 2 (May 2013): 79-114.
In this study, the authors analyzed interview and focus group data from higher-status professional employees at two Fortune 500 companies to learn how those employees manage escalating work demands that blur the boundaries between work and personal life. The researchers found that these professionals actively employed various "time work" strategies such as prioritizing, scaling back (often on nonwork obligations), blocking out time for or from various activities, and shifting the time when obligations take place. - “Changing Workplaces to Reduce Work-Family Conflict: Schedule Control in a White-Collar Organization,” by Erin L. Kelly, Phyllis Moen, and Eric Tranby. American Sociological Review 76, no. 2 (April 2011): 265-290.
This study used longitudinal data from 608 white-collar employees before and after a corporate initiative that increased scheduling flexibility was implemented; the researchers found that participating in the initiative increased employees’ sense of having control of their schedules, and thereby reduced work-family conflict and improved employees’ sense of work-family fit. - “Changing Work, Changing Health: Can Real Work-Time Flexibility Promote Health Behaviors and Well-Being?” by Phyllis Moen, Erin L. Kelly, Eric Tranby, and Qinlei Huang. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 52, no. 4 (December 2011): 404-429.
Using longitudinal survey data from 659 employees at a corporate headquarters, this study found that taking part in a “results only” corporate initiative that increased participating employees’ scheduling flexibility was associated with changes in the employees’ health-related behaviors, including more sleep on work nights. - “Does Enhancing Work-Time Control and Flexibility Reduce Turnover? A Naturally-Occurring Experiment,” by Phyllis Moen, Erin L. Kelly, and Rachelle Hill. Social Problems 58, no. 1 (February 2011): 69-98.
An analysis of a new organizational initiative aimed at focusing on results rather than time at work found that the initiative reduced turnover among employees who participated. - “Rethinking the ClockWork of Work: Why Schedule Control May Pay Off at Work and Home,” by Erin L. Kelly and Phyllis Moen. Advances in Developing Human Resources 9, no. 4 (November 2007) : 487-506.
In this article, the authors discuss ways to give employees more control of their schedules and how having more schedule control affects work-life conflicts.