Flight attendants' daily recovery from work: Is there no place like home?

This article builds on earlier work on recovery from work during off-job time and specifically addresses recovery in flight attendants, a group of employees whose work is characterized by a high degree of emotion work demands. Forty-seven flight attendants completed daily surveys on a tota lo f 4 evenings when they stayed at home or when they stayed in a hotel. Multilevel analysis showed staying in a hotel did not impair well-being at bedtime. Spending time on work-related activities during off-job time decreased wellbeing, whereas spending time on physical activities (i.e., sports) and experiencing off-job time activities as recovery improved well-being, also when initial well-being immediately after work was controlled. Time spent on social activities increased depression during the evening. As a whole, this study largely confirms findings from previous research with other professional groups.

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