ORIGINAL ARTICLE Work-life balance among shift workers: results from an intervention study about self-rostering Karen Albertsen • Anne Helene Garde • Kirsten Nabe-Nielsen • A ˚ se Marie Hansen • Henrik Lund • Helge Hvid Received: 11 July 2012 / Accepted: 7 February 2013 Ó Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013 Abstract Purpose The aims of the study were to explore the effects of the implementation of IT-based tools for planning of rosters among shift workers on work-family-related out- comes and to interpret the results in light of the different implementation processes. Methods A quasi-experimental intervention study was conducted with 12-month follow-up at 14 intervention and 14 reference worksites in Denmark. Workplaces planning to introduce IT-supported self-rostering were recruited, and three different kinds of interventions were implemented. Intervention A and B aimed at increasing workers satis- faction and well-being, while intervention C was designed to optimize the personnel resources. Questionnaire data were collected from 840 employees at baseline and 784 at follow-up. Process evaluation encompassed interviews with about 25 employees and 15 managers at baseline and follow-up. Work-family-related outcomes were work-life conflicts, work-life facilitation, marital conflicts and time with children. Results An overall decline in work-family conflicts and increase in work-family facilitation were found in the total intervention group. More specifically, in group B, work- family conflicts and marital conflicts decreased while work-family facilitation increased. In group C, work-fam- ily conflicts increased while work-family facilitation and time spend with children decreased, and no significant changes were observed in the reference group and in group A. Conclusion An overall positive effect of the implemen- tation of self-rostering was found on the balance between work and private life. However, results from the process evaluation suggested that the organizational aim with the intervention was crucial for the effect. Keywords Work-family conflict Á Work-family facilitation Á Work-life balance Á Intervention study Á Working time flexibility Á Scandinavia Introduction Shift work has for decades been under suspicion for having detrimental effects on health (Harrington 1994). In recent reviews, it is concluded that shift workers have increased risk of gastrointestinal disorders and peptic ulcer (Knutsson and Bøggild 2010) and for cardiovascular diseases (Puttonen et al. 2010). However, there is no strong evi- dence for any specific plausible mechanism (ibid). Shift K. Albertsen (&) Team Workinglife, Trekronergade 15,1., 2500 Valby, Denmark e-mail: kal@teamarbejdsliv.dk K. Albertsen Á K. Nabe-Nielsen Á A ˚ . M. Hansen Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353 Copenhagen, Denmark e-mail: kirsten.nabe-nielsen@sund.ku.dk A ˚ . M. Hansen e-mail: stk935@sund.ku.dk A. H. Garde Á A ˚ . M. Hansen National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle ´ 105, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark e-mail: ahg@nrcwe.dk H. Lund Á H. Hvid Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark e-mail: llund@ruc.dk H. Hvid e-mail: hh@ruc.dk 123 Int Arch Occup Environ Health DOI 10.1007/s00420-013-0857-x