Time after time: The influence of perceived coworker overtime, affect and workaholism on daily withdrawal responses

Long working hours continue to pose a challenge for a considerable number of employees today. Departing from the predominant focus on the detrimental consequences associated with personal overtime work, this study aims to investigate the influences of perceived coworkers working overtime (PCWO) on employees. We theorised that PCWO may constitute a type of stressful event for employees and proposed that it will lead to employees' daily withdrawal responses (i.e. time banditry behaviour and turnover intention) through an increase in negative affect (NA). In addition, employees' workaholism may have a cross-level impact on the within-individual level relationships between their NA and withdrawal responses. We tested our theoretical hypotheses using the experience sampling methodology (ESM), with 111 full-time employees reporting their working experiences over 10 workdays. Results from the multilevel analysis revealed that even after controlling for one's own working hours, PCWO was positively related to employees' NA, which, in turn, led to an increase in time banditry behaviour and turnover intention. In addition, we also found that the within-individual level relationship between NA and turnover intention was stronger for employees higher (vs. lower) in workaholism, supporting the moderating role of workaholism. Theoretical and practical implications of our study are discussed.