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three call center companies disclosed that they can no longer spend
time with their families like they used to.
Recently, Dizon and Gregorio (2010) did an exploratory
study on the well-being of single young adults, males and females
alike, working as call center agents. The respondents were single
college graduates belonging to the age bracket 20-26. The results
of the survey and follow-up interview show that the well being
of single young adults working as call center agents are basically
satisfactory. The study also showed that time constraints from the
job did not affect the family relations of the respondents. Work was
not seen as a stressor in the family relations. This is not consistent
with earlier studies showing that the combination of night time
work and constant schedule change takes its toll on agents’ family
life. Pico (2006), for instance, asserted that working at night and
sleeping at day time would normally lessen their opportunities for
social interaction and be more limited to the social environment in
the call center which is mainly composed of co-workers who may
follow the same routines. The combination of night-time work and
constant schedule change takes its toll on agents’ health, social and
family life.
However, it must be pointed out that the focus of Dizon and
Gregorio’s study were single young adults who may have lesser or
no domestic obligations. As the researchers explained, single young
adults are typically shown to be able to adapt easily and relate to
their work. Besides, the data was primarily based on surveys of 100
(50 single males, 50 single females) call center workers in Quezon
City, which was carried out by distributing questionnaires to agents
who fit the criteria (single and between 20 to 26 years old).
The respondents may or may not have answered the
questionnaires carefully and meticulously, considering that
according to the researchers, they distributed the questionnaires to
those who frequent establishments such as mini-stop. Out of those
who returned the questionnaires, the researchers chose 15 males
and 15 females for follow-up interview. The questions centered
on the perception of the employees regarding their physical wellbeing, leisure, spiritual, financial, peer and intimacy, family, work,
mental health. The data collected may be enriched by more in-depth