What do employees do with their extra free time when work-life balance is improved through a change in roster?

This paper examines how workers spend their non-work time when their work schedule is restructured so that they have an extra non-work day per week. Interviews were conducted in a construction project where the roster was changed from a six to a five-day week. Interviews over time were conducted with fourteen staff, starting when the change was about to occur, then at monthly intervals for the following 3 months. Findings indicated that before the change, staff believed they would spend more time with their friends and family, learning new skills, and relaxing. After the change, it seemed staff were likely to spend their ‘extra’ free time relaxing, and with friends and family, but reported less actual time learning new skills