Correlations of the “Work–Family Conflict” With Occupational Stress—A Cross-Sectional Study Among University Employees

Abstract

Background: The working conditions at universities and hospitals are reported to be stressful. Several national and international studies have investigated occupational stress in hospitals. However, scientific studies at colleges and universities addressing psycho-social stress factors and their potential consequences are scarce. In this context, the consequences and correlations of the factor of work-family conflict, in particular, are currently uninvestigated. The aim of our study was to assess data on psychosocial stress in the context of the compatibility of work and family.Methods: Data were gathered through a cross-sectional-study, N = 844 (55% female, 41% male), on university staff (42.3% scientists, 14.3% physicians, 19.4% employees in administration, and 19.3% employees in service). Participants filled out questionnaires to provide their personal data and details of their work and private life conditions. For this purpose, we used the Work-Family and Family-Work Conflict Scales, Effort-Reward Inventory and Overcommitment Scale (ERI, OC), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4), short-form Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and questions on their subjective health. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 22. Results:We found high levels of stress parameters in the total sample: extra work (83%), fixed-term work contracts (53%), overcommitment (OC, 26%), Effort-Reward Imbalance (18%, ERI Ratio > cut-off 0.715), work-family conflict (WFC, 35%), and family-work conflict (FWC, 39%). As hypothesized, we found significant correlations of both WFC and FWC with psychosocial work strain (ERI Ratio) as well as overcommitment (OC). Mental and somatic health parameters also had a significant positive correlation with WFC and FWC. Using a regression analysis (N = 844), we identified WFC as a predictor of burnout, while emotional exhaustion, extra work, and overcommitment could be identified as predictors of WFC and FWC. Discussion:The results of our study point toward deficits in the compatibility of work life and private life in the work fields of science, colleges, and universities. Furthermore, we Jerg-Bretzke et al. Work-Family Conflict, Occupational Stress, Health found indicators that work-family conflicts (interrole conflicts) have an impact on mental and somatic health. These work-family conflicts should be targets for preventions and interventions with the aim of improving the work-life balance and mental and somatic wellbeing of employees.

Survey on perceived work stress and its influencing factors among hospital staff during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Taiwan

“…Previous studies have shown that work stress is related to one's demographic characteristics, 13,17 and that child care at home is a common problem for hospital staff, 28,29 which is an important factor leading to work‐family conflicts 30 . The present results showed that hospital staff with minor children was more stressed, confirming the viewpoint presented in prior research.…”

Work-Family Conflict, Coping Strategies and Burnout: A Gender and Couple Analysis

“…We confirm hypothesis 1, that postulated that work-family conflict influences burnout levels, adding one more piece of evidence to the vast existing literature (Jerg-Bretzke et al 2020;Medrano & Trógolo, 2018;Smith et al, 2018;Terry & Woo, 2020). Nonetheless, as expected, we find some gender differences.…”

“…Work and family are the most important facets in both women's and men's lives and conflictive demands arising from them have turned out to be one of the most relevant psycho-social risks in today's occupational world. Work-family conflict has serious consequences for employees and it is related to stress (Tziner & Sharoni, 2014), psychological health (Nigatu & Wang, 2018;Sun at al., 2020), and burnout (Jerg-Bretzke et al, 2020;Medrano & Trógolo, 2018;Smith et al, 2018;Terry & Woo, 2020), including its dimensions: emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation (Wang et al, 2012). Such outcomes of work-family conflicts, like burnout, could, for its part, develop into significant problems for employees and organizations (Palenzuela et al, 2019).…”

Work-Family Conflict and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Employees: Cross-Level Interaction of Organizational Justice Climate and Family Flexibility

“…For example, Frone et al [ 17 ] found FWC was longitudinally related to poor physical health and more depressive symptoms, while WFC was longitudinally related to more heavy alcohol consumption. While other studies found WFC and FWC had similar effects on mental and somatic health [ 18 ]. On the whole, both types of conflict go against to employees’ mental health but sometimes with difference in the magnitude of adverse effect.…”