Work-Family conflict among hotel housekeepers in the Balearic Islands (Spain)

Abstract

The massive incorporation of women to the labour market has increased academic and applied interest on work-life issues throughout the years. This article aims to describe the domestic burden and difficulties in work-life balance (WLB) and at understanding the intersection of work and family spheres among hotel housekeepers (HHs). A cross-sectional study was conducted through Primary Health Care in the Balearic Islands (Spain); 1,043 HHs were enrolled. 56.7% report difficulties in WLB. Risk factors for perceiving difficulties in WLB were: living with one or two co-habitants, low social support, having difficulties making ends meet, being the main responsible person for domestic tasks, having a dependant, presenting higher levels of stress at work and being younger. Protective factors from experiencing work-family conflict (WFC) were job and wage satisfaction. WFC is strongly influenced by individual, economic, labour and domestic factors: these relationships show that labour and domestic spheres are non-separate worlds.