Does workplace ostracism negatively affect family life during a pandemic?

PurposeThe study aims to investigate the impact of workplace ostracism (WO) and fear of the COVID-19 pandemic on the family life of restaurant employees. This research is based on the conservation of resources (COR) theory and work-family interface model to understand the theoretical underpinnings of mistreatment in the food sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilized a survey with a structured questionnaire to collect time-lagged data from 238 restaurant employees in the central region of Punjab province in Pakistan. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS tool with modern-day techniques like bootstrapping, process macro and SmartPLS.FindingsThe study reveals that perceived stress levels of the employees increase due to ostracism, leading to work-family conflict. Furthermore, the study found that employees who fear COVID-19 are less stressed by ostracism.Originality/valueThe study's significant contribution lies in demonstrating that the impact of ostracism in the workplace is quite different from what was expected. The results have shown that ostracism can reduce the perceived stress levels of employees, leading to a decrease in work-family conflict, especially in the presence of fear of COVID-19.

COVID-19 and Family Distancing Efforts: Contextual Demographic and Family Conflict Correlates

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, family members have spent more time together at home. This study introduces the concept of "family distancing"—the efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus to family members. We explore which demographic characteristics are associated with family distancing efforts and how the family distancing efforts are associated with family conflicts. Survey data were collected from adults (N = 324, M = 37 years;SD = 10.5 years;65.1% female) in Korea. We found that gender, education, marital status, physical health status, and number of family members who live together were significantly associated with family distancing efforts. In addition, lower compliance with the request for family distancing was significantly associated with a higher degree of negative emotions (i.e., anger), which in turn was associated with more family conflict. The findings highlight the potential importance of family distancing efforts to maintain health but also their potential to increase family conflict.

Hybrid and virtual work settings, the interaction between technostress, perceived organisational support, work-family conflict and the impact on work engagement

PurposeThe study assessed the impact of technostress creators, work–family conflict and perceived organisational support (POS) on work engagement for employees operating within the virtual and hybrid work settings. The idea is to redefine the antecedents of work engagement in work settings that are characterised by excessive technology and work–family conflict.Design/methodology/approachData gathered from 302 academics and support staff employees at a selected university in South Africa were utilised to assess the abovementioned relationships via variance-based structural equation modelling.FindingsThe combined effect of technostress, work–family conflict and POS on work engagement indicates that work–family conflict is a critical component in the relationship between technostress and work engagement. Although POS is seen as a job resource that lessens stress, the study found that the influence of work–family conflict is stronger than that of POS;hence, a negative influence is reported on work engagement. Despite the presence of support, overwhelming technostress creators and work–family conflict issues increase demands and influence work engagement negatively.Research limitations/implicationsThe results noted that, in hybrid and virtual work settings, managers can drive employee engagement by focussing on designing more favourable work–life balance (WLB) policies, providing adequate information communication technology (ICT) support, fostering aspects of positive technology and defining the boundaries between work life and family time.Practical implicationsThe managers need to realise the detrimental effects of both technostress and work–family conflict on work engagement in virtual and hybrid work settings. Expanding the personal and job resources of individuals in hybrid and virtual settings is critical to enable them to meet the additional work demands and to manage the strain imposed by technostress. Instituting relevant organisation support has proved to be inadequate to address the challenges relating to technostress and work–family conflict. Therefore, introducing WLB policies that assist employees to set clear boundaries between work and family time to avoid burn out and spillover is critical. This is especially important when dealing with technostress creators in the remote work setting. Additionally, providing adequate ICT support as well as training related to use of different devices and software should be part of the organisational culture.Social implicationsA manageable and reasonable workload should be maintained bearing in mind the complexity and ambiguity associated with the hybrid work setting. Managers should make allowances for employees to adjust managers' schedules to accommodate personal obligations, as well as adjust employees' workloads to accommodate family responsibilities. As for the coping strategy of technostress and work–family conflict, considering the positive effects of the supportive work environment is important.Originality/valueThis study provides a model on the interaction of the redefined antecedents (technostress and work–family conflict) of work engagement in high-tech environments such as virtual and hybrid work settings.

A moderated mediation model of smart-device use: work-family conflict and well-being by age

PurposeSmart device use for work during family time is a growing issue of concern and is likely exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors test a broad range of well-being outcomes (job anxiety, job depression and insomnia) to extend the literature. Work-family conflict was included as a mediator with age as a moderator.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses representative data from 422 New Zealand employees across a wide range of occupations, sectors, and industries from late 2020. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the data was used and moderated mediation analysis was conducted.FindingsOverall, hypotheses were supported, with mWork positively influencing work-family and family-work conflict, and all well-being outcomes. Work-family and family-work conflict acted as mediators and age interacted with mWork leading to more conflict for older workers. Finally, moderated mediation effects were supported with age acting as a boundary condition, whereby the indirect effect of mWork on well-being outcomes increases as age increases.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings highlight the danger of using mobile devices to work in family time and highlight the additional risks for older workers.Originality/valueThe mWork literature has a limited focus on well-being outcomes, and the New Zealand data provides insights from a largely underrepresented population in the literature. Further, the use of age as a moderator of mWork towards well-being outcomes provides further originality.

The impact of work-related technology and boundary management on work-family conflict and enrichment during COVID-19

Technology has become a ubiquitous force in modern life, leading to the blurring of work-life boundaries. The recent global pandemic brought this to the fore, particularly in the context of academia, where the blurring of boundaries were already apparent. This study explores whether and how information communication technology (ICT) blurred boundaries and impacted work-family conflict (WFC) and work-family enrichment (WFE) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This examination is critical to optimise the value that ICTs may provide for the well-being of academics and their families. Drawing on semi-structured interviews, data was collected from 14 academics with children. Findings indicated that ICT triggered various stressors leading to WFC, while simultaneously improving participants' availability leading to WFE. Managing boundaries was complex and depended on preferences and resources to enact these preferences. The findings highlight the paradoxical consequences of ICT, raising questions about increasing complexity in academic work and the need for more sustainable flexible work models.

Technostress and work-family conflict in ICT-user employees during the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of social support and mindfulness

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the process of digital transformation in organisations and has considerably increased the exposure to and dependence of employees on Information and Communication Technologies, which may lead them to experience a negative psychological state known as technostress. This work analyses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing technological exposure of employees to emotional exhaustion and work-family conflict. It also analyses the role that social support and mindfulness play as mechanisms that inhibit technostress in a context of health emergency. For this purpose, the authors develop and test a structural equation model on a sample of 1037 employees of the banking industry in Spain. The results show that the techno-stressors increase emotional exhaustion and the work-family conflict. We also observe that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a positive impact on the perception of techno-stressors and on emotional exhaustion. In addition, the results show that social support and mindfulness play a crucial role in diminishing technostress, as they reduce the perceived COVID-19 impact, techno-stressors and emotional exhaustion. Consequently, this work presents very relevant implications for organisations, identifying strategies that allow to reduce technostress and work-family conflict. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Behaviour & Information Technology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

The Psychosocial Well-being of Frontline Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Africa

Healthcare workers have been under tremendous psychosocial strain since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly those on the frontline such as nurses. This is especially true in low and middle-income countries such as South Africa, where lack of resources and support exacerbate challenges. Five focus group discussions were conducted with frontline nurses at primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare institutions in Cape Town, South Africa. Participants reported significant stress emanating from all spheres of their life, with the acute stressors of their work having largely adverse consequences on their lives in their homes and communities. A lack of organisational support was evident, with participants highlighting various ways in which the psychosocial strain they were under may be alleviated. Healthcare facilities should investigate both individual and organisational interventions aimed at better supporting their invaluable frontline teams. These include tailored psychological support services, sufficient time for rest, adequate staffing and medical supplies, effective leadership, COVID-19 specific training, and the promotion of teamwork. However, facilities should also extend their concern to the families of staff by reducing potential risk of exposure through a variety of measures including providing transport and voluntary isolation accommodation. Such interventions are important not only for the healthcare workers and their families, but also for the smooth functioning of healthcare institutions as the pandemic draws on into an uncertain future.

Factors influencing turnover intention among healthcare employees during the COVID-19 pandemic in the private hospitals of Bahrain

PurposeThis study aims to examine the relationship between polychronicity, job autonomy, perceived workload, work-family conflict and high work demand on the health-care employee turnover intention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted quantitative research in private hospitals using a self-administered questionnaire, and 264 respondents participated. The authors also used an analysis of moment structures to determine the relationship between independent and moderating variables. FindingsThe results show a significant positive relationship between polychronicity, job autonomy, perceived workload, work-family conflict and high work demand, affecting turnover intention. This study also found the moderating effect of high work demand on work-family conflict and turnover intention. Research limitations/implicationsThis research was limited to hospitals in Bahrain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the findings highlight the factors associated with health-care employee turnover intention and only five factors were identified. Practical implicationsThis study enhances the theoretical and practical effects of turnover intention. The results provide a competitive benchmark for hospital managers, administrators and governing bodies of employee retention. Social implicationsIt advances economics and management theory by enhancing the understanding of health-care employees' turnover intention in Bahrain. It serves as a basis for future large-scale studies to test or refine existing theories. Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to adopt extrinsic variables in self-determination theory to measure the turnover intention of health-care employees. However, using resources in a crisis can be applied to any disaster.

Flexible working during the COVID-19 pandemic: gains and strains in a Chinese state-owned organisation

PurposeThis study aims to identify and analyse the gains and strains associated with flexible working practices (FWPs) introduced and adopted prior to and during the pandemic and consider how these experiences are likely to shape the future of workplace flexibility post-pandemic. Design/methodology/approachA case study research strategy was adopted to explore the FWPs implemented by a state-owned organisation in the Chinese publishing industry. A mixed data collection method was used. Quantitative data was collected from 50 valid questionnaires, which was followed by 7 qualitative interviews to gain rich insights into the availability and effectiveness of various FWPs and associated benefits and drawbacks. FindingsWhile the results confirm positive effects FWPs have on employee engagement and retention and on business continuity and employee well-being during the pandemic, the empirical analysis highlights the performance-driven patterns in use and impacts of some FWPs, which caused concerns and dilemmas. Besides the increasing intense market competition, the changing face of state-owned enterprises and managerial attitudes have been found to have significant effects on the use of FWPs. Originality/valueThis paper has contributed to a better understanding of flexible working in an under-researched setting, reflected in changes before and during the pandemic, offering an insight into the commercialised nature of flexible working in the Chinese context. It has implications for organisations and HR practitioners as they envision future workplace flexibility.

A Moderated-Mediation Model of Work-Family Conflict in the COVID-19 Crisis: JMI

The COVID-19 pandemic and societal mitigation efforts (e.g., mandated quarantine and social distancing) inflicted mental and emotional strain on working parents navigating conflicting demands between the work and non-work interface. This research examines how organizational leaders can help employees cope with the additional stress of the crisis and reduce detrimental outcomes to their careers, families, and organizations. Utilizing stressor-strain theory, this study investigates the relationship between stressors (i.e., work-family conflict and role overload) and strain (i.e., turnover intentions) as a function of a relationally-influenced psychological state (i.e., trust in management) in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. Data analyzed from 393 working adults indicated that trust in management moderated (attenuated) the relationship between role overload and turnover intentions, and the interaction between role overload and trust in management mediated the relationship between work-family conflict and turnover intentions. This moderated-mediation model empirically validates how organizational leaders can help mitigate employee stress induced during crisis situations.

Work-family conflict, entrepreneurial regret, and entrepreneurial outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study aims to propose a clarification on how female entrepreneurs cognitively process their work-family conflict (WFC) experiences during the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, with implications related to their attitudes toward their current entrepreneurial activities. It does so by using social cognitive theory as an overarching theoretical perspective. Our hypothesis sheds light on regretful thinking (also known as entrepreneurial regret) as a cognitive mechanism that elucidates how WFC may affect female entrepreneurs' outcomes, such as exit intention and work satisfaction. We further proposed family support as a boundary condition that may help female entrepreneurs to better respond to WFC. We develop and administer a questionnaire survey and analyze data from 346 female entrepreneurs in Japan. The results of our analysis, which is performed using the bootstrapping method to clarify the significance of the moderated mediation mechanism, support our hypotheses. Our results demonstrate that WFC leads to higher exit intention and lower work satisfaction through entrepreneurial regret. Notably, these experiences become stronger when WFC is coupled with low family support. Finally, we discuss the important implications of our findings for researchers and practitioners and highlight opportunities for future research.

Effects of Work-Family Conflict and Work-Family Facilitation on Employee Burnout during COVID-19 in the Thai Hotel Industry

An aspect neglected in the hotel industry is the work-family connection of the staff members, which has been depleted especially after the ‘Phuket Sandbox' model in Phuket, Thailand was implemented, many hotels started to operate with a limited number of staff to provide high-quality service. This caused hotel employees to be under high pressure, and is a prime factor in leading to burnout. This research investigates the effects of work-family conflict (WFC) and work-family facilitation (WFF) on employee burnout and examines the effects of marital status and job function on WFC and employee burnout. This research used survey questionnaires to collect data from 420 hotel employees working at safety and health administration plus (SHA) certified hotels in Phuket. The results showed by the structural equation model indicate that WFC is positively related (β =.53, p <.001) while WFF is negatively related (β = -.16, p <.001) with employee burnout. Furthermore, job function was found to have a significant effect on WFC (β =.11, p =.02), as was marital status on burnout (β =.12, p <.001). However, both job function and burnout (β =.06, p =.11) and marital status and WFC (β = -.05, p =.27) were found not to be significant. In terms of behavioral science, these findings would benefit hotels and employees as the hotels could help minimize employee burnout by helping to maintain the balance between the employee's work and family life to remain productive and efficient during a crisis. © Behavioral Science Research Institute

Human Resource Management in Work-Life Balance Issues in the Context of Covid-19 Pandemic: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

This study investigates the employee productivity experience of the business managers from CEE countries with the worldwide home-office phenomenon in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Qualitative method with an exploratory approach is used, especially a phenomenological design was adopted for this study. Through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the specific experience of managers was examined and subsequently an effort was made to understand the situation. Findings explain that working from home has provided advantages and disadvantages for organizations as an essential part of sustainable human resource management. The interviews showed that it is possible to manage and evaluate employees according to their performance, not according to attendance at the workplace, and that their productivity has not declined significantly. However, this current situation offers a unique vision of the pros and cons of working from home and may play a vital role in future strategies that will reshape the existing structure of working hours, possibly allowing for more flexibility.

Working From Home, Work-Family Conflict, and Mental Strain During the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Moderating Role of Personal Resilience

Former studies have shown that working from home can contribute to work-family conflict, which in turn can negatively affect employees' well-being. According to the assumptions of the job-demands-resources model, personal resources can moderate the individual risk of strain. To test this assumption for personal resilience, I conducted an online-survey with N = 142 employees working from home during the third wave of the COVID-19-pandemic. I examined irritation and vitality as dependent variables, work-family conflict as an independent variable, and resilience as a potential moderator. I hypothesized that resilient employees report less irritation when confronted with work-family conflict. Modorator analyses confirmed the postulated indirect effect. Resilience thus proves to be a resource that can support employees in better coping with the specific demands when working from home. I discuss the practical implications for human resource development and health promotion.

The gendered effect of an overwork climate and high personal standards for work-home conflict during the pandemic

Although working from home and various other forms of flexible work are often presented as measures to strengthen work-life balance, research depicts a less optimistic picture. Previous research has shown that the impact of telework on work-home conflict is controversial, depending on various factors that are also frequently gender-specific. In this study, the authors evaluate and compare the effects of external expectations (i.e., an organizational overwork climate) and internal expectations (i.e., high personal standards) on changes in work-home conflict between working men and women during the COVID-19 pandemic in Lithuania. Both types of expectations were associated with difficulties reconciling work and private life. Due to their interactions with stereotypical gender roles, organizational expectations encouraging overtime work had a more pronounced effect on male employees. Results suggest that an overwork climate within organizations is a problem not only for employees' well-being but also poses a risk to gender equality in work and private life.

COVID-19 and Working from Home: Determinants and Consequences of Work-Family and Family-Work Conflicts

The COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of employees worldwide to perform their full- -time job tasks remotely from home. As creative performance is considered a desirable work outcome expected by organizations, the present study investigated whether the work-family and family-work conflicts mediate the relationship between job conditions experienced by employees while working from home and their creative performance. The study, carried out in Sri Lanka, featured a sample of employees in white-collar or professional positions who carried on with their full-time jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic working from home. It was found that job conditions (work characteristics, work environment and technical support) significantly negatively related to both work- -family conflict and family-work conflict. In addition, the results supported the media- tion hypothesis. © 2022 Centro de Estudos Sociais da Universidade de Coimbra. All rights reserved.

Conflict (Work-Family and Family-Work) and Task Performance: The Role of Well-Being in This Relationship

Recent societal changes have brought new challenges to contemporary organisations, e.g., how to properly manage the work-family/family-work dyad and, thus, promote adequate task performance. This paper aimed to study the relationship between conflict (work-family and family-work) and task performance, and whether this relationship was moderated by well-being. Thus, the following hypotheses were formulated: (1) conflict (work-family and family-work) is negatively associated with task performance;(2) conflict (work-family and family-work) is negatively associated with well-being;(3) well-being is positively associated with task performance;and (4) well-being moderates the relationship between conflict (work-family and family-work) and task performance. A total of 596 subjects participated in this study, all employed in Portuguese organisations. The results underlined that only family-work conflict was negatively and significantly associated with task performance. Work-family conflict established a negative and significant relationship with well-being. Well-being was positively and significantly associated with performance and moderated the relationship between conflict (work-family and family-work) and task performance. These results show that organisations should provide employees with situations that promote their well-being, especially in Portugal, where a relationship culture exists (rather than task culture, which is predominant in the USA and Canada, for example) which means that additional and considerable time must be dedicated to personal and family matters for people to fit in and be accepted harmoniously.

COVID-19 and mandatory telework: effects on gender roles and work family conflicts among Japanese dual-career regular employees with children

This study empirically investigates some of the consequences of mandatory telework from home brought about by the first state of emergency following the outbreak of COVID-19 in Japan. There is yet scant research in Japan on the consequences of working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this article disentangles the concepts of mandatory and involuntary telework. A survey of regular employees in dual income households with children retrospectively assessed the changes in gender role attitudes and work-family conflicts before and during forced telework from home in the Tokyo area in Spring 2020 and shed light on their first experience with telework. Mandatory telework, regardless of frequency, did not affect gender role attitudes among Japanese dual-career couples, and was associated with lower work-family conflict more so among women. Full mandatory telework resulted in higher satisfaction with one's work space at home for women, and a desire for more frequent telework among both genders, once COVID-19 is under control. These results can help individuals, firms, and governments understand the effects of mandatory telework and devise countermeasures supporting flexible work arrangements. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Japan Forum is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Potential mechanisms by which cash transfer programmes could improve the mental health and life chances of young people: A conceptual framework and lines of enquiry for research and policy

Mental health is inextricably linked to both poverty and future life chances such as education, skills, labour market attachment and social function. Poverty can lead to poorer mental health, which reduces opportunities and increases the risk of lifetime poverty. Cash transfer programmes are one of the most common strategies to reduce poverty and now reach substantial proportions of populations living in low- and middle-income countries. Because of their rapid expansion in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have recently gained even more importance. Recently, there have been suggestions that these cash transfers might improve youth mental health, disrupting the cycle of disadvantage at a critical period of life. Here, we present a conceptual framework describing potential mechanisms by which cash transfer programmes could improve the mental health and life chances of young people. Furthermore, we explore how theories from behavioural economics and cognitive psychology could be used to more specifically target these mechanisms and optimise the impact of cash transfers on youth mental health and life chances. Based on this, we identify several lines of enquiry and action for future research and policy.Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press.