The Relationship of Work Unit Pressure to Satisfaction with Work–Family Balance: A New Twist on Negative Spillover?

Abstract Purpose We explore: (1) the effects of work unit pressure on employees’ satisfaction with work–family balance (S-WFB); (2) the effects of individual-level job and family pressures on S-WFB; and (3) the extent to which schedule control moderates the negative influences of work unit pressure and other demands on employee S-WFB – among employees in a large healthcare system. Methodology The data come from employee responses to the baseline survey (n = 3,950) administered in September 2012, and from administrative unit-level data (445 units) showing the extent to which units were “on-budget” (within 5 percent), “over-budget,” or “under-budget.” Findings Practices associated with cost containment in a healthcare system of 10,000 employees in the United States appear to have a negative impact on employee S-WFB. Working in a unit that is “under-budget” is negatively associated with individual S-WFB. Employees with high job demands, longer hours, responsibilities for children and/or adults, also reported lower S-WFB than employees without these characteristics. Research limitations/implications Research is limited by lack of measures specific to healthcare workers, the use of baseline data only, and sample size for some of the analyses. Social implications Schedule control makes a difference even under high work pressure. The lack of interactions among variables that typically moderate relationships between work pressures and S-WFB suggests the need for more support for healthcare workers under the strain of cost containment. Originality/value of the chapter We include an objective indicator of unit-level job pressures on individual employees, thus identifying specific ways that work stress affects S-WFB.