Partners' overwork and individuals' wellbeing and experienced relationship quality
Emily Fitzgibbons Shafer1, Erin L Kelly2, Orfeu M Buxton3,4,5,6
1Department of Sociology, Portland State University, Portland, OR.
Community, Work & Family
|September 5, 2022
Summary
Partners of men working long hours experience increased stress and lower relationship quality. This impact on relationship quality is mediated by stress, not time adequacy, for women partnered with overworking men.
Area of Science:
- Work-life balance
- Occupational health
- Sociology of the family
Background:
- Extensive research documents the negative effects of overwork on individual well-being.
- The impact of overwork on partners and family dynamics, particularly relationship quality, remains less understood.
- This study addresses the gap by examining the effects of partners' long work hours on relationship dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between partners' long work hours and individuals' perceived stress, time adequacy, and relationship quality.
- To determine if these associations differ by gender.
- To explore the mediating roles of perceived stress and time adequacy in the relationship between partners' overwork and relationship quality.
Main Methods:
- Utilized high-quality data from the Work, Family, and Health Network.
- Sample comprised 590 IT workers in the US.
- Employed statistical analyses to examine associations and mediation effects, considering gender differences.
Main Results:
- Women partnered with men working long hours (≥50 hours/week) reported significantly higher perceived stress, lower time adequacy, and poorer relationship quality.
- For women, increased stress mediated the negative impact of their male partner's overwork on relationship quality.
- Men partnered with women working long hours showed no significant differences in stress, time adequacy, or relationship quality compared to men partnered with women working standard hours (35-49 hours/week).
Conclusions:
- Partners' long work hours disproportionately affect women's relationship quality and well-being.
- Perceived stress is a key mediator in the negative impact of male overwork on relationships.
- Findings underscore the need for interventions addressing the family impact of overwork, especially concerning gender dynamics.
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