Job insecurity and work–family interface as predictors of mental and physical health: The moderating role of family–work stereotype threat

Abstract

While a growing body of literature links the stressor of job insecurity (JI) with poor employee well-being and increased work-to-family conflict (WFC), the current study specifically tests WFC as an explanatory mechanism of the relationships between affective JI (i.e., emotional reactions to the perceived threat to one's job) and poor health outcomes (i.e., mental and physical health). Moreover, this study uniquely examines how family–work stereotype threat (FWST; i.e., fears of confirming negative stereotypes about workers with family obligations) may exacerbate the relationship between perceived threats to one's job and employee reports of WFC. Using a cross-country design, data from 707 employees in the United States (two-wave) and 763 employees nested within 100 organizations in Italy (multilevel, cross-sectional) largely supported the hypothesized mediation model. Specifically, WFC explains the association of JI with individual mental and physical health in both countries. Moreover, FWST exacerbates the direct relation of JI with WFC in the United States, but not in Italy. These findings suggest that the fear of losing one's job may prompt employee experiences of WFC and subsequent poorer physical and mental health; additionally, in the United States, this effect is even stronger among employees who reported higher levels of FWST. We interpret these heterogeneous findings in the light of nation-related factors in managing increasingly insecure employment markets, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed for improving both health and work–life boundary management of post-pandemic workers.