Alcohol and cigarette use affecting the relationship between work-life conflict and physical health

Abstract

ABSTRACT Poor worker health is estimated to cost employers more than half a trillion dollars per year in lost productivity [Japsen, B. (2018, November 15). Poor worker health costs U.S. employer’s half trillion dollars a year. Retrieved March 8, 2019, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2018/11/15/poor-worker-health-costs-u-s-employers-half-trillion-dollars-a-year/]. Stress, especially as it pertains to work-family conflicts, has been shown to be a primary contributor to employee health problems [Gisler, S., Omansky, R., Alenick, P., Tumminia, A., Eatough, E., & Johnson, R. (2018). Work-life conflict and employee health: A review. Journal of Applied Biobehavioral Research, 23(4), 1–46. https://doi.org/10.1111/jabr.12157]. This paper investigates how physical health symptoms resulting from increased work-family conflict may be mediated through increased alcohol and cigarette use, and how that relationship is moderated by factors such as family-friendly policies implemented by the organizations, time management, sex of the individual, and norms around the use of these substances among employees. The study examined 1275 blue collar/front-line workers from 60 different small businesses. Alcohol and cigarette use were found to partially mediate the relationship between high levels of work-family conflict and negative physical health symptoms. The availability and ease of use of family-friendly policies moderated the effects of the relationship as well. Results and implications are further discussed.