Job-family role strain among low-wage workers

This exploratory study aimed to identify the personal family and job characteristics associated with low-wage employees' job-family role strain. Data were collected from both English and non-English speaking workers at one hotel site. Multivariate data analyses revealed that different sets of circumstances create job-family strain for employees. Supervisor support was independently associated with two of the three job-family strain variables while other job factors emerged as significant when interacting with demographic variables. Findings suggest that structural factors associated with managing work and family responsibilities may more accurately measure job-family role strain for this worker population. The study provides further evidence that the concept of job-family role strain is inherently complex warranting further investigation especially for employees in low-wage earning jobs. © 2005 Springer Science+Business Media Inc.