said Professor Yasin Rofcanin from the University of Bath’s Future of Work research center.
“The result is that both members of a couple benefit. Spouses pass on support received from co-workers and partners will be more creative at work, in what is termed a ‘gain spiral. So it pays for employers to recognise the value of caring co-workers.”
Over and above work policies, or interventions by supervisors, it is informal support from co-workers that stands out as having the /b> biggest impact on an individual’s ability to manage the work-life balance,
Co-worker support can mean being on hand to listen and talk through life’s issues and challenges as they arise, offering suggestions for problems at home, as well as providing cover for absence if a child is sick, or other caring responsibilities crop up.
The research suggests organizations should give employees more flexibility to manage caring cover with a colleague without intervention from managers.
The research also alerts employers to the pitfalls of working practice and expectations taking a toll on home life, encouraging employers to be mindful of the detrimental impact on relationships.
“So much research points to the stresses of being in a dual income couple, it’s refreshing to see a win for loving relationships alongside work,” said Rofcanin. “While we’re not suggesting employers should meddle in relationships, they may be able to positively contribute to the quality of relationships at home by putting policies and procedures in place to minimise work-family conflict, such as limiting over time and expectations to respond to emails outside of hours.”
The study, by the Universities of Bath, VU Amsterdam, and IESE Business School, focused on diary entries over five weeks by over 200 full-time, dual-income heterosexual couples in the United States, eighty percent of which had children.
The researchers acknowledge that there could be drawbacks in relying on co-workers for support with work and family matters, with partners at home feeling jealous and upset about the closeness of ‘work spouse’ relationships.
They suggest future research could examine the potential of this relationship dynamic to promote conflict at home.
Source: Newswise
