Job Resources Buffer the Impact of Work-Family Conflict on Absenteeism in Female Employees

This study examines the relationship between work-family conflict and objective absenteeism 1 year later, by demonstrating that several job resources buffer the impact of work-family conflict on absenteeism. Female employees (N = 386) of a large financial services organization participated in the study. Four job resources (i.e., relationship with colleagues, relationship with supervisor, participation in decision-making, and developmental possibilities) were used to test the central hypothesis that the interaction between (high) work-family conflict and (low) job resources results in absenteeism (absence frequency and duration). Results of moderated structural equation modeling showed that only participation buffered the effect of work-family conflict on absence frequency, while the buffer hypothesis was confirmed for absence duration since all four two-way interactions were significant. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.