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The boundaries between work and private life are gradually blurring. More and more employees are involved in work during leisure time through cognitions, emotions or behaviours, in both negative and positive ways. This so‐called work‐home integration (WHI) can, on the one hand, hampers the necessary recovery from work and result in strain but, on the other hand, also restores resources and result in beneficial outcomes. In order to enhance our understanding of WHI and capture all its different forms, we suggest a new conceptualisation and measure of WHI. We therefore developed and validated the Work‐Home Integration Questionnaire (WHIQ) in English, German and Slovene simultaneously using two cross‐sectional studies (Study 1: N = 848; Study 2: N = 555) and a two‐wave longitudinal study with a time lag of 1 month (Study 3: N = 379). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a three‐factor structure with (1) negative cognitive‐affective involvement, (2) positive cognitive‐affective involvement and (3) behavioural involvement. Moreover, the WHIQ showed measurement invariance across the three languages and the results provide evidence for convergent, discriminant and incremental validity. Overall, the WHIQ is a reliable, valid and short measure to assess the extent to which employees are involved in work during leisure time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study adopts an exploratory, person-oriented approach to investigate possible patterns of work-life interference. We examine work-life interference from a cognitive (i.e., thinking about work), behavioral (i.e., engaging in work-related behavior), and performance perspective (i.e., reduced functionality in private life, or work-life conflict) in order to identify profiles of employees that could potentially remain uncovered with variable-oriented research. Furthermore, as work-life interference relates to well-being and health, we were interested in exploring possible differences between profiles in emotional exhaustion, cardiometabolic risk, and health-related behavior. Self-report data on work-life interference and well-being, as well as objective health data, were collected from a heterogeneous sample of 289 employees. Four profiles with different patterns of work-life interference were identified. Out of the four profiles, two profiles reported moderate and high work-life interference (the Moderate Interference and High Interference profiles). The other two profiles revealed distinct combinations of moderate and low performance and behavioral interference (the Low Performance Interference and Low Behavioral Interference profiles). The High Interference and Low Behavioral Interference profiles were identified as risk groups in terms of cardiometabolic health, while the Low Performance Interference and Moderate Interference profiles showed low to no risk. Regarding work-related well-being, the High Interference profile showed the highest risk of emotional exhaustion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A four-dimensional typology of work-family balance (WFB) that has previously been reported was tested in four samples: Finnish nurses (n=662), Slovenian nurses (n=667), Finnish health and social care workers (n=1493) and Finnish service sector employees (n=827). Latent profile analyses identified three rather than four types of WFB in each sample. In line with the four-dimensional typology, a Beneficial type (56% to 70% of the participants), experiencing high work-to-family and family-to-work enrichment (WFE and FWE) and low work-to-family and family-to-work conflict (WFC and FWC), and an Active type (15% to 20%), experiencing high WFC, FWC, WFE and FWE, emerged; however, the Harmful and Passive types were not identified. Instead, a Contradictory type (16% to 53%), experiencing high WFC and low WFE in combination with low FWC and high FWE, was found. The Beneficial type showed higher subjective well-being than the Contradictory and Active types, the latter showing higher vigour at work but also higher psychological strain and lower life satisfaction than the Contradictory type. These findings support the view that WFB is not a single state or continuum, but manifests itself in diverse combinations of WFC, FWC, WFE and FWE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Longer life expectancy and changes in family patterns in Western societies have increased the need for professional caregivers to the elderly. A detailed understanding of job resources, especially of job control, may help preserve eldercare workers' work-related well-being. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine optimal levels of job control for eldercare workers' work-related well-being. Design: Cross-sectional (Study 1) and longitudinal (Study 2) data were used to assess the linear and non-linear relations between job control and eldercare workers' work-related well-being. As indicators of well-being, irritation was examined cross-sectionally, whereas burnout and engagement were used in the longitudinal study. In both studies, demographic variables and time pressure were included as controls. In Study 2, results were additionally controlled for baseline levels of the outcome variables. Participants: Study participants were recruited from the nursing staff of 10 publicly ?nanced nursing homes for the elderly (Study 1) and from 18 privately and 20 publicly ?nanced nursing homes for the elderly (Study 2). In both studies, eldercare workers (i.e., registered nurses, orderlies, and nursing assistants) were invited to answer paper-pencil questionnaires. In Study 1, 606 persons followed this invitation (response rate: 65%). In Study 2, 591 persons provided data on both measurement points (response rate: 35% of Time 1 participants). The samples of both studies were predominantly female and between 20 and 65 years of age. Methods: Hierarchical multiple regressions with linear and quadratic terms were conducted. Results: Curvilinear effects of job control were found in both studies. In Study 1, low as well as high levels of job control were associated with higher levels of irritation compared to medium levels of job control. The longitudinal data from Study 2 supported these results. Eldercare workers with higher and lower levels of job control reported a higher tendency to depersonalize care recipients and a lower tendency to feel dedicated to, absorbed by and vigorous at work than those with medium levels of job control. Conclusions: Higher levels of job control are not necessarily advantageous for work-related well-being of eldercare workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]