Work, family and community support as predictors of work–family conflict: A study of low-income workers

This study examines relationships between support from work, family and community domains with time- and strain-based work–family conflict in a sample of low-income workers. Results reveal significant within-domain and cross-domain relationships between support from all three life domains with work − family conflict. With respect to family support, support from children was associated with lower time- and strain-based family interfering with work and extended family support was associated with lower strain-based work interfering with family. Non-work support other than family was also important. Neighbor support was related to lower time-based family interfering with work. Community support was related to reduced time and strain-based work interfering with family and strain based family interfering with work. At work, family-supportive organizational perceptions and supervisor support were related to lower time-based work interfering with family. Findings highlight the need to adopt a more comprehensive approach when examining sources from which low-income employees draw social support.

► Low-income workers have been largely overlooked in the work–family literature to date.
► We examine the influence of social support from work, family and community on work–family conflict among low-income workers.
► In the absence of formal family friendly policies informal social support is associated with reduced work–family conflict.
► Social support from extended family, children and community were important predictors
► Support from the community domain has cross-domain effects, reducing both work–family conflict and family–work conflict.