The buffering effect of job resources in the relationship between job demands and work-to-private-life interference: a study among health-care workers

The present study aim at investigating whether and how a) job demands and job resources are associated to work-to-private-life interference (WLI) b) job resources moderate the relationship between job demands and WLI. Data were collected by a self-report questionnaire in three hospitals in Italy. The sample consisted of 889 health-care workers. All job demands (i.e., quantitative demand, patient disproportionate expectations and verbal aggression) and job resources (i.e. job autonomy, support from superior and colleagues, fairness and organizational support) with the exception of skill discretion, were related to WLI. The effect of quantitative demands on WLI were moderated by support from superior, fairness and organizational support moderate the effect of all job demands considered. Support from colleagues only moderated verbal aggression. Job autonomy did not buffer any job demands. The present study suggests that the work context has a central importance in relationship to experience of WLI among health-care workers. The results indicated that intervention in the work context, may help to contain WLI. Such interventions would be especially aimed at improving the social climate within the unit and quality of the organizational process.