Socioeconomic status, work-family conflict, and employee well-being in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing social inequalities, exposing the most disadvantaged sectors to great vulnerability. This research (N = 1844 employees) aimed to determine possible differences in general (satisfaction with life and personal well-being) and specific (family satisfaction and job satisfaction) well-being outcomes based on socioeconomic status (as measured by income, education, and occupation) in the aftermath of the COVID-19 in Chile, a non-WEIRD country showing one of the most unequal income distributions throughout the world. We also ascertained the critical mediating role of work-family conflict. Our results indicated that, among the different dimensions of socioeconomic status evaluated, income emerged as the dominant positive predictor of all well-being outcomes. Subsequent mediation analyses revealed that lower income was associated with diminished general and specific well-being through increased work-family conflict (both work-to-family and family-to-work). This research provides insights into the pathways through which lower socioeconomic status could lead to reduced well-being in the aftermath of the COVID-19 era within a high inequality community.