Positive spillover from the work—family interface: A study of Australian employees

Abstract

While work—family conflict has received much attention in the literature, there is a dearth of empirical evidence about work—family positive spillover. Further, we have little understanding of positive spillover in an Australian setting. Using structural equation modelling, we tested positive spillover on 420 Australian public and private sector employees, and found work—family positive spillover was negatively associated with psychological distress and turnover intentions, while family—work positive spillover was negatively linked with psychological distress, and positively linked with family satisfaction. The findings indicated that positive spillover had the greatest influence on outcomes associated with the same domain, for example positive spillover from the workplace and turnover intentions. The findings support the notion that not all work and family experiences are negative, and experiences from the work and from the home can improve outcomes both inside and outside the workplace.