Satisfaction with Work–Life Balance during the COVID-19 Pandemic for Full-Time Workers Forced to Work from Home

Abstract

The global pandemic caused by Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) severely disrupted people’s professional and personal lives making many employees required to work from home. Our study examines family-supportive supervisory behaviors (FSSB) impact on in-role behaviors through satisfaction with work–life balance and psychological availability at work to gain insight into the effects of the pandemic on work and home domains. Based on three waves of data and a sample of 179 full-time employees (32+ hours per week) forced to work 100% at home because of the pandemic, the findings suggest satisfaction with work–life balance and psychological availability at work serially mediated the relationship between FSSBs and in-role behaviors. Also, satisfaction with work–life balance mediated the relationship between FSSB and psychological availability at work, and psychological availability at work mediated the relationship between satisfaction with work–life balance and in-role behaviors. Practical and theoretical implications, along with future research, are discussed.