Implications of Overwork and Overload for the Quality of Men's Family Relationships

Abstract

This study examined the implications of men's long work hours and role overload for the quality of their relationships with their wives and their firstborn ( M = 15 years) and secondborn adolescent offspring ( M = 12.5 years) in a sample of 190 dual‐earner families. Holding constant men's occupational self‐direction and level of education, long hours were related to less time spent with the wife but were unrelated to spouses' love, perspective‐taking, or conflict; high levels of role overload consistently predicted less positive marital relationships. In contrast, the combination of long hours and high overload was consistently associated with less positive father‐adolescent relationships, a pattern that was similar for older and younger adolescents and for sons and daughters.