When Family Calls: How Gender, Money, and Care Shape the Relationship between Family Contact and Family-to-Work Conflict

Abstract

The fluid boundaries between work and family life and the dynamic ways these domains are shaped by communication technology represent an important area in work-family research. However, surprisingly little is known about how family contact at work affects functioning in the work role—especially how these dynamics may change and unfold over time. Drawing on longitudinal data from the Canadian Work, Stress, and Health Study (2011–2017), the present study examines the association between family contact and family-to-work conflict. We find that increases in family contact over time are positively associated with more family-to-work conflict, but gender and three salient family-related conditions—financial strain, providing care for family members, and difficulties with children—are key moderators of this focal relationship. We discover that the focal association is significantly stronger for women and for those with elevated levels of financial strain, caregiving responsibilities, and difficulties with children over time. We discuss these results by integrating border theory with stress amplification and the cost of caring.