The dark side of work-life policies: the influence of co-workers taking childcare leave on work anxiety

Purpose While work-life policies (WLPs) are tools that employees may draw on to better manage and balance their work and life demands, there is growing evidence that suggests the usage of WLPs may negatively impact other employees. Drawing from the theory of role dynamics and social role theory, we examine the indirect effect of co-workers taking childcare leave (CTCL) on work anxiety via work-role overload, as well as the impact of gender on this indirect relationship. Design/methodology/approach We used Prolific Academic to recruit 236 employees to participate in a three-wave study. These data were analyzed as a hypothesized structural equation modelling (SEM) using SPSS AMOS. Findings Findings reveal: (1) CTCL positively relates to work anxiety via work-role overload, and (2) gender moderates this indirect effect such that this positive relationship is stronger for men than women. Practical implications Work-life policy makers should take note of the “hidden costs” associated with work-life policy usage on other employees. Managers should work with policy users to mitigate the negative effects of policy usage on others. Originality/value In contrast to broader WLP research, which focuses on the benefits of policy usage on the policy user, this research shows the negative implications of work-life policies on others’ work anxiety via work-role overload. In doing so, it becomes the first study to showcase a crossover effect of CTCL on employees’ work anxiety.