Family incivility and employee well-being: examining the roles of emotional intelligence and family supportive supervisory behaviors

Purpose Although research on workplace stressors has expanded significantly, the role of family-originated incivility experienced by employees remains underexplored. This study addresses this critical gap by examining how family incivility, such as subtle disrespect and hostility from family members, drains employees’ psychological resources, ultimately impairing their well-being. Grounded in conservation of resources (COR) theory, we propose and test a psychological pathway through negative affect and also investigate the buffering roles of emotional intelligence and family-supportive supervisory behaviors (FSSB). Design/methodology/approach Employing a two-wave, time-lagged design, we collected survey data from 467 engineers across four IT firms in India. Using the PROCESS approach, we tested the hypothesised mediation and moderated mediation models. Findings Family incivility significantly increases negative affect, which in turn deteriorates employee well-being. Moreover, high emotional intelligence and strong family-supportive supervisory behaviors (FSSB) attenuate this indirect negative pathway, serving as critical psychological and contextual buffers against family-based stressors. Originality/value This study advances the work–family interface literature by moving beyond workplace mistreatment to highlight non-work domain interpersonal stressors as significant predictors of employee well-being. By integrating the mediating mechanism and boundary conditions within the COR framework, the study offers a more nuanced, cross-domain understanding of employee well-being. It also provides actionable insights for organizations seeking to foster resilience against stressors that originate outside the workplace.