‘Should I quit?’: an empirical analysis of work-home dynamics and turnover intentions among parents of autistic children

Parents of autistic children are often regarded as ‘heroes without capes’, due to their heavy and prolonged caregiving responsibilities. While research has predominantly focused on autistic children, there is a notable gap in studies that focus on their parents, especially those who are currently in the workforce. Thus, this study aims to examine the influence of work-home interaction (WHI) on turnover intention for this underrepresented population. By applying the conservation of resources theory (COR), parental work-home experiences are examined through the lens of job embeddedness (JE), mindset, and time perspective. Using the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) method, we analysed a sample of 195 parents and found that both positive and negative WHI are associated with turnover intention. Although mindset and time perspective moderated these relationships, the mediating role of JE was not supported. The study highlights the difficulties in coping with the simultaneous demands of home and work while emphasizing the importance of community involvement for the parents. While the study specifically targets parents of autistic children, its broader implications could extend to working parents of children with other conditions, where the development of targeted initiatives, policies, and practices would greatly assist in retaining them in the workforce.