It’s no secret that our jobs can have a major impact on our lives outside of work. Financially, mentally, and physically, our workplace experiences can offer a welcome boost — or take a significant toll. But what many employers don’t realize is that the effects of work aren’t limited to workers’ individual personal lives. To the contrary, how employees spend their time at work can have substantial spillover effects on their friends, partners, and perhaps most critically, their children.
How a Parent’s Experience at Work Impacts Their Kids
A multi-year study following more than 370 low-wage families found that children’s developmental outcomes were significantly affected by their parents’ work lives.
January 31, 2023
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Summary.
Many employers are increasingly cognizant of the ways in which employees’ experiences on the job can impact their lives outside of work. But what about the lives of their children? Through a longitudinal study that followed more than 370 low-wage, working-class families over more than ten years, the author found that children’s developmental outcomes were directly and significantly affected by their parents’ work lives. Specifically, workers who had more autonomy and more-supportive supervisors and coworkers were in turn warmer and more engaged when interacting with their infants. These children then grew up to have better reading and math skills, better social skills, and fewer behavioral problems in the first grade, suggesting that an employee’s workplace experiences immediately before and during the transition into parenthood can have long-lasting effects on the development of their children. In light of these findings, the author argues that making sure employees feel respected and supported isn’t just an investment in today’s workforce — it’s an investment in the next generation as well.