Research: How a Fight at Home Impacts Your Workday

It can be draining — but it can also make us more likely to help our colleagues.

by

and

Wendy R. Boswell

by

and

Wendy R. Boswell

November 28, 2022

HBR Staff/Unplash

Summary.

Past research has confirmed that negative interactions at work hurt employees’ well-being and productivity, but the time spent at work is only one part of an employee’s day. The authors’ recent research affirms that conflicts at home also negatively affect our energy and emotions throughout the workday and also shows that many employees react to their bad home experiences in a surprising way: by offering help to their colleagues. This research points to ways that employees can cope with negative experiences that spill over to work — and also how managers can support their employees who may be dealing with home stress at work.

It’s well established that negative interactions at work hurt employees’ well-being and productivity: Research has shown the draining effects of incivility at work, and the emotional reactions we have to feeling mistreated by others. However, the time spent at work is only one part of an employee’s day.

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MG

Mahira L. Ganster is a PhD candidate studying management and organizations at the University of Arizona. Her research focuses on employee coping behaviors, work demands, interpersonal processes, and work-nonwork relationships.
Allison S. Gabriel is the McClelland Professor of Management and Organizations and University Distinguished Scholar in the Department of Management and Organizations at the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management. Her research focuses on emotions at work, employee recovery and well-being, interpersonal processes, and motivation.
CR

Christopher C. Rosen is the John H. Tyson Chair in Business Management in the Department of Management at the University of Arkansas’ Sam M. Walton College of Business. His research interests include employee well-being, motivation, and workplace politics.
LS

Lauren S. Simon is a professor in the Department of Management at the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. Her research focuses on leader–employee relationships; career success; and diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.
MB

Marcus M. Butts is the Marilyn and Leo F. Corrigan Professor at the Edwin L. Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. His research interests include the work–nonwork interface, relational dynamics, and advanced research methods.
WB

Wendy R. Boswell is the Jerry and Kay Cox Professor of Management at Mays Business School, Texas A&M University. Her research focuses on employee turnover and retention, job search behavior, the work–nonwork interface, and workplace conflict and stress.

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Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Time Management. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.

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Research: How a Fight at Home Impacts Your Workday

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