MRES Management

Precarious employment, work-family challenges and well-being

Work-family, precarious employment, well-being, work-life conflict, zero-hours, work-life balance

Precarious work presents additional complexities in relation to work-family in comparison to those working in traditional or more standard types of employment. Challenges include; variable and changing schedules, less job security, sporadic pay, and non-standard hours childcare arrangements, all of which contribute to individual's wellbeing. The impact of both Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic has extended precarity to new sections of the UK workforce, however there Is little work-family research based on this type of more casual employment. This longitudinal qualitative research explores the experiences of parents who are in precarious employment, specifically on zero-hour contracts and how these experiences impact parents' well-being. Data has been collected by using the diary-interview method combining semi-structured interviews and audio diaries kept over a one-month period to gather in-depth qualitative data and daily experiences. The research presents a theoretical framework representing key work-family challenges including how challenges are navigated, the impact on parent's well-being and provides recommendations and key considerations for policy actors.