Work–Family Interference as a Mediator Between Job Characteristics and Employee Well-Being During COVID-19 in China: A Job Demands–Resources Model

Nan Chen and Chiungtzu Lucetta Tsai ()
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Nan Chen: Chinese Studies, Department of Global Business, Kosin University, 194 Wachi-ro, Yeongdo-gu, Busan 49104, Republic of Korea
Chiungtzu Lucetta Tsai: Department of Leisure & Sport Management, National Taipei University, Taipei City 104380, Taiwan

Social Sciences, 2025, vol. 14, issue 2, 1-19

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally transformed workplace dynamics worldwide. Within this context, emerging patterns in job demand and job resources necessitate a thorough examination of how these workplace changes affect work–family interference and employee well-being across diverse occupational categories. The current study investigates the differential impact of job characteristics on job satisfaction and work stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, comparing blue-collar and white-collar occupations in China. Drawing from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) database, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from two time periods, 2015 and 2021, encompassing 10,968 and 8148 valid samples, respectively. Through bootstrapping analysis, we tested the indirect effects of job characteristics on employee well-being, mediated by work–family interference. The results reveal distinct patterns across occupational categories. Blue-collar workers demonstrated increased susceptibility to work-related stress, primarily due to the compounding effects of dual workload demands that intensified their work–family interference. Conversely, white-collar employees maintained a positive relationship between job autonomy and job satisfaction, despite the negative mediating influence of work–family interference.

Keywords: work–family interference; job demand; job resources; employees’ well-being; COVID-19 pandemic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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