Working at home, caring at home during the pandemic: Profiles of working parents and links to parents' wellbeing from an Australian prospective study.

Abstract

Objective: This study examines how work-family-care disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic clustered and co-occurred for working parents and explores the impact on employee wellbeing.

Method: We investigated profiles of parents' work-family-care disruption using latent class analysis; explored parent, work, family and household patterning of classes; and examined associations with (concurrent and) subsequent employee wellbeing (occupational fatigue, time pressure, psychological distress).

Results: Parents were classed as 'low' (35.6%), 'moderate' (58.1%), and 'high' (6.3%) impact. Distinct parent, work, family and household characteristics were associated with these classes. Parents moderately or highly impacted reported lower employee wellbeing concurrently and at 6-month follow-up.

Conclusions: Findings highlight the impact of work-family-care disruption on employee wellbeing. Additional supports to working parents are needed in times of crisis, particularly for vulnerable parents and for working parents who experience increases in unpaid labour.