Toward Sustainable Workplaces: The Roles of Work-Family Conflict, Social Support, and Meaning in Employee Well-Being and Performance After Parental Leave.

This study aims to examine the associations of work-family conflict, perceived social support, and meaning in work with well-being, engagement, and performance among employees returning from parental leave. The study is grounded in the Job Demands-Resources model and uses cross-sectional survey data from 1199 Romanian employees returning from parental leave. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test a comprehensive model linking job demands and resources to individual and organizational outcomes. Results indicate that both work-to-family and family-to-work conflict are negatively associated with employee well-being, whereas perceived social support and meaning in work are positively associated with well-being. Moreover, perceived social support and meaning in work are also positively associated with engagement, whereas well-being is not significantly associated with engagement. Both engagement and well-being are positively associated with self-reported performance. These findings highlight the relevance of social and psychological resources for employee functioning during the transition back to work after parental leave. The study contributes to the literature by integrating work-family dynamics and several dimensions of positive functioning within a comprehensive model of post-parental-leave reintegration.