Remote Work and Work-Family Conflict during COVID-19: Individual and Crossover Effects among Dual-Earning Couples

The study investigates the association of the extent of remote work with men’s and women’s behavioral work-family conflict and their partners’ behavioral work-family conflict. The authors examine if these effects vary by parental status. Analyses of survey data from 343 U.S. dual-earning couples collected during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic show that among couples with children, their extent of remote work is positively associated with both their own and their partners’ behavioral family-to-work conflict but is not associated with their own or their partners’ behavioral work-to-family conflict. For child-free couples, findings show that their extent of remote work does not affect their own work-family conflict (bidirectional). For child-free women only, behavioral work-to-family and family-to-work conflict increase as a function of their partners’ extent of remote work. The authors offer insights into potential policy for work organizations, including benefits that provide time or financial assistance to help employees manage family obligations that might interfere with work.