Time Pressure in Employed Parents of Adolescents: The Role of Work and Family Drivers and Workplace Supports

Time pressure is common among working parents with adverse consequences for parent and child mental health, yet few studies investigate time pressure beyond the early parenting years. This paper examined the work and family drivers of time pressure, and the work supports that ease time pressure, in employed parents of adolescents (youngest child aged 13–18 years). In 2016, 614 Australian parents of adolescents completed an online survey about work-family balance. Over half of fathers and three quarters of mothers reported feeling time pressed. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that fathers with managerial/professional jobs and single mothers had increased odds of time pressure. Greater family supportive supervisor behaviour was associated with decreased odds of time pressure, as was greater work-family enrichment (fathers only). Findings indicate that time pressure is a salient experience for parents of adolescents and that work-family support is needed beyond early parenting.<p></p>