Commuting Distance and Work-to-Family Conflict: The Moderating Role of Residential Attributes

Commuting is a boundary-spanning demand that can limit employees’ availability to fulfill family-related roles and routines, leading to work-to-family conflict (WFC). We argue that in cities with challenging housing markets, implications of commuting for WFC may vary by residential attributes, and that the moderating effects of residential attributes may vary by gender due to differences in the work-family interface. Analyses of survey data from individuals in the Greater Toronto Area suggest that (1) the positive association between commuting and WFC is stronger among those who are dissatisfied with their place of residence and live in more disordered neighborhoods, irrespective of gender; (2) homeownership protects against the negative impact of commuting distance on WFC—but only among men; and (3) alternatively, the positive association between commuting and WFC becomes stronger as neighborhood quality increases—but only among women. Our study underscores the importance of “compensation” by positive residential qualities in the relationship between commuting and WFC.