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Abstract
Previous research suggests that higher education employees experience comparatively high levels of job stress. A range of instruments, both generic and job‐specific, has been used to measure stressors and strains in this occupational context. The Work‐related Quality of Life (WRQoL) scale is a measure designed to capture perceptions of the working environment and employees’ responses to them. This study explores the factor structure of the WRQoL scale for higher education employees. Survey data were collected from workers in four higher education institutions in the UK (n = 2136). Confirmatory factor analysis methods were used to investigate the explanatory power of the scale using a six‐factor model (job and career satisfaction, general well‐being, home–work interface, stress at work, control at work and working conditions). A first‐order confirmatory factor analysis model fitted the data well, whilst a second‐order model produced an acceptable fit. Levels of WRQoL for each factor are consistent with those found in other studies of academic employees. Overall, higher education employees in the sample are dissatisfied with their jobs and careers, are generally dissatisfied with working conditions and control at work and report they are stressed at work. Results provide evidence to support the use of the WRQoL psychometric instrument as both a multidimensional and uni‐dimensional measure to assess the quality of working life of employees in higher education.