Does aging make employees more resilient to job stress? Age as a moderator in the job stressor–well-being relationship in three Finnish occupational samples

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined whether an employee's age moderates the relationships between job stressors (i.e. job insecurity, workload, work–family conflict) and self-rated well-being (i.e. work–family enrichment, life satisfaction, job satisfaction, vigor at work).

Method: Analysis of covariance and moderated hierarchical regression analysis were used to examine the cross-sectional Finnish data collected among service sector employees (N = 1037), nurses (N = 1719), and academic employees (N = 945).

Results: In a situation of high job insecurity, the younger nurses reported higher work–family enrichment, job satisfaction, and vigor compared to their older colleagues. A similar result was also found among the service sector workers in relation to vigor at work. Thus, young age buffered against negative outcomes related to job insecurity. Moreover, older age buffered against the negative effect of high workload on job satisfaction among the service sector and against high work–family conflict on life satisfaction among the academic employees.

Conclusion: More attention should be paid to the ability of younger employees to manage problems related to work–family imbalance and high workload, and to older employees’ ability to cope with job insecurity. The findings of this study recommend different stress management interventions for older and younger employees.

Keywords:

• age
• job stressors
• self-rated well-being
• occupation

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Finnish Work Environment Fund (Grant No. 106 046) and Academy of Finland (Grant No. 125 422).