Don’t leave your heart at work: Profiles of work-life interference and cardiometabolic risk

The present study adopts an exploratory, person-oriented approach to investigate possible patterns of work–life interference. We examine work–life interference from a cognitive (i.e., thinking about work), behavioral (i.e., engaging in work-related behavior), and performance perspective (i.e., reduced functionality in private life, or work–life conflict) in order to identify profiles of employees that could potentially remain uncovered with variable-oriented research. Furthermore, as work–life interference relates to well-being and health, we were interested in exploring possible differences between profiles in emotional exhaustion, cardiometabolic risk, and health-related behavior. Self-report data on work–life interference and well-being, as well as objective health data, were collected from a heterogeneous sample of 289 employees. Four profiles with different patterns of work–life interference were identified. Out of the four profiles, two profiles reported moderate and high work–life interference (the Moderate Interference and High Interference profiles). The other two profiles revealed distinct combinations of moderate and low performance and behavioral interference (the Low Performance Interference and Low Behavioral Interference profiles). The High Interference and Low Behavioral Interference profiles were identified as risk groups in terms of cardiometabolic health, while the Low Performance Interference and Moderate Interference profiles showed low to no risk. Regarding work-related well-being, the High Interference profile showed the highest risk of emotional exhaustion.