Working conditions and well-being of European employees with chronic illness: The role of perceived organizational support and job insecurity

Abstract

Purpose This study examines how working conditions, specifically flextime, work autonomy and work intensity, are associated with perceived organizational support and well-being among European employees with chronic illness, and how job insecurity is associated with the link between perceived organizational support and well-being.

Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources framework, the study uses data for 6,961 employees with chronic illness from the 2021 European Working Conditions Survey and applies partial least squares structural equation modeling to estimate direct and indirect statistical associations between the constructs.

Findings Flextime and work autonomy are positively associated with well-being, whereas work intensity is negatively associated with well-being. Work autonomy is positively associated with perceived organizational support, while flextime and work intensity are negatively associated with perceived organizational support. Perceived organizational support shows positive indirect associations in the relationships between working conditions and well-being, and higher job insecurity is associated with a weaker positive association between perceived organizational support and well-being.

Originality/value The study extends Job Demands–Resources theory to workers with chronic illness in Europe by jointly considering job resources, job demands and organizational resources, and by positioning job insecurity as a hindrance demand associated with the perceived organizational support–well-being link. It offers evidence, based on a large cross-national dataset, that working-time flexibility, autonomy, moderated intensity and credible support are associated with better well-being in this population, while also highlighting that these associations are sensitive to how flexibility is framed and to the broader context of employment security.