Home is where the mind is: Family interference with work and safety performance in two high risk industries

This study examines the process through which family interference with work (FIW) negatively relates to safety performance in two unique samples from high-risk industries. Using a sample from the construction industry, Study 1 finds that FIW is related to employees’ workplace cognitive failures, which in turn, were a significant predictor of safety-related behaviors. Using a sample from a utility company, Study 2 replicates these results and demonstrates that psychological strain further explains the complex relationship between FIW and safety. Furthermore, in Study 2, the mediation pathways linking FIW with safety behaviors were moderated by employees’ commitment to safety. The idea that family life can predict safety in the workplace through interference and distraction is important to the collective effort to protect worker health and critical to effective intervention design.