Family-Friendly Practices, Work–Family Conflict, and Job Satisfaction: A Study in the Portuguese Healthcare Sector

Job satisfaction (JS) is a key indicator in health-related professions. This variable can be crucial to the performance of healthcare workers as well as to patients’ perception of the care provided. However, JS can be influenced by personal and organizational variables and the variables that interface between these two domains, such as work–family conflict (WFC), organizational support, and work–family support programs. In this sense, the main objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between family-friendly practices (FFPs) made available by organizations and used by workers, WFC, and JS. To this end, the present study uses mixed data (quantitative and qualitative) obtained from healthcare workers in Portugal. A total of 1495 workers participated in the study. The results indicate that the number of FFPs made available and used by healthcare workers is very small. There is a negative relationship between FFP availability and WFC as well as between WFC and JS. Conversely, FFP availability is positively associated with JS. Finally, FFP availability partially mediates the relationship between WFC and JS. Qualitative data support the importance of practices that help reconcile work and family life, which may have an impact on occupational indicators such as JS.