“Employees who work with a supportive supervisor — someone who offers emotional and practical support, who acts as a positive role model, and who is a creative problem-solver — experience reduced work-life conflict, improved health, and increased fulfillment on the job and at home.” – Harvard Business Review

Earlier this month, Dr. Leslie Hammer’s research on supportive supervisor behaviors was highlighted in the Harvard Business Review under the topic of work-Life balance. The article cites Dr. Hammer’s research on Family Supportive Supervisor Behaviors (FSSB), which is defined as specific way supervisors support employees’ work and home-life. FSSB covers four areas: emotional support, instrumental support, role modeling behaviors and creative work-family management. Dr. Hammer and her collaborators found FSSB to be significantly related to work-family conflict, work-family positive spillover, job satisfaction and turnover intentions above general supervisor support.

For additional information on Dr. Hammer’s current research, visit the Hammer lab page or the Safety, Health and Improvement Program (SHIP) toolkit, an evidence-based program using FSSB to help organizations promote employee health, safety and work-life balance by increasing supervisor support through online training, behavior tracking and team effectiveness activities.