THE IMPACT OF MARITAL AND PARENTAL STATUS ON BURNOUT AND WELLBEING AMONG HOSPITALITY EMPLOYEES
Keywords:
burnout, wellbeing, marital status, parental status, employee retention, hospitality
Abstract
This paper examines the relationship between marital and parental status and professional burnout among hospitality employees, utilizing the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Drawing on statistical evidence from a field study of 1,234 participants, the analysis reveals that marital and parental status significantly influence the three core dimensions of burnout. Marriage and parenthood appear to serve as protective resources, reducing emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, while simultaneously shaping different perceptions of personal accomplishment. Notably, the lower sense of accomplishment among married individuals suggests that competing with family and professional demands may constrain feelings of success, underscoring the dual role of family responsibilities as both supportive and demanding. These findings demonstrate that family-related factors are not merely demographic attributes but critical determinants of resilience and vulnerability in high-stress service industries such as hospitality. From a practical perspective, the results highlight the importance of family-supportive organizational policies, including flexible scheduling, parental leave, and wellness initiatives, to mitigate burnout and enhance employee wellbeing. Overall, this research advances understanding of how personal life circumstances intersect with professional burnout, offering insights that can guide organizational strategies, inform mental health interventions, and promote sustainable workforce practices aligned with global wellbeing and decent work agendas.
References
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20. Ren, X., Cai, Y., Wang, J., & Chen, O. (2024). A systematic review of parental burnout and related factors among parents. BMC Public Health, 24, 376. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-17829-y
21. Saito, H., Brozović, D., & Baum, T. (2025). Well-being of hospitality employees: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 124, 103955. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2024.103955
22. Şen, B., Bulut Serin, N., & Karagülmez, K. (2023). The Relationship Between Marriage Satisfaction, Spouse Burnout And Psychological Well-Being In Married Individuals. Turkish International Journal of Special Education and Guidance & Counselling, 12(2), 106–120. https://tijseg.org/index.php/tijseg/article/view/218
23. Song, T., Wang, W., Chen, S., & Li, Y. (2024). Mothers’ parental burnout and adolescents’ social adaptation: The mediating role of parenting style. Current Psychology, 43, 23144–23155. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06045-x
24. Soulsby, L. K., & Bennett, K. M. (2015). Marriage and psychological wellbeing: The role of social support. Psychology, 6(11), 1349–1359. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2015.611132
25. Tian, Q., Bai, J., & Wu, T. (2022). Should we be "challenging" employees? A study of job complexity and job crafting. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 102, 103165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103165
26. Wang, W., Song, T., Chen, S., Li, Y., & Li, Y. (2023). Work–family enrichment and parental burnout: The mediating effects of parenting competence and stress. Current Psychology, 43, 6966–6976. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04874-w
27. Załuski, M., & Makara-Studzińska, M. (2024). Having Children and Being Married Are Predictors of Burnout and Obesity Among Working Men: Effects of Latent Profile Analysis. Inquiry, 61, 469580241229642. https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580241229642
2. Ali, A., Hamid, T.A., Naveed, R.T., Siddique, I., Ryu, H.B., & Han, H. (2022). Preparing for the "black swan": Reducing employee burnout in the hospitality sector through ethical leadership. Frontiers in Psychology, 3, 1009785. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022
3. Alsawalqa, R. O. (2019). Marriage burnout: When the emotions exhausted quietly. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 13(2), e68833. https://doi.org/10.5812/ijpbs.68833
4. Ayachit, M., & Chitta, S. (2021). A systematic review of Burnout studies from the Hospitality literature. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 31(2), 125–144. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2021.1957743
5. Baquero, A. (2023). Hotel Employees’ Burnout and Intention to Quit: The Role of Psychological Distress and Financial Well-Being in a Moderation Mediation Model. Behavioral Sciences, 13(2), 84. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13020084
6. Cañadas-De la Fuente, G. A., Ortega, E., Ramirez-Baena, L., De la Fuente-Solana, E. I., Vargas, C., & Gómez-Urquiza, J. L. (2018). Gender, marital status, and children as risk factors for burnout in nurses: A meta-analytic study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(10), 2102. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15102102
7. Chen, Y.-H., Lou, S.-Z., Yang, C.-w., Tang, H.-M., Lee, C.-H., & Jong, G.-P. (2022). Effect of Marriage on Burnout among Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(23), 15811. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315811
8. De Vaus, D. (2013). Surveys in social research. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203501054
9. Elshaer, I. A., Azazz, A. M. S., Zain, M. E. A., Fayyad, S., ElShaaer, N. I., & Mahmoud, S. W. (2025). The Dark Side of the Hospitality Industry: Workplace Bullying and Employee Well-Being with Feedback Avoidance as a Mediator and Psychological Safety as a Moderator. Healthcare, 13(3), 319. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13030319
10. Fung Wong, A. K., Kim, S. S., & Xu, Y. (2025). Does hotel employees’ mental health matter? Assessment of its antecedents and coping behavior. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 126, 104084. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2025.104084
11. Greenhaus, J. H., & Powell, G. N. (2006). When work and family are allies: A theory of work–family enrichment. Academy of Management Review, 31(1), 72–92. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2006.19379625
12. Labus, P., & Lukić Nikolić, J. (2025). Understanding Burnout in the HoReCa Sector: The role of personal and work-related factors. Hotel and Tourism Management, online first, https://doi.org/10.5937/menhottur2500013L
13. Lebert-Charron, A., Dorard, G., Boujut, E., & Wendland, J. (2018). Maternal burnout syndrome: Contextual and psychological associated factors. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 885. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00885
14. Lukić Nikolić, J., & Garabinović, D. (2023). Personal and organizational factors impacting burnout syndrome among hotel employees: A bibliometric and content analysis. Hotel and Tourism Management, 11(2), 129-145. https://doi.org/10.5937/menhottur2302129L
15. Lukić Nikolić, J., & Labus, P. (2025). An Empirical Study of the Glass Ceiling’s Impact on Gender Equality and Career Opportunities in the Food and Beverage Sector. Stanovništvo, 63(1), 51-72. https://doi.org/10.59954/stnv.634
16. Maslach, C., Jackson, S. E., & Leiter, M. P. (1996). Maslach Burnout Inventory manual (3rd ed.). Consulting Psychologists Press.
17. Meng, X., & Yang, D. (2024). Marital status differences in the association of work motivation with burnout: a network perspective. Current Psychology, 43, 531–540. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-04124-5
18. Mukherjee, S., & Datta, D. (2024). Ambition, Marital Status, and Burnout: Insights from India’s Gig Economy for Sustainable Employment. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 46(6), 411-422. https://doi.org/10.1080/01973533.2024.2403975
19. O’Sullivan, C.C., Jenkins, S., Leep Hunderfund, A.N., Ruddy, K.J., West, C.P., & Marshall, AL. (2025). Spousal Support and Physician Work-Life Integration and Burnout. JAMA Netw Open, 8(5), e259507. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.9507
20. Ren, X., Cai, Y., Wang, J., & Chen, O. (2024). A systematic review of parental burnout and related factors among parents. BMC Public Health, 24, 376. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-17829-y
21. Saito, H., Brozović, D., & Baum, T. (2025). Well-being of hospitality employees: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 124, 103955. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2024.103955
22. Şen, B., Bulut Serin, N., & Karagülmez, K. (2023). The Relationship Between Marriage Satisfaction, Spouse Burnout And Psychological Well-Being In Married Individuals. Turkish International Journal of Special Education and Guidance & Counselling, 12(2), 106–120. https://tijseg.org/index.php/tijseg/article/view/218
23. Song, T., Wang, W., Chen, S., & Li, Y. (2024). Mothers’ parental burnout and adolescents’ social adaptation: The mediating role of parenting style. Current Psychology, 43, 23144–23155. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06045-x
24. Soulsby, L. K., & Bennett, K. M. (2015). Marriage and psychological wellbeing: The role of social support. Psychology, 6(11), 1349–1359. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2015.611132
25. Tian, Q., Bai, J., & Wu, T. (2022). Should we be "challenging" employees? A study of job complexity and job crafting. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 102, 103165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103165
26. Wang, W., Song, T., Chen, S., Li, Y., & Li, Y. (2023). Work–family enrichment and parental burnout: The mediating effects of parenting competence and stress. Current Psychology, 43, 6966–6976. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04874-w
27. Załuski, M., & Makara-Studzińska, M. (2024). Having Children and Being Married Are Predictors of Burnout and Obesity Among Working Men: Effects of Latent Profile Analysis. Inquiry, 61, 469580241229642. https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580241229642
Published
2026/04/17
Section
Original Scientific Paper
