Gender differences in the impact of supervisor support on retention intentions among employees with family caregiving roles

Supervisor support plays a crucial role in promoting employee retention, particularly when balancing work and family life. This study examines how three forms of supervisor support—emotional support, instrumental support, and psychological safety—influence the intentions of employees to continue working, with a specific focus on gender differences and the assumed presence of family caregiver responsibilities. The analysis is based on responses from full-time unmarried employees without children, allowing a hypothetical examination of caregiving scenarios. By focusing on individuals who may either choose not to or feel unable to pursue work-family integration, the study aims to uncover the challenges faced by these groups, providing insights that can inform proactive organizational support strategies. Multiple regression analyzes revealed that instrumental support had a consistently positive impact on intention to continue working, regardless of sex or caregiving assumptions. Emotional support, while positively correlated with job continuation, did not show a significant direct effect for either gender. In contrast, psychological safety demonstrated a significant influence only when caregiving responsibilities were assumed and this effect was particularly pronounced among women. These findings underscore the importance of psychologically safe supervisory relationships in promoting inclusive retention strategies for diverse future care settings.