Job Insecurity and Insomnia Among Hospitality Employees in Pakistan: A Moderated Mediation Study

Background - Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study investigates how job insecurity (JI) affects insomnia (INSOM) among frontline hotel employees in Pakistan. It further explores psychological distress (PD) as a mediator and financial stress (FS) as a moderator in this relationship. Methods - A cross-sectional survey design was employed, collecting data from 292 full-time frontline hotel employees across five 4- and 5-star hotels in three major cities in Pakistan. Standardized scales were used to measure JI, PD, FS, and INSOM. Data were analyzed using SPSS PROCESS macro (Models 4 and 7) with bootstrapping to assess mediation and moderation effects. Results - The results revealed that JI was significantly and positively associated with INSOM. PD partially mediated the relationship between JI and INSOM. Moreover, FS significantly moderated the relationship between JI and PD, such that the effect was stronger when FS was high. These findings support the proposed moderated mediation model grounded in COR theory. Conclusions - This study highlights the detrimental psychological effects of job insecurity on sleep quality among frontline hospitality workers, particularly under financial stress. The findings emphasize the need for organizational strategies to mitigate job-related stressors and enhance employee well-being in economically vulnerable settings.