“I’ve Got Your Six”: The Importance of Peer Support to Women Working in Non-Traditional Roles

Women continue to be under-represented in non-traditional roles, including the Canadian military. These women often experience high levels of job stress, which may contribute to increased burnout and work-family conflict. A sample of 749 female officers and non-commissioned members (NCMs) of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) who self-identified as having family care responsibilities were surveyed, with the aim of exploring the associations between job stressors (psychological safety, interpersonal justice), job stress, and strains (burnout, work-family conflict), and the moderating effect of peer support and transformational leadership on these outcomes. Results suggest that peer support can moderate the influence of both psychological safety and interpersonal justice on burnout (through job stress), however, transformational leadership did not provide any moderating effect. Results highlight the importance of a peer support network in the workplace, especially for women in non-traditional roles, with the aim of improving psychological well-being and retention of these workers.