Work-family relations are central to the sustainability of careers, shaping individuals' well-being, productivity, and capacity to remain engaged across the life span. Although career development theories acknowledge their temporal nature, understanding of how these dynamics evolve across time and life stages remains limited. This longitudinal study examined work-family dynamics among midlife teachers, integrating multiple temporal dimensions: professional developmental stage, organizational time perspective, and cultural-historical time.
The sample comprised 288 Israeli teachers, predominantly female (81%), with a mean age of 42.66 years. Participants completed three-wave questionnaires assessing work-family relations across one academic year (beginning, middle, and end).
Repeated-measures analyses of variance revealed significant fluctuations in work-family conflict (WFC) across the school year (F(1.95, 558.97) = 3.92, p < .05), with lower levels reported in the middle of the year. In contrast, work-family enrichment (WFE) remained stable. Analyses by professional developmental stage indicated that higher work tenure was consistently associated with lower conflict across all three measurement points (T1: F(5, 279) = 2.88, p < .05; T2: F(5, 279) = 3.01, p < .05; T3: F(5, 279) = 2.97, p < .05). Associations between professional stage and enrichment were less consistent.
Findings underscore the importance of temporal dimensions in shaping teachers' work-family experiences. Time functions as an identity shaper, reflecting both personal trajectories (e.g., age, parenting stage) and professional pathways (e.g., tenure, career stage, organizational cycles). Situating these dynamics within the sustainable careers framework highlights the need to address midlife challenges to support teachers' well-being and career longevity. This contribution advances the symposium's broader aim of linking developmental stages and cultural contexts to the pursuit of decent work and sustainable careers.