Purpose – The purpose of this research is to examine how increased work overload of layoff survivors relates to their work-life balance and job and life satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach – Survey methodology was used to collect data from 510 layoff survivors in a high tech company. Regression analyses and structural equation modeling were used to test the hypotheses.

Findings – The study found that layoff survivors experience higher levels of workload which impact overall role overload that negatively affects work-life balance. Findings suggest that high workloads experienced by layoff survivors contribute to reduced job and life satisfaction through reduced work-life balance as a mediating mechanism.

Research limitations/implications – The data used in this paper is cross-sectional and conducted within a single organization. Also, most of the data is obtained from self report survey data and subject to common method bias. As such, longitudinal studies are recommended for future research.

Originality/value – This study makes a contribution by joining two distinct research streams – the job loss literature with research on work-family issues. Findings suggest that high workloads experienced by layoff survivors contribute to reduced job and life satisfaction with work-life balance acting as a mediator. Future research should determine whether these findings generalize to diverse layoff survivors in distinct industries, and assess whether these phenomena change over time.