The impact of stress on the individual, the dyad and the team

Many studies have shown that high job demands have a negative impact on employee well-being (e.g. Quick & Tetrick, 2003), particularly on burnout. Less attention, however, has been paid to possible consequences of the work environment for those with whom employees frequently interact—their intimate partners. Recently, the number of studies in which dyadic relationships are an explicit focus has increased mainly due to the development of crossover research. The central aim of this editorial is to offer a short overview of theory and research on crossover. I will present the theoretical background on crossover research, summarize and discuss studies on the crossover of stress and strain from employees to their partners at home, and address studies on the crossover of work-related well-being from supervisors to subordinates and from employees to their co-workers.