Joint Effect of Workplace Gender Discrimination and Gender Composition on the Mental Well-Being in Korean Workers

Background Despite growing evidence on the effects of workplace gender discrimination (WGD) and gender composition on workers’ mental well-being, little is known about how these two factors interact to shape overall well-being. This study aims to investigate the joint effect of WGD and gender composition on the risk of poor well-being among Korean workers. Methods We used data from the 6th (2020) and 7th (2023) waves of the Korean Working Conditions Survey ( n = 62,642). We assessed both multiplicative and additive interactions between WGD (no vs. yes) and gender composition (gender balanced vs. gender imbalanced) in relation to mental well-being (good vs. poor). Interaction on the multiplicative scale was evaluated using the multiplicative measure along with p value, whereas interaction on the additive scale was assessed using the relative excess risk due to interaction, the attributable proportion, and the synergy index. Results WGD was strongly associated with poor well-being, with a higher risk observed among workers in gender-imbalanced workplaces [odds ratio = 2.96, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.38 to 3.69] than among those in gender-balanced workplaces (odds ratio = 1.38, 95% CI: 0.92 to 2.05). Evidence of both supramultiplicative (multiplicative measure = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.33 to 3.28, p value<0.01) and supra-additive effects (relative excess risk due to interaction = 1.56, attributable proportion = 0.53, S = 4.82) was found. These statistically significant effects remained among women, whereas no significance was observed among men. Conclusion The interaction between WGD and gender-imbalanced workplace environments was associated with poorer worker well-being. These findings underscore the importance of addressing both discriminatory practices and structural gender composition to address worker well-being.