Although job stress has become an issue of great concern over the last decades both internationally and nationally, there still remains a paucity of research in the Ghanaian insurance industry. This study therefore examined the relationship between antecedent variables (work overload, role conflict and role ambiguity) and employee job stress in the insurance industry in Ghana. Using a descriptive cross-sectional design with a survey questionnaire, 212 employees were selected to participate in the study. Pearson correlation and a two-step hierarchical regression were used to test the proposed hypotheses. Results of the analysis revealed that work overload and role conflict rather than role ambiguity were positively related to job stress. Implications for theory and practice are later discussed in the study.

Guided by the theory of reasoned action, this study found support for the hypothesized inverse relationship between work-related factors and employee turnover intention on the one hand, and turnover intention and perceptions of accountable absence legitimacy on the other hand. Specifically, the higher employees’ turnover intent, the lower their perceptions about the accountability of their absence behavior and vice versa. The findings highlight the need to consider turnover intention as a salient construct that plays a dual role, first as a consequence variable to job satisfaction, affective and normative commitments, and next as an antecedent to accountable absence legitimacy in the workplace. The article concludes with a discussion on the significance of lessening employee turnover intent as a means of mitigating the perceptions of absence legitimacy in the workplace.