Work–Life Balance

The issues surrounding work and family interactions have received increasing attention over the past twenty years, and have become a major concern for both employees and their employers. Across families with growing caring responsibilities, working men and women are undergoing an intensification of work–family conflict. In order to avoid or cope with work–family conflict and the resulting strains, couples have started to postpone and control their procreative activity, resulting in an increasing average first childbearing age and a considerable reduction in fertility. Although the...

The issues surrounding work and family interactions have received increasing attention over the past twenty years, and have become a major concern for both employees and their employers. Across families with growing caring responsibilities, working men and women are undergoing an intensification of work–family conflict. In order to avoid or cope with work–family conflict and the resulting strains, couples have started to postpone and control their procreative activity, resulting in an increasing average first childbearing age and a considerable reduction in fertility. Although the incorporation of women is improving productivity in the short and mid-term, it may have an opposite effect in the long term, unless solutions can be found for combining work and caring responsibilities. This article defines some basic concepts (work–family conflict, work–family enrichment, work–family balance, and harmonization) and their causes and consequences.