Abstract
This chapter critically examines the role of gender in work-life balance research. We contextualise the focal topic by first summarising the changing nature of work and domestic roles and the influence of demographic and social shifts. We revisit the meaning of ‘work-life balance’ in light of the diverse and sometimes conflicting conceptualisations used by academics and practitioners. A review of the evidence for gender differences in work-life balance needs and experiences is then provided, with a particular focus placed on caring responsibilities. This leads us to consider the policies and practices that are designed to support work-life balance initiatives are then considered, focusing specifically on flexible working, together with the extent to which these are ‘gender neutral’ both in terms of relevance and uptake. The paper is interspersed with relevant case studies to illustrate the points made. The chapter concludes by setting out priorities for research and practice to promote equitable and effective systemic solutions to improve work-life balance for all.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Allard, K., Haas, L., & Hwang, C. P. (2007). Exploring the paradox. Community, Work and Family, 10(4), 475–493.
Allen, T. D., Johnson, R. C., Saboe, K. N., Cho, E., Dumani, S., & Evans, S. (2012). Dispositional variables and work–family conflict: A meta-analysis. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80(1), 17–26.
Allen, T. D., & Finkelstein, L. M. (2014). Work–family conflict among members of full-time dual-earner couples: An examination of family life stage, gender, and age. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 19(3), 376–284.
Allen, S. M., & Hawkins, A. J. (1999). Maternal gatekeeping: Mothers’ beliefs and behaviors that inhibit greater father involvement in family work. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 61, 199–212.
Altintas, E., & Sullivan, O. (2017). Trends in fathers’ contribution to housework and childcare under different welfare policy regimes. Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society, 24(1), 81–108.
Atlintas, E., & Sullivan, O. (2016). Fifty years of change updated: Cross-national gender convergence in housework. Demographic Research, 35(16), 455–470.
Bailyn, L. (1992). Issues of work and family in different national contexts: How the United States, Britain, and Sweden respond. Human Resource Management, 31(3), 201–208.
Baker, D. L., & Drapela, L. A. (2010). Mostly the mother: Concentration of adverse employment effects on mothers of children with autism. The Social Science Journal, 47(3), 578–592.
Berngruber, A. (2015). ‘Generation boomerang’ in Germany? Returning to the parental home in young adulthood. Journal of Youth Studies, 18(10), 1274–1290.
Borelli, J. L., Nelson, S. K., River, L. M., Birken, S. A., & Moss-Racusin, C. (2017). Gender differences in work-family guilt in parents of young children. Sex Roles, 76(5–6), 356–368.
Boumans, N. P., & Dorant, E. (2014). Double-duty caregivers: Healthcare professionals juggling employment and informal caregiving. A survey on personal health and work experiences. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 70(7), 1604–1615.
Canivet, C., Östergren, P. O., Lindeberg, S. I., Choi, B., Karasek, R., Moghaddassi, M., et al. (2010). Conflict between the work and family domains and exhaustion among vocationally active men and women. Social Science & Medicine, 70(8), 1237–1245.
Caplan, R. D. (1987). Person-environment fit theory and organizations: Commensurate dimensions, time perspectives, and mechanisms. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 31(3), 248–267.
Carers UK. (2019). Sandwich caring. Combining childcare with caring for older or disabled relatives. Retrieved from https://www.carersuk.org/for-professionals/policy/policy-library
Casey, R., & Berger, E. (2015). Enriching or discouraging? Competing pictures of aging and paid work in later Life. Population Change and Lifecourse Strategic Knowledge Cluster Discussion Paper Series. Retrieved from https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1027&context=pclc
Casper, W. J., Vaziri, H., Wayne, J. H., DeHauw, S., & Greenhaus, J. (2018). The jingle-jangle of work–nonwork balance: A comprehensive and meta-analytic review of its meaning and measurement. Journal of Applied Psychology, 103(2), 182–214.
Cebulla, A., Butt, S., & Lyon, N. (2007). Working beyond the state pension age in the United Kingdom: The role of working time flexibility and the effects on the home. Ageing & Society, 27(6), 849–867.
Chaney, K. E., Rudman, L. A., Fetterolf, J. C., & Young, D. M. (2019). Paying a Price for domestic equality: Risk factors for backlash against nontraditional husbands. Gender Issues, 36(1), 3–22.
Clark, H., Coll-Seck, A. M., Banerjee, A., Peterson, S., Dalglish, S. L., Ameratunga, S., et al. (2020). A future for the world’s children? A WHO–UNICEF–Lancet Commission. The Lancet, 395(10224), 605–658.
Cooklin, A. R., Dinh, H., Strazdins, L., Westrupp, E., Leach, L. S., & Nicholson, J. M. (2016). Change and stability in work–family conflict and mothers’ and fathers’ mental health: Longitudinal evidence from an Australian cohort. Social Science & Medicine, 155, 24–34.
Crain, T. L., & Hammer, L. B. (2013). Work-family enrichment: A systematic review of antecedents, outcomes, and mechanisms. Advances in Positive Organizational Psychology, 1, 303–328.
Crossfield, S., Kinman, G., & Jones, F. (2005). Crossover of occupational stress in dual-career couples: The role of work demands and supports, job commitment and marital communication. Community, Work and Family, 8(2), 211–232.
De Menezes, L. M., & Kelliher, C. (2011). Flexible working and performance: A systematic review of the evidence for a business case. International Journal of Management Reviews, 13(4), 452–474.
De Wit, H. (2017). Global: Internationalization of higher education: Nine misconceptions: International higher education, summer 2011, number 64. In Understanding higher education internationalization (pp. 9–12). Leiden: Brill Sense.
Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2005). Spillover and crossover of exhaustion and life satisfaction among dual-earner parents. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 67(2), 266–289.
Deutsche Telekom. (n.d.). Women’s quota – more women at the top. Retrieved from www.telekom.com/en/company/human-resources/content/women-s-quota-more-women-at-the-top-352990
Dierdorff, E. C., & Ellington, J. K. (2008). It’s the nature of the work: Examining behavior-based sources of work-family conflict across occupations. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(4), 883–892.
Doyal, L. (2000). Gender equity in health: Debates and dilemmas. Social Science & Medicine, 51(6), 931–939.
Emslie, C., & Hunt, K. (2009). ‘Live to work’ or ‘work to live’? A qualitative study of gender and work–life balance among men and women in mid-life. Gender, Work and Organization, 16(1), 151–172.
Eurostat. (n.d.). Globalisation. Retrieved November 2019, from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/economic-globalisation.
Eurostat. (2020). Unemployment rate: annual data. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tipsun20/default/table?lang=enhttps://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tipsun20/default/table?lang=en
Everingham, C., Warner-Smith, P., & Byles, J. (2007). Transforming retirement: Re-thinking models of retirement to accommodate the experiences of women. Women’s Studies International Forum, 30(6), 512–522.
Flexible Working. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working
Etaugh, C. (2018). Midlife transitions. In C. B. Travis, J. W. White, A. Rutherford, W. S. Williams, S. L. Cook, & K. F. Wyche (Eds.), APA handbook of the psychology of women: History, theory, and battlegrounds (pp. 489–503). Worcester: American Psychological Association.
Eurostat. (2018). How many hours to Europeans work per week? Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/DDN-20180125-1
Gatrell, C. J., Burnett, S. B., Cooper, C. L., & Sparrow, P. (2014). Parents, perceptions and belonging: Exploring flexible working among UK fathers and mothers. British Journal of Management, 25(3), 473–487.
Gingerbread. (2019). Single parents: Facts and figures. Retrieved from https://www.gingerbread.org.uk/what-we-do/media-centre/single-parents-facts-figures/
Glavin, P., Schieman, S., & Reid, S. (2011). Boundary-spanning work demands and their consequences for guilt and psychological distress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 52(1), 43–57.
Global Risks Report. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/global-risks/reports
Golombok, S., & Tasker, F. (2015). Socioemotional development in changing families. In Handbook of child psychology and developmental science (pp. 1–45). New York: Wiley.
Greenhaus, J. H., & Beutell, N. J. (1985). Sources of conflict between work and family roles. Academy of Management Review, 10(1), 76–88.
Gutek, B. A., Searle, S., & Klepa, L. (1991). Rational versus gender role explanations for work-family conflict. Journal of Applied Psychology, 76(4), 560–568.
Griffin, J. D., & Sun, I. Y. (2018). Do work-family conflict and resiliency mediate police stress and burnout: A study of state police officers. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 43(2), 354–370.
Hakim, C. (2000). Work-lifestyle choices in the 21st century: Preference theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Handy, J., & Davy, D. (2007). Gendered ageism: Older women’s experiences of employment agency practices. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 45(1), 85–99.
Harbour, R., & Miller, J. (2001). A new system for grading recommendations in evidence-based guidelines. British Medical Journal, 323(7308), 334–336.
Hein, C., & Cassirer, N. (2010). Workplace solutions for childcare. Geneva: International Labour Office.
Hochschild, A., & Machung, A. (2012). The second shift: Working families and the revolution at home. London: Penguin.
Hoff, A. (2013). Demographic change in Europe and challenges for intergenerational work. InterGenerationes II: Fit for intergenerational work. Retrieved from http://www.Intergenerationes.Eu/fileadmin/media/documents/2014/HoffdemographicchangeandIGrelationsinEuropeforcirculation.Pdf.
ILO. (2015). Domestic work, wages and gender equality: lessons from developing countries. Research department working paper No. 7, International Labour Organization. Retrieved from https://www.ilo.org/global/research/publications/working-papers/WCMS_429600/lang%2D%2Den/index.htm
Janzen, B. L., Muhajarine, N., & Kelly, I. W. (2007). Work-family conflict, and psychological distress in men and women among Canadian police officers. Psychological Reports, 100(2), 556–562.
Jones, F., & Fletcher, B. (1993). An empirical study of occupational stress transmission in working couples. Human Relations, 46(7), 881–903.
Kinman, G., Clements, A. J., & Hart, J. (2017). Working conditions, work–life conflict, and Well-being in UK prison officers: The role of affective rumination and detachment. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 44(2), 226–239.
Kornrich, S., Brines, J., & Leupp, K. (2013). Egalitarianism, housework, and sexual frequency in marriage. American Sociological Review, 78(1), 26–50.
Ernst Kossek, E., Lewis, S., & Hammer, L. B. (2010). Work—Life initiatives and organizational change: Overcoming mixed messages to move from the margin to the mainstream. Human Relations, 63(1), 3–19.
Koura, U., Sekine, M., Yamada, M., & Tatsuse, T. (2017). Work, family, and personal characteristics explain occupational and gender differences in work–family conflict among Japanese civil servants. Public Health, 153, 78–90.
Krstic, A., & Hideg, I. (2019, July). The effect of taking a paternity leave on Men’s career outcomes: The role of communality perceptions. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2019(1), 13912.
Lambert, E. G., Hogan, N. L., & Cheeseman, K. (2013). Research note–strain-based work-family conflict and its relationship with perceptions of distributive and procedural justice among correctional staff. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 28(1), 35–47.
Leineweber, C., Baltzer, M., Magnusson Hanson, L. L., & Westerlund, H. (2013). Work–family conflict and health in Swedish working women and men: A 2-year prospective analysis (the SLOSH study). The European Journal of Public Health, 23(4), 710–716.
Loretto, W., & Vickerstaff, S. (2015). Gender, age and flexible working in later life. Work, Employment and Society, 29(2), 233–249.
Lott, Y. (2019, March). Weniger Arbeit, mehr Freizeit? Report N. 47 published by the Wirtschafts- und sozialwissenschaftliches Institut (WSI), Hans Böckler Foundation, Germany.
McDowall, A., & Lindsay, A. (2014). Work-life balance in the police: The development of a self-management competency framework. Journal of Business and Psychology, 29(3), 387–411.
McDowall, A., Gamblin, D., Teoh, K., Raine, R., & Ehnold-Danailov, A. (2019). “Balancing act”: The impact of caring responsibilities on career progression in the performing arts. Technical report. Parents & carers in performing arts.
Machin, A. J. (2015). Mind the gap: The expectation and reality of involved fatherhood. Fathering: A Journal of Theory, Research & Practice about Men as Fathers, 13(1).
Magadley, W. (2019). Moonlighting in academia: A study of gender differences in work-family conflict among academics. Community, Work and Family, 1–20.
Miller, A. J., & Carlson, D. L. (2016). Great expectations? Working-and middle-class cohabitors’ expected and actual divisions of housework. Journal of Marriage and Family, 78(2), 346–363.
Milne, R. (2018, September 20). Enlightened Norway’s gender paradox at the top of business. Financial times. Retrieved from https://www.ft.com/content/6f6bc5a2-7b70-11e8-af48-190d103e32a4
Moneysupermarket.com. (n.d.). How much does it cost to raise a child? Infographic. Retrieved from https://www.moneysupermarket.com/life-insurance/cost-of-raising-a-child/
ONS. (2020). Vacancies and jobs in the UK: February 2020. Retrieved from https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/jobsandvacanciesintheuk/february2020
ONS. (2019a). National life tables UK 2016 to 2018. Retrieved from https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/lifeexpectancies/bulletins/nationallifetablesunitedkingdom/2016to2018
ONS. (2019b). Families and households in the UK: 2019. Retrieved from https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/families/bulletins/familiesandhouseholds/2019
ONS. (2016, November). Women shoulder the responsibility of unpaid work. Retrieved from https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/articles/womenshouldertheresponsibilityofunpaidwork/2016-11-10
OECD. (2019). 2019 International migration and displacement trends and policies report to the G20. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/migration/mig/G20-migration-and-displacement-trends-and-policies-report-2019.pdf
OECD. (2017a). Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/els/soc/SF_2_3_Age_mothers_childbirth.pdf
OECD. (2017b). The structure of families. Retrieved from https://stats.oecd.org/index.aspx?queryid=68249
Payne, S., & Doyal, L. (2010). Older women, work and health. Occupational Medicine, 60(3), 172–177.
Payne, N., Seenan, S., & van den Akker, O. (2019). Experiences and psychological distress of fertility treatment and employment. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 40(2), 156–165.
Pencavel, J. (2015). The productivity of working hours. The Economic Journal, 125(589), 2052–2076.
Perlesz, A., Power, J., Brown, R., McNair, R., Schofield, M., Pitts, M., et al. (2010). Organising work and home in same-sex parented families: Findings from the work love play study. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 31(4), 374–391.
Radcliffe, L. S., & Cassell, C. (2015). Flexible working, work–family conflict, and maternal gatekeeping: The daily experiences of dual-earner couples. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 88(4), 835–855.
Raleigh, V. S. (2019). Trends in life expectancy in EU and other OECD countries. OECD health working papers. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1787/18152015.
Raymo, J. M., & Sweeney, M. (2006). Work-family conflict and retirement preferences. J Gerontol Soc Sci, 61(3), S161–S169.
Rudman, L. A., & Mescher, K. (2013). Penalizing men who request a family leave: Is flexibility stigma a femininity stigma? Journal of Social Issues, 69(2), 322–340.
Sakka, M., Goto, J., Kita, S., Sato, I., Soejima, T., & Kamibeppu, K. (2019). Associations among behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, care burden, and family-to-work conflict of employed family caregivers. Geriatrics & Gerontology International, 19(1), 51–55.
Schilling, E. (2015). ‘Success is satisfaction with what you Have’? Biographical work–life balance of older female employees in public administration. Gender, Work and Organization, 22(5), 474–494.
Schlachter, S., McDowall, A., Cropley, M., & Inceoglu, I. (2018). Voluntary work-related technology use during non-work time: A narrative synthesis of empirical research and research agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews, 20(4), 825–846.
Schoppe-Sullivan, S. J., Brown, G. L., Cannon, E. A., Mangelsdorf, S. C., & Sokolowski, M. S. (2008). Maternal gatekeeping, coparenting quality, and fathering behavior in families with infants. Journal of Family Psychology, 22(3), 389–398.
Shockley, K. M., & Allen, T. D. (2018). It’s not what I expected: The association between dual-earner couples’ met expectations for the division of paid and family labor and Well-being. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 104, 240–260.
Shockley, K. M., Shen, W., DeNunzio, M. M., Arvan, M. L., & Knudsen, E. A. (2017). Disentangling the relationship between gender and work–family conflict: An integration of theoretical perspectives using meta-analytic methods. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(12), 1601–1635.
Smith, T. D., Hughes, K., DeJoy, D. M., & Dyal, M. A. (2018). Assessment of relationships between work stress, work-family conflict, burnout and firefighter safety behavior outcomes. Safety Science, 103, 287–292.
Stone, J., Berrington, A., & Falkingham, J. (2011). The changing determinants of UK young adults’ living arrangements. Demographic Research, 25, 629–666.
Terjesen, S., Aguilera, R. V., & Lorenz, R. (2015). Legislating a woman’s seat on the board: Institutional factors driving gender quotas for boards of directors. Journal of Business Ethics, 128(2), 233–251.
Tomlinson, J. (2006). Women’s work-life balance trajectories in the UK: Reformulating choice and constraint in transitions through part-time work across the life-course. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 34(3), 365–382.
Total Fertility Rate. (2019, July). World population review. Retrieved from http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/total-fertility-rate/.
Tosi, M., & Grundy, E. (2018). Returns home by children and changes in parents’ Well-being in Europe. Social Science & Medicine, 200, 99–106.
Uriarte-Landa, J., & Hébert, B. P. (2009). Work-life balance of older workers. Perspectives on Labour and Income, 21(4), 27.
Van Daalen, G., Willemsen, T. M., & Sanders, K. (2006). Reducing work–family conflict through different sources of social support. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 69(3), 462–476.
Van Eerde, W., & Thierry, H. (1996). Vroom’s expectancy models and work-related criteria: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81(5), 575–586.
Vroom, V. H. (1964). Work and motivation. New York: Wiley.
Wang, Y. N., Shyu, Y. I. L., Chen, M. C., & Yang, P. S. (2011). Reconciling work and family caregiving among adult-child family caregivers of older people with dementia: Effects on role strain and depressive symptoms. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 67(4), 829–840.
Watai, I., Nishikido, N., & Murashima, S. (2008). Gender difference in work-family conflict among Japanese information technology engineers with preschool children. Journal of Occupational Health, 50(4), 317–327.
Watson, P. (2000). Politics, policy and identity: EU eastern enlargement and east-west differences. Journal of European Public Policy, 7(3), 369–384.
Wayne, J. H., Grzywacz, J. G., Carlson, D. S., & Kacmar, K. M. (2007). Work–family facilitation: A theoretical explanation and model of primary antecedents and consequences. Human Resource Management Review, 17(1), 63–76.
Williams, J. C., Berdahl, J. L., & Vandello, J. A. (2016). Beyond work-life “integration”. Annual Review of Psychology, 67, 515–539.
Yeomans, L. (2011). An update of the literature on age and employment. Health and safety laboratory. Buxton, Derbyshire: Health and Safety Executive UK. Retrieved from https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr832.pdf
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
McDowall, A., Kinman, G. (2021). Work-Life Balance and Gender: Challenging Assumptions and Unravelling Complexity. In: Hassard, J., Torres, L.D. (eds) Aligning Perspectives in Gender Mainstreaming. Aligning Perspectives on Health, Safety and Well-Being. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53269-7_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53269-7_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-53268-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-53269-7
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)