Work-life policy: does it do exactly what it says on the tin?

Wise, Sarah; Bond, Sue

Abstract

Policies which help employees balance their work and non-work priorities have become increasingly popular among UK employers in recent years. Along with a legislative imperative for family leave-related policies, employers are being encouraged to introduce work-life policies and make them more inclusive in order to enhance their business performance. This paper looks at how four financial services organisations have approached the work-life balance agenda and examines the fit between the organisational intentions for work-life policy and actual outcomes for both organisations and employees. Culture played a large part in determining the experience of policies but so did resources. What managers were being asked to achieve in the business was often incompatible with formal work-life policies. Despite the rhetoric, work-life balance was still viewed as a tool for, and was used by female parents, limiting its potential to achieve the promoted business benefits.

Citation

Wise, S., & Bond, S. (2003). Work-life policy: does it do exactly what it says on the tin?. Women In Management Review, 18(1/2), 20-31. https://doi.org/10.1108/09649420310462307

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2003-02
• Deposit Date: Feb 28, 2008
• Print ISSN: 0964-9425
• Publisher: Emerald
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 18
• Issue: 1/2
• Pages: 20-31
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/09649420310462307
• Keywords: Family-friendly organizations; work-life balance; organizational culture; working hours; employment law; labour policy
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/2117
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09649420310462307