generated: 2024-10-22 09:15:19






WFRN Conference Abstracts 2024

MeetingManager

Index to Participants

Aarntzen, Lianne : Utrecht University
Aaronson, Bina : Barnard College
Abendroth, Anja : Bielefeld University
Abouelenin, Mariam : King`s College, Londo
Abraham, Haneen : University of Alberta
Abrefa Busia, Kwaku : Lingnan University
Acar, Taylan : Goethe University Frankfurt
Acosta Rueda, Lia : University of Toronto
Adair, Elizabeth : California State University, Monterey Bay
Adamson, Elizabeth : University of New South Wales
Adrjan, Pawel : Indeed
Adserà, Alicia : Princeton University
Affinito, Salvatore : Harvard University - Business School
Aguilar, Julieta : Purdue University
Ahmad, Waqar : Bacha Khan University Charsadda
Akinduro, Melly : McGill University
Alexandrova, Matilda : University of National and World Economy
Alexis-Garsee, Camille : Middlesex University - Psychology
Allen, Shalene : Portland State University
Allen, Tammy : University of South Florida
Almeida Araújo, Marisa : Lusíada University
Alonso-Perez, Enrique : Charité Berlin
Alook, Angele : York University
Ambast, Shruti : University of California, San Diego
Amerikaner, Layne : University of Maryland, College Park
Amissah, Eunice Fay : University of Cape Coast
Ammons, Samantha : University of Nebraska, Omaha
Amoah, Daniel : Memorial University of Newfoundland
Andrade, Cláudia : Polytechnic of Coimbra
Anttila, Mari : University of Turku
Appietu, Melody Enyonam : Ho Technical University
Arnalds, Ásdís : University of Iceland
Artiawati, Artiawati : Surabaya University
Aruna, Justina : Adekunle Ajasin University
Ashman, Rachel : University of Liverpool
Atalor, Adesuwa : Nnamdi Azikiwe University - Awka, Nigeria
Audenaert, Bram : KU Leuven
Augustine, Jennifer : University of South Carolina
Austin, Stéphanie : Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Aycan, Zeynep : Koc University
Ayman, Roya : Illinois Institute of Technology
Ayoub, Mark : IU International University of Applied Sciences
Badawy, Philip : University of Alberta
Badmos, Olakitan : Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria
Bae, Hanjin : Seoul National University, South Korea
Baierl, Andreas : Austrian Family Research Institute, University of Vienna
Bailey, Sara : The Open University
Bainbridge, Hugh : University of New South Wales
Baird, Marian : University of Sydney - Business School
Ballentine, Kess : Wayne State University
Banerjee, Akarshik : George Washington University
Banister, Emma : University of Manchester - Business School
Bank, Jeanne : Canadian Standards Association
Bankole, Adeyinka : Kings University
Banu, Jasmine : SwaaS Systems Private Limited
Baral, Rupashree : Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Barcala-Delgado, Diego : University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Barone, T Lynne : University of Nebraska, Omaha
Barry, Subha : Seramount
Basile, Kelly : Emmanuel College
Baskurt, Ayse Burcin : University of East London
Bataille, Christine : Ithaca College
Battersby, Jane : University of Cape Town
Bayaz-Ozturk, Gulgun : City University of New York (CUNY)
Bayes, Sara : Edith Cowan University
Beacom, Amy : Center for Parental Leave Leadership
Bear, Libby : York University
Beauregard, Alexandra : Birkbeck, University of London
Beauvais-St-Pierre, Annabelle : Université of du Québec à Montréal
Beceril, Christine : Portland State University
Becker, Maximilian : Goethe University Frankfurt
Beham, Barbara : Berlin School of Economics and Law
Behson, Scott : Fairleigh Dickinson University
Belina, Jeremiah : Other

Berg, Abigail K : University of Nebraska Medical Center
Berghammer, Caroline : University of Vienna
Berke, Melissa : University of Nebraska Omaha
Berkman, Lisa : Harvard University - School of Public Health
BERRETIMA, Abdel-Halim : University A-M of Bejaïa Algeria
Besamusca, Janna : Utrecht University
Beutell, Nicholas : Iona University
Bhakat, Priya : Southeast Regional Service Commission, New Brunswick, Canada
Bhattacharyya, Nandeen : International Institute for Population Sciences
Bhuwania, Pragya : WORLD Policy Analysis Center
Bider, Emma : Carleton University
Bierwiaczonek, Kinga : Universitetet i Oslo
Billing, Tejinder : Rowan University
Bist, Kalawati : A Better Balance
Bjarnadóttir, Valgerður S. : University of Iceland
Blackwell, Ian : Marjon University UK
Blair-Loy, Mary : University of California, San Diego
Bloxsome, Dianne : Edith Cowan University
Bó, Boróka : UC Dublin
Bodner, Todd : Portland State University
Boies, Kathleen : Concordia University
Bonnardel, Dana : Université of du Québec à Montréal
Bonnes, Stephanie : University of new haven
Bosch, Maria José : ESE Business School
Bose, Bijetri : WORLD Policy Analysis Center
Bošković, Branko : University of Donja Gorica
Bosoni, Maria Letizia : Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Mila
Bourdeau, Sarah : Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) - École des Sciences de la Gestion (ESG)
Bowker, Anne : Carleton University
Boyar, Scott : University of Alabama Birmingham
Bradley, Elizabeth : SUNY - Empire State College
Brar, Harry : McGill University
Braun, Matias : ESE Business School - Universidad de los Andes
Brauner-Otto, Sarah : McGill University
Brea Martinez, Gabriel : Lund University
Breitkreuz, Rhonda : University of Alberta
Brennan, Eileen : Portland State University
Brooks, Matthew : Florida State University
Brossoit, Rebecca : Louisiana State University
Brough, Paula : Griffith University
Brougham, David : Massey University
Brouwer, Sandra : Rijksuniversiteit Groningen / UMCG
Brouwers, Marissa : University of Pretoria
Brown, Theresa : Georgian Court University
Brumley, Krista : Wayne State University
Bruns, Angela : Gonzaga University
Buber-Ennser, Isabella : Austrian Academy of Sciences
Budworth, Marie-Hélène : York University
Burdman, Emily : Concordia University
Burnett, Amy : Middlesex University - Business School
Butterworth, Peter : Australian National University
C. Neves, Paula : Polytechnic of Coimbra
Cabaj, Chantel : DirectHer Network
Cai, Manlin : University of British Columbia
Calderón, Rodrigo : Universidad de Valparaíso
Callanan, Gerard : West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Campbell, Ami : Boston College
Cano, Tomás : National University of Distance Education Madrid
Canonico, Esther : Imperial College London
Caporicci, Rosa : Psychotherapist in private practice
Cardador, Teresa : University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaig
Careau, Juliette : McGill University
Carlson, Daniel : University of Utah
Carreon, Erin : University of Chicago
Carvalho, Vania Sofia : University of Lisbon
Casper, Wendy : University of Texas Arlington
Castonguay, Samantha : Washington State University
Cech, Erin : University of Michigan.
Centeno, Grisselle : Florida Southern College
Cha, Eunho : Columbia University
Chae, Minjin : Harvard University
Chambel, Maria José : University of Lisbon
Chan, Xi Wen (Carys) : Griffith University
Chan-Ahuja, Stephanie : London Business School
Chanda, Trisha : University of Wisconsin, Madiso
Chang, Subin : Goethe University
Chang-qin, Lu : Peking University
Chapman, Sarah : University of Cape Town
Cheang, Michael : University of Hawaii
Chen, Jarvis : Harvard University - School of Public Health
Chen, Tsung-Ming : National University of Tainan
Chen, Yu-Ping : Concordia University
Chen, Zheng : University of South Florida
Chénard Poirier, Léandre : HEC Montréal
Chesser, Stephanie : University of Manitoba
Chmiel, Brooke : McMaster University
Cho, Eunae : National Chengchi University
Cho, Hyojin : University of Chicago
Cho, Soocheol : Indiana University
Choi, Ha Young : University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaig
Choi-Allum, Lona : AARP
CHOUHAN, TARA : A Better Balance
Chowdhury, Farzana : Durham University
Christopher, Emily : Aston University
Christopher, Gabriella : University of Toronto
Chu, Charles : Boston University
Chu, Youngmin : University of Minnesota
Chun, Kyehyung : Hannam University
Chung, Heejung : King's College London
Churchill, Brendan : University of Melbourne
Cinli, Dilem : Koc University
Clark, Malissa : University of Georgia
Clark, Shelley : McGill University
Clingan, Lauren : Princeton University
Cobb, Haley : Louisiana State University
Coden de Silva, Bruna : Norton
Colakoglu Kaya, Elif : Freelance
Cole, Rebecca : University of Georgia
Coleman, Charles : University of Calgary
Collins, Mary : Boston University
Cooklin, Amanda : La Trobe University
Cooper, Rae : University of Sydney - Business School
Cortina, Clara : Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Côté, Philippe-Benoît : University of Québec in Montreal
Cote-Hamel, Maryse : Université Laval
Cotter, Brigid : University of Southern California
Coun, Martine : Open Universiteit (Open University of the Netherlands)
Covilla Hernandez, Erick : University of Konstanz
Cox, Marilyn : Queen's University
Craig, Lyn : University of Melbourne
Crain, Tori : Portland State University
Cukrowska-Torzewska, Ewa : University of Warsaw
Culross, Beth A : University of Nebraska Medical Center
Dahm, Patricia : University of Kansas
Dai, Haijing : The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Daiger von Gleichen, Rosa : University of Frankfurt
Daminger, Allison : UW-Madison
Dangar, Kate : University of Melbourne
Daniel, Victoria : York University
Das, Nandini : University of Southampton
Dasgupta, Anindita : Columbia University
Davis, Kristen : Syracuse University
Dawkins, Sarah : University of Tasmania
Dawson, Kate : Australian Catholic University
Day, Elizabeth : University of Oregon
de Jong, Maaike : Rijksuniversiteit Groningen / UMCG
De Kerf, Jonas : KU Leuven
de Kort, David : Utrecht University
de Laat, Kim : University of Waterloo
de Melo Santos, Flavia Ivana : Universidade Federal de Uberlândia
de Morais, Mario Cesar Barreto : Santa Catarina State University
de Pierola, Ines : Oregon State University
De Ruiter, Melanie : Nyenrode Business Universiteit
de Vries, Haitze : Rijksuniversiteit Groningen / UMCG
Deahan, Daniel : University of Plymouth
Deal, Caroline : University of South Florida
Dean, Liz : University of Melbourne
Deeley, Amanda : University of Toronto
DeHorn, Grace : MIT - Sloan School of Management
Delfabbro, Paul : University of Adelaide
Deming, Sarah : University of Idaho
den Dulk, Laura : Erasmus University Rotterdam
Denier, Nicole : University of Alberta
DeRigne, LeaAnne : Florida Atlantic University
Derks, Belle : Utrecht University
Derks, Daantje : Erasmus University Rotterdam
Desjardins, Camille : Renmin University of China
DeSouza, Mercy : University of Professional Studies
Deustch, Rebecca : University of Alberta
Dey, Tapas : International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai
Dickey, Pamela L : University of Nebraska Medical Center
Dishon-Berkovits, Miriam : Ono Academic College
Dixon, Jeffrey : College of the Holy Cross
Dominguez-Folgueras, Marta : Sciences Po
Donnelly, Rory : University of Liverpool
Dorow, Sara : University of Alberta
Dorry, Jasmin : RWTH Aachen University
Doucet, Andrea : Brock University
Drapier, Carine : University of Lille
Dreger-Smylie, Christina : Carleton University
Dreyer, Lianara : WZB Berlin Social Science Center
Drotning, Kelsey : U.S. Census Bureau
Drouin-Rousseau, Sophie : Université de Moncton
Dudová, Radka : Institute of Sociology, Czech Academy of Sciences
Dummert, Sandra : Institute for Employment Research
Dupont, Vi : Université of du Québec à Montréal
Duran, Adrian : University of Nebraska Omaha
Duxbury, Linda : Carleton University
Earle, Alison : University of California
Ebrahimi, Nabi : University of Massachusetts, Lowell
Einarsdóttir, Þorgerður : University of Iceland
Einhoff, Jan : DYNAMICS RTG (HU Berlin/Hertie School)
El Graa, Mohamed : University of Lille
El-Bassel, Nabila : Columbia University
Elbaz, Sasha : Université of du Québec à Montréal
Eley, Elizabeth : Concordia University
Ellis, Allison : California Polytechnic State University
Eppel, Amelia : McGill University
Epstein, Sue : SUNY - Empire State College
Erler, Daniel : pme Familienservice
Escribano, Pablo : Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez
Essiaw, Mary Naana : University of Professional Studies
Eve Hott, Violet : Barnard College
Evertsson, Marie : Stockholm University - Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI)
Eze, Matthew : Nnamdi Azikiwe University - Awka, Nigeria
Ezechukwu, Emmanuel : Nnamdi Azikiwe University - Awka, Nigeria
Ezisi, Jerome : Nnamdi Azikiwe University - Awka, Nigeria
Ezzedeen, Souha : York University
Faerman, Sue : SUNY - Albany
Fairbanks, Chandler : University at Buffalo (SUNY)
Faisal, Shah : University of Stirling
Fan, Wen : Boston College
Fan, Wenjun : A Better Balance
Farista, Feranaaz : University of Cape Town
Fasang, Anette : Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin / Humboldt University of Berli
Fenton, Evelyn : University of Reading
Fieseler, Christian : BI Norwegian Business School
Finn, Zachary : Northeastern University
FitzGerald, Elizabeth : The Open University
Fitzgerald, Margaret : North Dakota State University
Flood, Sarah : University of Minnesota
Foggia, Maria : York University
Foley, Meraiah : University of Sydney - Business School
Forde, Leslie : Mom's Hierarchy of Needs
Foster, Karen : Dalhousie University
Fouquet, Etienne : Université de Sherbrooke
Freiberg, Tracey : St. John's University
Freitas, Jorge : Porto University
Freitas, Vérica : Universidade Federal de Uberlândia
Freitas de Paula, Veronica : Universidade Federal de Uberlândia
French, Kimberly : Colorado State University
Fritz, Marni : University of Illinois, Chicago
Froidevaux, Ariane : University of Texas Arlington
Fugiel, Peter : Rutgers University
Fujimoto, Tetsushi : Doshisha University
Fuller, Sylvia : University of British Columbia
Fullerton, Andrew : Oklahoma State University
Gaedecke, Martin : University of Oxford
Galinsky, Ellen : Families and Work Institute
Gallagher, Kaitlyn : Emmanuel College
Gbajumo-Sheriff, Mariam : University of Lagos
Gelbgiser, Dafna : Tel Aviv University
Geraghty, Sadie : University of Notre Dame Australia
Gerson, Kathleen : New York University
Ghimire, Dirgha : University of Michigan
Gibson, Margaret : University of Waterloo
Giunti, Giulia : St Andrews
Glass, Jennifer : University of Texas, Austin
Glomb, Theresa : University of Minnesota
Golden, Lonnie : Penn State University - Abington College
Goli, Srinivas : International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Göltl, Gwen : University of Vienna
Gong, Qiujie : University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaig
Gonsalves, Leroy : Boston University
González, M. José : Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Good, Laura : University of Sydney - Business School
Goodman, Julia : OHSU-PSU School of Public Health
Gopalan, Neena : University of Redlands
Gordon, Loa : McMaster University
Görgens, Tristan : Western Cape Government
Gospodarczyk, Marta : University of Warsaw
Goswami, Pankil : McGill University
Gotehus, Aslaug : Work Research Institute, Oslo Metropolitan University
Grabowska, Magdalena : University of Warsaw
Grace Hansen, Eleanor : Barnard College
Graham, Emma : Australian National University
Grau Grau, Marc : Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Green, Kai Roland : Aarhus University
Greenhaus, Jeffrey : Drexel University
Greer, Tomika : Univ. of Houston
Gregory-Chialton, Joanna : University of Liverpool
Grönlund, Anne : Umea University
Grotto, Angela : Montclair State University
Grunow, Daniela : Goethe University Frankfurt
Gu, Guolin : Boston College
Guarin, Angela : Universidad de Los Andes
Gudell, Svenja : Indeed
Gudeta, Konjit Hailu : Addis Ababa University
Guerrero, Patricia : University of Texas, Arlingto
Guffey, Laurel : University of Georgia
Gul, Pelin : University of Toronto
Gunawansa, Mira : University of Melbourne
Guo, Jing : University of Hawaii
Haar, Jarrod : Massey University
Haines, Jess : University of Guelph
Hakovirta, Mia : University of Turku
Hallgrímsdóttir, Helga Kristín : University of Victoria
Hamilton, Myra : University of Sydney
Hammer, Leslie : Oregon Health & Science University
Han, Wen-Jui : New York University
Hanley, Jill : McGill University
Harel, Tal : The london school of economics and political science
Harkness, Susan : UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL
Hašková, Hana : Institute of Sociology, Czech Academy of Sciences
Hassan, Mahmudul : McGill University
Haupt, Andreas : Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Haviv-Witman, Rachel : Haifa University
Hawkins, Daniel N : University of Nebraska, Omaha
Hay, Katherine : University of California, San Diego
He, Yaqing : University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaig
He, Yimin : University of Georgia
He, Yucheng : University of Manchester - Business School
Hecht, Tracy : Concordia University
Heglum, Mari : Oslo Metropolitan University - OsloMet
Heijstra, Thamar : University of Iceland
Helou, Ann-Marie : McGill University
Henderson-Postner, Marin : Portland State University
Hernández Cordero, Sonia : Universidad Iberoamericana
Hewitt, Belinda : University of Melbourne
Heydari Barardehi, Ilyar : University of Warsaw
Heymann, Jody : UCLA- WORLD Policy Analysis Center
Hicken, Margaret : University of Michiga
Hipp, Lena : WZB - Social Science Research Center Berli
Hjálmsdóttir, Andrea : University of Akureyri
Hobbs, Jessica : Birkbeck College, University of London
Hoekstra, Tialda : Rijksuniversiteit Groningen/UMCG
Hoff Bernstrøm, Vilde : OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University
Hoffmann, Elizabeth A. : Purdue University
Hofmeister, Heather : Goethe University Frankfurt
Hofstätter, Lukas : Carers NSW
Hokke, Stacey : La Trobe University
Hollis, Nicholas : University of South Carolina
Holm, Mari Ingelsrud : Work Research Institute - OsloMet
Hong, Peipei : Zhejiang University
Hoobler, Jenny M. : Nova School of Business & Economics
Hopkins, John : Swinburne University of Technology
Horak, Shaun C : University of Nebraska Medical Center
Hornung, Maria : Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin / Humboldt University of Berli
Hosomi, Masaki : Kansai University
Hossain, Babul : International Institute for Population Sciences
Hou, Jiahui : Kobe University
Houle, Patricia : Statistics Canada
Houlfort, Nathalie : Université of du Québec à Montréal
Hövermann, Andreas : Hans-Böckler-Stiftung
Hsu, Ting-Wen : University of Florida
Hsu, Yu-Shan : Concordia University
Hu, Yang : Lancaster University
Huang, Grace : St. Lawrence University
Huang, Ting-pang : Soochow University
Huang, Yifei : Brown University
Hughes, Karen D. : University of Alberta
Hughes Miller, Michelle : University of South Florida
Hunt, Mary : Ave Maria University
Hurtado, Constanza : University of Maryland, College Park
Hutt, Tania : Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
Hyde, Shelia : Texas Womans University
Hymer, Christina : University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Ike, Precious : Nnamdi Azikiwe University - Awka, Nigeria
Iloke, Stephen : American Psychological Association
Imeri, Monika : Carleton University
Isaacs, Nazeema : Stellenbosch University and Human Sciences Research Council
Ito, Yukari : Osaka University
Ivanova, Lily : University of British Columbia
Jaga, Ameeta : University of Cape Town
James, Grace : University of Reading
Jaspers, Eva : Utrecht University
Javadi, Dena : Harvard University - School of Public Health
Javornik, Jana : University of Leeds
Jewell, Eva : Toronto Metropolitan University
Ji, Yingchun : Shanghai University
Jibu, Renge : Tokyo Institute of Technology
Joan Barham, Elizabeth : Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar)
Johanna, Rantanen : University of Jyväskylä
Jones, Elise : U.S. Coast Guard Academy
Jónsson, Ari Klængur : University of Iceland
Jozwiak, Andreas : Grinnell College
Ju, Boreum : California State University, Bakersfield
Judd-Lam, Sarah : Carers NSW
Júlíusdóttir, Ólöf : The Social Science Research Institute
Jung, Seohyun : University of Kent
Junker, Nina M. : Universitetet i Oslo
Kabylova, Moldir : University of Nottingham
Kadar, Umay : University of British Columbia
Kadra, Maysa : University of Jordan School of Medicine, Amman, Jordan
Kalmijn, Matthijs : Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute
Kang, Ji Young : Chungnam National University
Kapelle, Nicole : Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin / Humboldt University of Berli
Kaplan, Amit : The Academic College of Tal-Aviv-Jaffa
Karlidag-Dennis, Ecem : University of Northampton
Kaskie, Brian : University of Iowa
Kasperska, Agnieszka : University of Warsaw
Kaushal, Neeraj : Columbia University
Kayanja, Moses : Multitech Business School
Kayanja, Moses : Multitech Business School
Keh, MinJee : University of California, Berkeley
Keiser, Nathanael : Independent Researcher
Keizer, Renske : Erasmus University Rotterdam
Kelland, Jasmine : University of Plymouth
Kelley, Kristin : WZB - Social Science Research Center Berli
Kelly, Ciara : Sheffield University Management School
Kelly, Erin : MIT - Sloan School of Management
Kelly, Orla : University College Dublin
Khan, Salmaan : Toronto Metropolitan University
Khanal, Ramesh : Saraswati Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University
Kidman, Rachel : Stony Brook University
Kim, Dahye : National University of Singapore
Kim, Eunsook : University of South Florida
Kim, Jaeseung : Sungkyungkwan University
Kim, Stacy : Life Junctions
Kim, Yun-Kyoung “Gail” : Salisbury University
Kincaid, Reilly : Purdue University
King, Michael D. : U.S. Census Bureau
Kizilenis Ulusman, Guler : York University
Klein, Tovah : Barnard College - Center for Toddler Development
Klenke, Alena : University of Oldenburg
Klostermann, Janna : University of Calgary
Kluwer, Esther : Utrecht University
Knoester, Chris : Ohio State University
Ko, Anna : University of Wisconsin, Madison
Koekemoer, Eileen : University of Pretoria
Kokot-Blamey, Patrizia : Queen Mary University of London
Kolpashnikova, Kamila : Western Michigan University
Konnikov, Alla : Concordia University of Edmonton
Kossek, Ellen Ernst : Purdue University
Kost, Dominique : BI Norwegian Business School
Koziol, Morgan : University of South Carolina
Kramer, Amit : University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaig
Kramer, Karen : University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaig
Kreyenfeld, Michaela : Hertie School
Kriti, Shubhra : International Institute for Population Sciences
Kronberg, Anne-Kathrin : University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Kröner, Lea : Utrecht University
Kubzansky, Laura : Harvard University - School of Public Health
Kukulska-Hulme, Agnes : The Open University
Kure, Tekalign : Wachemo Univeristy
Kurowska, Anna : University of Warsaw
Kuschel, Katherina : Centrum Graduate Business School and pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Kwok, Cannas : Charles Sturt University
Kwon, Hyunjae : University of Minnesota
L'Heureux, Hugh : University of Nebraska Omaha
Ladge, Jamie : Northeastern University
Lal, Jayati : College of the Holy Cross
Lam, Winnie Wing Yee : Leeds University Business School
Lambert, Danaël : Université de Sherbrooke
Lambert, Susan : University of Chicago
Lammi-Taskula, Johanna : Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare
Landertinger, Laura : Ontario Ministry of Education, Canada
Langan, Steve : University of Nebraska Omaha
Langfeldt, Bettina : University of Kassel
Languilaire, Jean-Charles : JCL Coaching
Lapuerta, Irene : Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA)
Lara Mejía, Vania : Universidad Iberoamericana
Laughlin, Lynda : U.S. Census Bureau
Lavee, Einat : University of Haifa
Law, Lai Kuen Shirley : University of South Wales
Lawson, Katie : Ball State University
Leach, Liana : Australian National University
Leal, Daniela : Porto University
LeCouteur, Amanda : University of Adelaide
Lee, DongJu : University of Melbourne
Lee, Jae-yeon : Yonsei University
Lee, Jiwan : Columbia University
Lee, Kristen : SUNY - University at Buffalo
Lee, Sang-Hoon : Loyola Marymount University
Lee, Soomi : Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)
Lee, Talara : University of Sydney - Business School
Lee, Yoon : Utah State University
Lefter, Alex : Concordia University
Leite, Ana Luiza : Santa Catarina State University
Lemos, Dannyela da Cunha : Santa Catarina State University
Lenhoff, Sarah : Wayne State University
Leon, Emmanuelle : ESCP Business School
Lepeley, Maria-Teresa : Global Institute for Quality Education
Lero, Donna : University of Guelph
Lescoeur, Kristine : OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University
Leshchenko, Olga : University of Konstanz
Letizia, Medina : Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Mila
Létourneau, Isabelle : Université de Sherbrooke
Levasseur, Jessica : Université de Sherbrooke
Levesque-Côté, Julie : Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Lewin, Alisa : University of Haifa
Lewis, Peter : Western Sydney University
Lewis, Suzan : Middlesex University - Business School
Lezcano, Alyssa : University of South Florida
Li, Tianyuan : The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Li, Xuan : University of Copenhagen
Li, Yunyan : University of Bristol
Li Luen Ching, Yannick : University of Mauritius
Lietzmann, Torsten : FDZ des IAB Nürnberg
Lim, Eunjung : Seoul National University of Science and Technology
Lim-Soh, Jeremy : Duke-NUS Medical School
Lin, Song : Zhejiang University
Lincoln, Alisa : Northeastern University
Lindroos, Eija : University of Turku
Liou, You-Syue : Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Science and Technology Council(Taiwan)
Liu, Meirong : Howard University
Liu, Xing : Wayne State University
Liu, Xuchu : Henan University of Chinese Medicine
Liu, Yifan : London School of Economics and Political Science
Livingston, Beth : University of Iowa
livingstone, bridget : University of Waterloo
Lott, Yvonne : Hans-Böckler-Stiftung
Lu, Xiaoyang : Illinois Institute of Technology
LU, ZHUOFEI : University of Manchester - Business School
Lucchini, Mario : University of Milano-Bicocca
Lukefahr, Jessica : Portland State University
Luo, Liying : Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)
Lup, Daniela : ECSP Business School
Ma, David : University of Guelph
Maas, Lilly : ILAC Consulting
Mabaso, Prudence Bongekile : University of Kwa-Zulu Natal
MacDermid Wadsworth, Shelley : Purdue University
Machado, Weverthon : Utrecht University
Maertz, Carl : University of Louisville
Magalhães, Sara : Porto University
Magnusson, Charlotta : Stockholm University - Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI)
Maguire, Katheryn : Wayne State University
Maher, Michael : University of Northampton
Mair, Christine : University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Makoha, Godfrey : McGill University
Maldonado, Laurie : Columbia University
Manor, Shlomit : Western Galilee College
Mantler, Janet : Carleton University
Manu Agyapong, Joan-Ark : University of Cape Coast
Manzi, Francesca : The london school of economics and political science
Margolis, Rachel : Western University
Markwei, Ummu : University of Professional Studies
Marshall, Maria : Purdue University
Marshall, Sarah : Syracuse University
Martin, Alfredo : WORLD Policy Analysis Center
Martin, Angela : Universit of Tasmania
Martin, Paul : A Better Balance
Masood, Huda : Sam Houston State University
Masoud, Sara : Qatar University
Masterson, Courtney : University of San Francisco- School of Management
Mathys, Ruth : Grow Great
Matias, Marisa : Porto University
Matin Koosha, Sanaz : University of Victoria
Matysiak, Anna : University of Warsaw
Matysova, Clare : University of Leeds
Mazrekaj, Deni : Utrecht University
Mazzucchelli, Sara : Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Mila
McAlpine, Kristie : Rutgers University
McCaffrey, Joseph : University of Nebraska Omaha
McCarthy, Julie : University of Toronto
McCord, Mallory : Old Dominion University
McCredie, Kate : La Trobe University
McDougal, Lotus : University of California, San Diego
McErlean, Kimberly : University of Texas, Austin
McNair, Nicole : McMaster University
Mehta, Sakshi : Government of Ontario, Canada
Meister, Lorenz : Free University of Berlin / DIW Berlin
Mejia-Lancheros, Cilia : Institue for Better Health
Menkhoff, Lukas : DIW Berlin / Humboldt University of Berlin
Mercer, Marlee : York University
Mercier, Eric : University of Adelaide
Mesiäislehto, Merita : National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)
Metselaar, Samantha : Erasmus University Rotterdam
Meyer, Daniel : University of Wisconsin, Madiso
Miettinen, Anneli : Social Insurance Institute Finland
Mildner, Erica : University of British Columbia
Milkie, Melissa : University of Toronto
Minnotte, Krista Lynn : University of North Dakota
Misra, Kaumudi : California State University, East Bay
Mita, Takashi : Kyoto Sangyo University
Modestino, Alicia : Northeastern University
Moen, Phyllis : University of Minnesota
Mohamed Dahie, Abdirahman : Somali National University
Molina, Stefania : Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin / Humboldt University of Berli
Montag-Smit, Tamara : University of Massachusetts, Lowell
Montazer, Shirin : Wayne State University
Morandin, Gabriele : University of Bologna
Moreno, Gonzalo : University of California
Morley, Jillian : Cornell University
Morris, Amy : University of Nebraska Omaha
Morton, Chelsea Ren : Syracuse University
Moskalenko, Oksana : Tarasa Shevchenko national university of Kyiv
Moss Kanter, Rosabeth : Harvard University - Business School
Mukembo, Stephen : University of Missouri
Müller, Jan : University of Zurich
Mutahi, Sussie : Strathmore Law School
Nabi, Shabnoor : University of Toronto
Naboa, Fabrizio : Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Nambiar, Apoorva : International Institute for Population Sciences
Narayanan, Jayanth : National University of Singapore
Narjinary, Glory : International Institute for population Sciences
Närvi, Johanna : Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare
Nativ, Onora : McGill University
Ng, Rachel : Ithaca College
Nielsen, Karina : Sheffield University Management School
Nikolić Ivanišević, Matilda : University of Zadar
Nilsen, Wendy : Work Research Institute OsloMet
Nix, Emily : University of Southern California
Nnedum, Obiajulu Anthony : Nnamdi Azikiwe University - Awka, Nigeria
Nordberg, Tanja : Work Research Institute - OsloMet
Nordset, Ragnhild : University of Liverpool
Norman, Helen : University of Leeds
Nsair, Viva : Western Michigan University
O'Brien, Margaret : Univ of London
O'Sullivan, Kristen : McGill University
Ochoa, Carlos : Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Offer, Shira : Bar-Ilan University
Ogbuagu, Sandra : Carleton University
Ohu, Eugene : Lagos Business School
Okeke, Chinelo : Nnamdi Azikiwe University - Awka, Nigeria
Okonkwo, Anthony Ejike : Enugu State University of Science and Technology
Okonkwo, Nkiru Veronica : Enugu State College of Education Technical, Nigeria
Ollier-Malaterre, Ariane : Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) - École des Sciences de la Gestion (ESG)
Omar, Laila : Princeton University
Ombla, Jelena : University of Zadar
Oney, Skylar : University of Georgia
Ophir, Ariane : Centre for Demographic Studies (CED)
Opoku Mensah, Abigail : University of Professional Studies
Osae, Erika : University of Professional Studies
Ozden, Gamze : Psikethica Istanbul
Pac, Jessica : University of Wisconsin-Madison
Padrón-Innamorato, Mauricio : Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Paek, Eunjeong : University of Hawaii
Pak, Sunjin : California State University, Bakersfield
Pal, Ipshita : St. John's University
Parent-Rocheleau, Xavier : HEC Montreal
Park, Jisu : Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)
Park, Myungchul : Sungkyunkwan University
Park, So Yun : University of Wisconsin, Madison
Paterson-Young, Claire Lillian Catherine : University of Northampton
Patterson, Anthony : University of Lancaster
Patwardhan, Vedavati : University of California, San Diego
Paul, Pooja : Umea University
Payne, Nicola : Middlesex University - Psychology
Payne, Stephanie : Texas A&M University
Peck, Joe : Urban Institute
Pellerin, Sabrina : Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) - École des Sciences de la Gestion (ESG)
Peng, Ito : University of Toronto
Pepin, Joanna R. : University of Toronto
Perlow, Leslie : Harvard University - Business School
Perrigino, Matthew : CUNY - Baruch College
Perry, MacKenna : Pacific Research and Evaluation
Perry-Jenkins, Maureen : University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Persico, Deanna : Wilfrid Laurier University
Pessin, Léa : ENSAE/CREST
Peters, Amanda : Monash University
Peters, Kaitlin : College of Early Childhood Educators
Peters, Pascale : Nyenrode Business Universiteit
Pettigrew, Rachael : Mount Royal University
Petts, Richard : Ball State University
Pétursdóttir, Gyða Margrét : University of Iceland
Pfau-Effinger, Birgit : University of Hamburg
Phelps, Beth : Oregon State University
Philibert, Mathieu : University of Québec in Montreal
Phillips, Kimberly Martinez : Memorial University
Pilarz, Alejandra Ros : University of Wisconsin, Madison
Pilon, Élie : Université of du Québec à Montréal
Pindek, Shani : Haifa University
Piszczek, Matt : Wayne State University
Pletneva, Lidiia : London School of Economics
Pojman, Elena : Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)
Ponnapalli, Ajay : Wayne State University
Poon, Abner Weng Cheong : University of New South Wales
Poortman, Anne-Rigt : Utrecht University
Porterfield, Shirley : University of Missouri, St. Louis
Postepska, Agnieszka : University of Groningen
Powell, Gary : University of Connecticut
Powosino, Ruth : CENTRUM Católica Graduate Business School and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Premarathne, Priyadarshani : university of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Provost Savard, Yanick : Université of du Québec à Montréal
Pytlovany, Amy : Center for Parental Leave Leadership
Qian, Yue : University of British Columbia
Querin, Federica : University of Bologna
Quirke, Linda : Wilfrid Laurier University
Radcliffe, Laura : University of Liverpool
Radford, Jason : Northeastern University
Rafnsdottir, Gudbjörg Linda : University of Iceland
Ragnarsdóttir, Berglind Hólm : University of Akureyri
Raj, Anita : Tulane University
Rajadhyaksha, Ujvala : Governors State University
Ram, Harchand : International Institute for Population Sciences
Ramadoss, Kamala : Syracuse University
Rammohan, Anu : University of Western Australia
Ramos, Vincent : Hertie School Berlin
Rani, Varsha : International Institute for Population Sciences
Raub, Amy : WORLD Policy Analysis Center
Ravensbergen, Lea : McMaster University
Ražauskienė, Vilma : Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences
Reed, Megan : Emory University
Reifenscheid, Maximiliane : University of Kassel
Reilly, Rosemary : Concordia University
Reimer, Thordis : University of Hamburg
Remery, Chantal : Utrecht University
Reynolds, Jeremy : Purdue University
Richards, Justine Blaise : Université of du Québec à Montréal
Riederer, Bernhard : Austrian Academy of Sciences
Riederer, Bernhard : University of Vienna
Risman, Barbara J. : University of Illinois, Chicago
Riva, Egidio : University of Milano-Bicocca
Robbenhaar, Madeline : University of Alberta
Roche, Maree : University of Auckland
Roelen, Corné : Rijksuniversiteit Groningen / UMCG / Arbo Unie
Rosenbaum, Laurel : Barnard College
Ross, Fiona : University of Cape Town
Rothwell, David : Oregon State University
Rudolph, Cort : Wayne State University
Ruiz-Martínez, Rocío : Universitat Rovira i Virgili - SBRLab - Social & Business Research Laboratory Group
Runge, Jan Malte : Oslo Metropolitan University
Ruppanner, Leah : University of Melbourne
Russo, Marcello : University of Bologna
Ryan, Lauren : University of Melbourne
Saarikallio-Torp, Miia : Social Insurance Institute Finland
sabbah Karkabi, Maha : Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Safi, Fazal E Subhan : Liverpool Hope University
Şahin, Onur : Utrecht University
Salin, Milla : University of Turku
Santos, Clarice : Middlesex University - Business School
Sargent, Amanda : Bentley University
Satish, Varun : Princeton University
Sawhney, Gargi : Auburn University
Sawyer, Katina : University of Arizona
Sayer, Liana : University of Maryland, College Park
Scapini, Valeria : Universidad Central de Chile
Schaap, Pieter : University of Pretoria
Scheibling, Casey : University of Nevada, Reno
Schenck, Samantha : Central Connecticut State University
Schieman, Scott : University of Toronto
Schmitt, Laila : LMU Munich
Schmitz, Lauren : University of Wisconsin, Madiso
Schnettler, Sebastian : Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg
Schoffel, Molly : University of South Florida
Schor, Juliet : Boston College
Schreuder, Jolanda : Schreuderarbo
Schröder, Carsten : DIW Berlin / Free University of Berlin
Schulte, Brigid : Better Life Lab at New America
Schwarz, Antje : Bielefeld University
Seglem, Karoline : Work Research Institute, OsloMet - Norway
Sellmaier, Claudia : University of Washington
Sethi, Bharati : Trent University
Setz, Ingrid : Austrian Academy of Sciences
Shackell, Margaret : Ithaca College
Shaffer, Margaret : University of Oklahoma
Shah, Rahat : Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany
Shang, Sudong : Griffith University
Shanock, Linda : University of North Carolina
Sharda, Sukriti : Wayne State University
Sharifi, Tina : York University
Shen, Winny : York University
Sheng, Zitong : Deakin University
Shi, XiaoMeng : University of Manchester - Business School
Shih, Yiping : Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan
Shrivastava, Allison : Indeed
Sibunruang, Hataya : Waikato University
Sikorska, Małgorzata : University of Warsaw
Símonardóttir, Sunna : University of Iceland
Simunic, Ana : University of Zadar
Singer, Jeremy : Michigan State University
Singh, Abhishek : International Institute for Population Sciences
Singh, Ajita : United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Singh, Shreya : International Institute for Population Sciences
Sinzig, Paul : Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt am Mai
Slopen, Meredith : CUNY - Graduate Center
Smit, Brandon : Bentley University
Smith, Ada : Emmanuel College
Smith, Brad : New Institution Here

Smith, Claire : University of South Florida
Smyke, Sophie : Barnard College - Center for Toddler Development
Snippen, Nicole : Rijksuniversiteit Groningen / UMCG
Sockin, Jason : IZA - Institute of Labor Economics
Sohn, Young Woo : Yonsei University
Solaja, Oludele : Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria
Song, Haoming : Case Western Reserve University
Song, Xi : University of Pennsylvania
Speights, Sabrina : Wheaton College
Sprague, Aleta : University of California
Squires, Sophie : University of Melbourne
Stanfors, Maria : Lund University
Stark, Stephen : University of South Florida
Starr, Evan : University of Maryland, College Park
Stertz, Anna M. : RWTH Aachen University
Stewart, Lisa : California State University, Monterey Bay
Stier, Haya : Tel Aviv University
Stierle, Bill : Subtext Solutions Inc.

Stoddard-Dare, Patricia : Cleveland State University
Straub, Caroline : Bern University of Applied Sciences
Strazdins, Lyndall : Australian National University
Stride, Christopher : Sheffield University Management School
Stumbitz, Bianca : Middlesex University - Business School
Sun, Kai : Arizona State University
Sun, Yue Yang : The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen
Swanson, Resha : University of Chicago
Swanzy, Erasmus Keli : Maastricht University
Sweet, Stephen : Ithaca College

Talbert, Elizabeth : Drake University
Tamayo, Paola : University of South Carolina
Tammelin, Mia : University of Tampere
Tan, Jolene : Australian National University
Tan, Poh Lin : National University of Singapore
Tanquerel, Sabrina : EM Normandie
Tao, Stacie : Columbia University
Tapsell, Amy : University of Sydney - Business School
Tarbalouti, Essaid : University Cadi Ayyad
Taru, Feldt : University of Jyväskylä
Tendulkar Patil, Anagha : Sophia College for Women
Teramura, Eriko : Meikai University
Thakurata, Indrajit : Indian Institute of Management
Thatcher, Sherry : The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Thomas, Candice : Saint Louis University
Thompson, Rebecca : N/A
Timonen, Virpi : University of Helsinki
Toh, Soo Min : University of Toronto - Rotman School
Toker, Sharon : Tel Aviv University
Tokić, Andrea : University of Zadar
Treleaven, Emily : University of Michigan
Tremblay, Diane-Gabrielle : TELUQ University
Trombeta Santos, Gabriela : Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar)
Trombini, Chiara : Luiss Business School
Trottier, Mélanie : Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) - École des Sciences de la Gestion (ESG)
Tsao, Chiung-Wen : National University of Tainan
Turek, Aurora : Harvard University - Business School
Twamley, Katherine : University College London
Tyabashe-Phume, Babalwa : University of Cape Town
Uhuo, Cosmas : Ebonyi State University Abakaliki
Um, Sejin : New York University
Uma Krishnan, Ketaki : Barnard College - Center for Toddler Development
Utari, Valentina : University of Western Australia
Uysal Irak, Doruk : Mount Allison University
Uzunalioglu, Merve : University of Oxford
Valentim, Grazielle : University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Valentova, Marie : Luxembourg Institute of Socioeconomic Research
Van Bavel, Jan : University of Leuven (KU Leuven)
van der Lippe, Tanja : Utrecht University
van der Meer, Joelle : Erasmus University Rotterdam
van der Vleuten, maaike : Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute
van Engen, Marloes : Radboud University
Van Haren, Ian : McGill University
Van Herreweghe, Lore : KU Leuven
Vander Weerdt, Candice : Cleveland State University
Vanderstukken, Arne : Open University of the Netherlanarne.vanderstukken@ou.nlds
Vargha, Lili : Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin / Humboldt University of Berli
Varma, Preeti : INSEAD
Venter, Ciara : University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Ventura Sanchez, Guillermo : Concordia University
Vermeeren, Brenda : Erasmus University Rotterdam
Vestuto, Grace : Illinois Institute of Technology
Viitasalo, Katri : University of Helsinki
Vilar Compte, Mireya : Montclair State University
Violi, Dominic : Western Sydney University
Voloshyna, Anastasiia : University of Groningen
Vromen, Ariadne : Australian National University
Waismel-Manor, Ronit : The Open University, Israel
Waldrep, Carolyn E. : University of Texas, Austin
Walther, Anna : University of Wisconsin, Madiso
Wan, Maggie : Texas State
Wang, Julia Shu-Huah : National Taiwan University
Wang, Senhu : National University of Singapore
Wang, Shu-Yung : Chung Cheng University
Wang, Tianying : Australian National University
Wang, Yinan : Harvard University
Ward-Griffin, Catherine : Western University
Watts, Galen : University of Waterloo
Whillans, Ashley : Harvard University - Business School
Whitley, Rob : McGill University
Wiatt, Renee : Purdue University
Widiningtyas, Kartika : Surabaya University
Wiese, Bettina S. : RWTH Aachen University
Wilcox, Annika : Wake Forest University
Williams, Alison : University of Sydney - Business School
Williams, Allison : McMaster University
Williams, Grace : University of Liverpool
Wilson, Nathan : Western Sydney University
Winkler, Anne : University of Missouri, St. Louis
Wisniewski, Megan : University of Pennsylvania
Wolf, Talya : CUNY - Graduate Center
Wong, Jaclyn : University of South Carolina.
Wray, Dana : Statistics Canada
Wu, Lusi : University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Xiang, Xue : University of Toronto - Rotman School
Xu, Jiahui : Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)
Xu, Jiayun : Purdue University
Xu, Mengyi : Cranfield University
Xu, Mengyi : The University of Birmingham
Xu, Ying : Syracuse University
Yang, Laura : Portland State University
Yeo, Shun Yuan : Singapore University of Technology and Design
Yerkes, Mara A. : Utrecht University
Yestrepsky, Joe : Wayne State University
Yett, Aeyanna : Wayne State University
Yeung Pat Wan, Annick : University of Mauritius
Yost, Cali : Flex+Strategy Group
Young, Marisa : McMaster University
Yu, Shuye : University of Oxford
Yuan, Sam : Georgia Institute of Technology
Yuan, Shiyu : University of Kent
Yucel, Deniz : William Paterson University of New Jersey
Zagel, Hannah : WZB - Social Science Research Center Berli
Zanhour, Mona : California State University, Long Beach

Zayim, Meryem Seyda : Koc University
Zelazo, Philip David : University of Minnesota
Zembe, Yanga : University of KwaZulu Nata
Zembe-Mkabile, Wanga : South African Medical Research Council
Zhang, Kejin : University College London
Zhang, Rujun (Ruth) : University of Alberta
Zhao, Meng : Shanghai University
Zhao, Yi : The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Zhou, Haiyan : University of Toronto
Zhou, Nuannuan : Zhejiang University
Zhuang, Wei : University of Manchester - Business School

Author Meets Readers Session


Organizer: Sarah Damaske, Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)

Author Meets Reader: "Work in Black and White: Striving for the American Dream"

Author Meets Reader session for Enobong (Anna) Branch and Caroline Hanley's new book "Work in Black and White: Striving for the American Dream"

Author Meets Readers Session


Organizer: Sarah Damaske, Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)

Author Meets Reader: Misconceiving Merit: Paradoxes of Excellence and Devotion in Academic Science and Engineering

Author Meets Reader session for Mary Blair Loy and Erin Cech's new book "Misconceiving Merit: Paradoxes of Excellence and Devotion in Academic Science and Engineering" All authors/readers have confirmed their availability.

Author Meets Readers Session


Organizer: Sarah Damaske, Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)

Author Meets Reader: The Love Jones Cohort: Single and Living Alone in the Black Middle Class

Author Meets Reader session for Kris Marsh's new book The Love Jones Cohort: Single and Living Alone in the Black Middle Class All authors and presiders are confirmed.

Author Meets Readers Session

Location: Asia


Organizer: Dominique Kost, BI Norwegian Business School

Living with Digital Surveillance in China. Citizens’ Narratives on Technology, Privacy, and Governance (sponsored by the Technology, Work and Family research community)

While work-life research has made great strides investigating the boundaries between work and life, the focus on the interface between these two domains obscures the matter of boundaries between the public or semi-public and private spheres, and the implications for work and life of pervasive phenomena such as surveillance. This session will discuss Ariane Ollier-Malaterre’s recent book, Living with Digital Surveillance in China. Citizens’ Narratives on Technology, Privacy, and Governance (Routledge 2024). The book explores how Chinese citizens make sense of digital surveillance and live with it. Digital surveillance, while pervasive in many countries, is an all-encompassing reality of life in China - think surveillance cameras, facial recognition, real-name registration of phone and social media accounts, traceability of electronic payments and internet searches, social credit systems, and more. Based on in-depth qualitative research interviews conducted in China, detailed diary notes, and extensive documentation, the book asks: to what extent do Chinese citizens notice digital surveillance in their daily lives? How does the Chinese historical, socio-economic, and political context shape their surveillance imaginaries? What are the emotional repercussions of exposure to? The book has important implications beyond China: in an attempt to ‘de-Westernise’ the analysis, it invites readers to a critical examination of the contexts that shape surveillance imaginaries in Western liberal democracies and the Global South. Two key findings emerge. First, participants wove a cohesive system of narratives that cast digital surveillance as an indispensable solution to China’s problems. Three narratives of moral shortcomings produced shame and anguish: the lack of ‘moral quality’ in China which makes rules and punishment necessary, the century of humiliations by foreign powers and the imperative to revive the ancient Chinese civilisation, and a pejorative view of privacy as a suspicious desire to hide shameful behaviours. Two redeeming narratives responded to the shame and anguish: the protective parental figure of the government and technology as a ‘magic bullet’ that can force people to adhere to rules, modernise the country, and uproot secrecy. Second the interviews conveyed great tension between the discursive framing of surveillance as indispensable in China and the mental and emotional weight that participants bear as they cope with it. Support for surveillance coexisted with misgivings, objections, and mental tactics to dissociate oneself from surveillance. The misgivings arose when participants pondered how they felt about surveillance more than how they thought of surveillance. Dislike, resentment, worries, frustration, fear, and anger were expressed. Participants built self-protective rationales, such as othering surveillance targets, and rejected being singled out by surveillance. Moreover, the book reflects on conducting qualitative fieldwork in China as a foreigner. The author shares her efforts to reduce Eurocentric biases and discusses her experience of navigating political speak and sensitive topics.

Author Meets Readers Session

Conceptualizing the work-family-life nexus


Organizer: Casey Scheibling, University of Nevada, Reno

The Gendered Challenges and Compromises of Young Professionals: A Conversation With Dr. Jaclyn S. Wong About “Equal Partners?”

In Equal Partners? How Dual-Professional Couples Make Career, Relationship, and Family Decisions (2023), Jaclyn Wong examines the varied ways in which young, different-gender couples perceive, experience, and account for their work–family arrangements. By taking a longitudinal approach to in-depth interviewing, Wong intricately illustrates aspirations, turning points, and inconsistencies in the career, relationship, and family trajectories of female and male professionals over a six-year period. Narratives reveal notable conflicts between structural policies, cultural expectations, and individual attitudes that often result in the obfuscation or maintenance of gender inequality—even among couples who desire egalitarianism. In this Author Meets Readers session, we will discuss key findings and questions highlighted in Dr. Wong’s book. This conversation will provide novel insight into: how young couples negotiate work and family responsibilities; how childbearing decisions are decided and explained in the face of career plans or precarity; how professional women and men articulate different gendered visions of work–family roles and goals; and, what actions can be taken to better foster gender egalitarianism at structural and cultural levels in a (post)pandemic world. The readers in this session will be Leah Ruppanner (University of Melbourne), Sharon Sassler (Cornell University), and Mia Brantley (North Carolina State University).

Paper Session

A Life Course Perspective on Entry to Parenthood 1


Normative and structural drivers of young adults' reproductive trajectories in Germany.  Hannah Zagel, WZB - Social Science Research Center Berli; and Martin Gaedecke, University of Oxford

This paper investigates what are dominant patterns of young adults’ reproductive trajectories in terms of partnership status, partnered sexual activity, and contraceptive use, and how they are socially stratified by education. Reproductive behaviour beyond childbearing is rarely considered in mainstream stratification, social demography and life course scholarship, but the field is mostly left to public health and sexuality research. This is a crucial shortcoming, because stratification in early reproductive trajectories will affect patterns of family life courses, which are tightly linked with employment and income careers and structured along gender and class dimensions. Understanding how reproductive trajectories are experienced differentially across social groups helps to uncover the extent to which people are locked in to particular life courses from early adulthood. We use sequence analysis and regression models on longitudinal data from the German Family and Relationships Panel survey (pairfam) on partnership status, partnered sex and contraception over twelve years of young people’s (18-27 years) lives (N=1,370). Pathways of partnered sexual activity and contraception appear to differ between education groups already at this life stage, when many move on to initiate family formation – a substantive share of men and women mostly with low education remains single with little experience of partnered sex at age 27.

The Impact of Work-Family Conflict and Child Development: Evidence from South Korea.  Jaeseung Kim, Sungkyungkwan University; and Myungchul Park, Sungkyunkwan University

With the rise of working mothers and growing concerns over the low fertility rate in South Korea, the balance of work and family responsibilities of working mothers and its potential impacts on their child development has become a critical issue in Korea. However, limited research has explored how work-family conflict influences the development of school-aged children and the role of maternal depression and household income in this context. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, the study examines the influence of working mothers’ work-family conflict on internalizing and externalizing behaviors of school-aged children and the mediating role of parental depression. In addition, drawn from Conservation of Resources theory (Hobfoll, 2001), the study examines whether the effect of mothers’ work-life conflict on child behavior problems is moderated by household income. Using two waves of the representative sample of the Panel Study on Korean Children (N=650), the study employed lagged-dependent variable models and Process Macro Model 4 to answer the proposed research questions. Overall, the study found that mothers’ work-family conflict was positively associated with children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors and that maternal depression fully mediated these associations. This finding suggests that mothers’ work-family conflict leads to their elevated depressive symptoms, which in turn increases child behavior problems. Moreover, the positive association between mothers’ work-family conflict and child behavior problems was stronger among mothers from low-income households, confirming the moderating effect of household income. Based on the findings, we discuss work-family policy and interventions to curtail work-family conflict among working mothers in Korea.

Aspiration Versus Reality: Family Transitions and Emerging Adulthood.  Belinda Hewitt, University of Melbourne

Overwhelmingly the extant research on aspirations of emerging adults focusses on education, work, and economic outcomes. We use unique longitudinal panel data from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) study to examine whether the importance young people (age 15 – 29) attached to meeting family formation milestones was associated with family outcomes at age 35. In Wave 4 of HILDA participants aged 15 – 29 (n = 3,052) were asked to rate the importance they placed on a range of milestones relating to work and family by the age of 35. We examined the associations between the importance of having children, being married, and living with a partner and participants relationship status and whether they had a child at age 35 (some of the younger participants aged 15 – 17 were not 35). Adjusting for demographic, family, and socioeconomic characteristics, results indicated that a higher importance placed on being married was positively associated with the likelihood of being married and negatively associated with cohabiting or being single at age 35. A higher importance placed on living with a partner was negatively associated with being single, but not significantly associated with being married. A higher importance on having children was significantly associated with having a child. We conclude that, despite the discourses that young people face greater barriers to adulting than in previous generations, many still achieve their goals. We plan to further develop the paper by further examining how this may differ by gender and socioeconomic factors.

Sociological Analysis of Family Size and Education; A Quantitative Mode of Inquiry.  Waqar Ahmad, Bacha Khan University Charsadda

The present study was carried out in District Swabi under quantitative mode of inquiry to explore the relation between education and family size reduction. A sample size of 450 respondents with education level of master was randomly selected through rigorous data analysis and survey. We investigated that how higher education effects individual decision about family size. The study further explored that how dynamics of family planning shading light on the impact of education and fertility choices. However, findings from this empirical work contributed to the broader understanding of socio-economic factor shaping family size.

Paper Session

A Life Course Perspective on Entry to Parenthood 2


Women at Work: What It Means and What It Should Mean.  Anagha Tendulkar Patil, Sophia College for Women

Overarching Concerns The structure and functions of the institution of family are being rapidly revised across the globe. One can observe a concomitant change in the status and image of women and their relationship with the society. The study revolves around the category of domestic women workers in urban pockets in India and their ever-evolving relation with the institution of family. The intersectional ties with the families they come from, families they work in, and families they work for are explored and reviewed. As stated by the International Labor organization, Domestic Workers Convention (NO 189), Article 1, the term ‘Domestic Work” means work performed in or for a household or households. The term ‘Domestic Worker’ means any person engaged in domestic work within an employment relationship. A person who performs domestic work only occasionally or sporadically and not on an occupational basis is not a domestic worker. In addition, domestic workers are workers who perform domestic work for pay and remuneration. In a patriarchal set up women are typically responsible to take care of the domestic front at home. Those women who do not earn living are described as “Women who do not work”. Ironically these are the women who perhaps spent the maximum time working at home. The paper attempts to review the journey of girls to womanhood as they emerge as workers and then of a woman to an older adult as they struggle to refurbish their identity in societal network through their family. The causal processes in this transition could be the process of urbanization or be it of industrialization that impact family functioning and are instrumental in challenging the established algorithm of connection of a woman with her families. It interrogates the participation of women in the work force and studies the wear and tear of ‘not working but busy’ and ‘working but available for housework’ situations from gender lenses. Statement on methods The paper uses a qualitative design to focus on the changing paradigms of gender specific work appropriation which emerge out of the social and cultural guidelines of WORK for women and how women twist, adjust, tweak, engineer their work styles to match it with the then required family commitments and demands. The theoretical base of the paper is of the Life Course perspective, and it uses the technique of unstructured interview to capture the typical trajectories of women and their family life. Extensive library research and review of published material are the additional aid to formulating claims and inferring conclusions. The paper tries to comment on what having a ‘working woman’ implies and what it should imply to the relevant family units. It interrogates the participation of women in the work force and studies the wear and tear of ‘not working but busy’ and ‘working but available for housework’ situations from gender lenses. Important findings Since it is a working paper; though the findings are arrived at using the scientifically sound procedure, these are tentative. The emergent pattern, out of data gathered so far underline the following:  The phenomenon of domestic work is an underrated and undervalued form of work in the heavily populated Indian society.  There is a positive correlation between the demand for and supply of domestic workers in urban pockets of India  There is ‘Feminization’ of domestic work coupled with cultural and social underpinnings.  Domestic Work assumes a complex configuration, if looked at from gender lenses.  Women domestic workers relate with three different types of families. 1. Families they come from: First generation women earners, illiterate, uneducated, violence. 2. Families they work in: Invisible, passive presence, mechanical participation, poor payment, exploitation, insecurity, lack of dignity of work. 3. Families they work for: Bread winners for the family, high wear and tear, burnout, health issues, accelerated ageing process.  Here are three reference points. Families that make domestic workers, families that need domestic workers, families of domestic workers. There exists a curious PULL and PUSH mechanism operational between the domestic workers and the families they belong to; which should be further interrogated. Implications of research, policy and/or practice Domestic work is part of the informal sector. There is a dearth of data, lack of documentation, paucity of official reports. Hence there is no clarity about the problems faced by domestic workers. There is no contract document, and welfare measures are not in place, No national level policy exists for channelization, consolidation of the problems faced by the domestic workers. A systematic and scientific study of the situation of domestic women workers is a need of the hour in a fast-growing Indian economy.

Exploring Parenthood Through the Perspective of The Voluntarily Childfree.  Sunna Símonardóttir, University of Iceland

Fertility has decreased drastically across advanced, industrialized nations. One way to understand this development is to focus on individuals’ and couples’ fertility intentions to understand the decision-making process underlying the choice not to have a child and to explore how gendered parenting ideologies and circumstances affect this decision. The Icelandic context presents an interesting backdrop for this research, with its emphasis on gender equality, diverse family forms, and policies that support both parents’ participation in work and care. In this study I examine modern parenthood through the lens of those who are voluntarily childfree by interviewing 22 individuals, and couples who had decided to be childfree. The findings suggest an important divergence in the identity work performed by men and women as they negotiate their wishes to be childfree. The role of the mother is seen as mentally and emotionally draining, intricate, and requiring great personal sacrifice which suggests that intensive mothering narratives have directly influenced and informed decisions on fertility in the Icelandic context. Although the interviewees recognize flaws in the face of the egalitarian society regarding the unequal responsibilities and duties of mothers and fathers, they do not question the ideology of individualism and intensity that characterizes modern parenthood.

Parental Leave and Social Sustainability: How Can the Design of Parental Leave Meet a Social Sustainability Agenda?.  Thordis Reimer, University of Hamburg; and Margaret O'Brien, Univ of London

According to the Brundtland Report published in 1987, sustainable development is divided into three pillars: ecological, economic and social development. So far, the concept of social sustainability has mostly been used to consider social consequences that arise from the connection with ecological or economic conditions. We would like to expand the existing concepts to include the perspective of parental leave regulations as a matter of the sustainable development of societies. After presenting already developed concepts of social sustainability, parental leave policies are examined for their relevance with regard to sustainable societies based on previous research. The analysis is structured along three design features of parental leave regulations. This includes the length of parental leaves, the level of benefits during parental leaves and access to these entitlements and benefits according to social or employment status. Comparative policy data are drawn from the International Network for Leave Policy and Research 2023 Review, which comprises 2022 data for 49 countries. In our conclusion, we discuss how the design of parental leave policies can meet a social sustainability agenda according to the UN Sustainable Developments Goals. Also, we use the perspective of parental leave policy as a question of the sustainability of societies in order to look at existing concepts of social sustainability, illuminate their strengths or weaknesses and discuss their further development.

Shaping the Future: Insights From a Longitudinal Study on Women's Career Aspirations During Pregnancy and Postpartum.  Vilma Ražauskienė, Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences

This longitudinal study delves into the meanings of work for women during a transitional life stage. While the topics of opting out and opting in have garnered considerable attention, certain aspects of career development after childbirth remain underexplored. Existing literature often dichotomises women into two primary groups, and some theories propose a three-group classification. However, such divisions may be overly simplistic and not universally applicable to all women. The objective of this study is to enhance the understanding of women's career aspirations. To achieve this objective, two waves of individual semi-structured interviews with ten women at two specific time points were conducted: during pregnancy and four to six months postpartum. Although convenience sampling was employed for data collection, the research participants exhibited variation in marital status, educational level, number of children, breastfeeding practices, and other characteristics. The results of the study demonstrate that the meaning of work for the research participants varied both during pregnancy and after childbirth. Additionally, some participants unexpectedly adjusted their career aspirations after becoming mothers. The salience of the new identity as a mother is discussed as a precursor to temporarily stepping back from a career with aspirations to re-enter the labour market later on. This research enriches the discourse on work-life balance by offering valuable insights into how early motherhood shapes women's career goals, decisions, and expectations.

Paper Session

Challenges and Supports for Working Caregivers


Eldercare Demands and Health and Well-Being of Working Informal Caregivers of Older People: The Role of Unhealthy Cognitive Emotion Regulation and Workplace Resources.  Winnie Wing Yee Lam, Leeds University Business School; Ciara Kelly, Sheffield University Management School; Karina Nielsen, Sheffield University Management School; and Christopher Stride, Sheffield University Management School

Overarching questions/concerns: An increasing proportion of the working population cares for their older loved ones. When informal caregivers struggle to manage the dual responsibilities, there may be greater organisational and societal costs involved, such as high turnover intention and lower labour force participation. This paper looks at the mechanism that contributes to the decreased health and well-being of informal caregivers through the Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory. Statement on methods: Data was collected once a week for three weeks via online surveys from a sample of 395 informal caregivers in the UK, with the aim of examining the relationships between eldercare demands, unhealthy CER, FSSB, work flexibility and various health and well-being outcomes. Specifically, we tested the conditional indirect effects between eldercare demand at time 1 and a series of mental health outcomes (anxiety, depressive symptoms, well-being, or sleep difficulties respectively) at time 3, operating via unhealthy CER at time 2, with the paths between unhealthy CER and each outcome moderated by both FSSB and work flexibility at time 2. Important findings: Results from testing our hypothesised mediation model show that unhealthy CER mediated the relationship between eldercare demands and anxiety, depressive symptoms, sleep difficulties and well-being. When FSSB and work flexibility were included in the model as moderators of the unhealthy CER to outcome paths, the indirect effects between eldercare and anxiety, depressive symptoms, sleep difficulties, and well-being respectively via unhealthy CER were not significantly moderated. As the level of FSSB increases, the stronger the relationship between eldercare and anxiety and depressive symptoms via unhealthy CER respectively. Implications for research, policy and/or practice: By investigating the role of cognitive process in COR theory, this study suggests perhaps other than the demands, the automatic reaction to demands also explains the lowered health and well-being. Future research can further explore the complex interplay between individual and contextual factors. Employers should recognise the impact of workplace resources on different individuals.

Local Gender Contexts and Migrant's Use of Childcare: Evidence from Germany.  Andreas Jozwiak, Grinnell College

How does context influence migrant’s decisions to use public childcare facilities? Previous work has identified several factors contributing to the migrant-native gap in childcare use, but this work has focused on individual or group-specific factors. Work on the effect of context, moreover, has previously made cross-country associations between context and migrant childcare use. These theories suggest that in more egalitarian contexts, migrant native differences shrink. Building on previous work, I assess the role of subnational gendered context on migrant’s use of childcare using a small sample of German migrants who were assigned a county of residence upon arrival to Germany, limiting the potentially competing role of selection. Using German Socio-Econmic Panel Data, I assess the effect of context by leveraging spatially granular information on childcare use. Contrary to previous work, I find that after accounting for individual, migrant, and other contextual factors, more egalitarian contexts are associated with lower levels of childcare use among migrants, amounting to a 36 percentage point difference in childcare use across the range of counties in the sample. Moreover, this also results in the largest migrant-native differences emerging in the most egalitarian contexts. I attribute much of this to the role of congestion of childcare facilities that reduces migrant’s ability to access this public service.

Support for Working Carers Across the Globe: The Development of International Standardized Guidelines for the Work Place.  Allison Williams, McMaster University; and Jeanne Bank, Canadian Standards Association

As the world’s population ages, more unpaid care provision is required by family, friends and neighbors; currently, 349 million people worldwide are estimated to be depending on care, with 101 million of these aged 60 years and older (WHO, 2017). The vast majority of this growing number of unpaid carers are simultaneously employed in the labour market or attending school, and they experience a range of space and time tensions due to the multiple demands of both paid labour and unpaid caregiving. Further, many of these working carers are also caring for young dependents. Research evidence illustrates that unpaid care work negatively impacts paid work, and few employers have adopted carer-friendly workplace (CFWP) policies. Deficiency of workplace or organizational support could lead to a range of negative employee consequences, which increase costs to employers, including mental and physical health problems; reduced productivity; increased absenteeism and presenteeism, and; employees exiting the workforce altogether. For employers to best support these working carers, a set of standardized guidelines has been created for organizations. Working with the International Standards Organization (ISO), ISO 25551:2021, ‘Ageing societies – general requirements and guidelines for carer-inclusive organizations’, was published in December 2021. This presentation outlines the alignment of this tool with the United Nations (UN) Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) and the International Labour Organization's mandate. It highlights the challenges of implementation, while reflecting on the significance and relevance of the standard globally.

Paper Session

Changes and Challenges in Work for Specific Occupations or Industries


Life Satisfaction in the Modern Economy: The Importance of Conventional Work and Gig Work.  Jeremy Reynolds, Purdue University; Julieta Aguilar, Purdue University; and Reilly Kincaid, Purdue University

• Overarching questions/concerns We focus on two questions: How does satisfaction with gig microtask work compare to satisfaction with conventional employment? To what extent is each type of work related to overall life satisfaction? • Statement on methods To make a clean and meaningful comparison of satisfaction with microtask and conventional work, we study workers on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk platform (MTurk) who also have conventional jobs. This within-person comparison holds individual characteristics constant and focuses on conventional jobs that respondents actually hold. • Important findings o On average, respondents are somewhat less satisfied with microtask work than with conventional work, but roughly one-third find microtask work more satisfying. o Microtask work lowers overall life satisfaction, but only among “platform dependent” respondents (those who rely on platform income). Specifically, “platform dependence” reduces life satisfaction by lowering satisfaction with microtask work while also strengthening the latter’s connection to life satisfaction. • Implications for research, policy and/or practice Microtask work is not an inconsequential “side-hustle.” It can generate extra income, reduce precarity, and increase life satisfaction. Nevertheless, we find that it often fails to provide the flexibility workers desire, and it is associated with lower life satisfaction among workers who depend on it. Scholars and policy makers should identify changes to conventional employment that can reduce dependence on supplementary gig income while also updating labor regulations to maximize the benefits of gig work while protecting workers from risk.

Attraction and Retention of Nurses: The Challenges Related to Work-Family Issues.  Diane-Gabrielle Tremblay, TELUQ University

Over the years there have been many challenges in attracting and retaining various workers, especially in the health sector, and for nurses in particular (Bélanger & Marois, 2015 ; Tremblay, 2014a). Literature has often mentioned the increased difficulties in attracting and retaining young nurses in particular (Côté, 2016; Côté et al. 2014) and this increases labour shortage related to the demographic evolution (Bélanger et Marois, 2015), and also to retirement of many nurses (Farges et Tremblay, 2016). With the aging of population, we see an increase in demand for health services, which makes the labor shortage even more preoccupying. Two main issues have been put forward a few years ago in order to try to explain the difficulty in attracting and retaining nurses: work organization and Lean Management, in particular job control and work-family balance issues. In recent years, in Canada, work-family balance issues and job control or autonomy were often put forward as a main difficulty or resentment for nurses, pushing them to leave the profession early, as soon as 5 years after graduation (Tremblay, 2014a), early retirement remaining a challenge in many occupations and organizations searching for solutions to maintain their workers in employment. (Mansour and Tremblay, 2018a) In some countries, these challenges have led to the adoption of Lean Management, some organizations considering they can find here solutions to increase the work done in the health and especially nursing sector. (Tremblay, 2014 ; Bourbonnais et al., 2000). Also, as in many other countries, aging in Québec (Canada) is important. The Health Department expects that in 2031, 15 % of the population will be 65 and over, and the number of 85 and over will double within 20 years from now. Also, the Health Dept indicates that 48 % of the population aged 15 and over has at least one chronic health issue. Therefore the gap between public income and increase in health costs is increasing, calling for solutions to be found. This is why Lean Management sometimes is introduced in certain organizations (Bouville et Trempe, 2015). In this article, we will address these challenges and try to find the elements on which the Health department and hospitals could act in order to increase the number of nurses, and more specifically to attract and retain more. For this, two main issues are addressed in the literature, that is firstly work-life issues, and second, work organization, (lean) management and job control.

Linking Organizational-Based Self-Esteem with Intention to Quit: The Moderating Role of Work-Family Conflict Experience Among Financial Service Sector Employees in Non-Western Culture.  Stephen Iloke, American Psychological Association; Obiajulu Anthony Nnedum, Nnamdi Azikiwe University - Awka, Nigeria; Emmanuel Ezechukwu, Nnamdi Azikiwe University - Awka, Nigeria; Precious Ike, Nnamdi Azikiwe University - Awka, Nigeria; Chinelo Okeke, Nnamdi Azikiwe University - Awka, Nigeria; Adesuwa Atalor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University - Awka, Nigeria; Matthew Eze, Nnamdi Azikiwe University - Awka, Nigeria; and Jerome Ezisi, Nnamdi Azikiwe University - Awka, Nigeria

Abstract Employee intention to quit is a major problem to employee assistance professionals. There is a dearth of empirical evidence on the role of work-family conflict in the relationship linking organizational-based self-esteem with intention to quit among financial service sector workers. The participants of the study comprised of (393) females and (123) males workers. The measures of intention to quit, work-family conflict, organizational-based self-esteem were deployed. However, organizational based self-esteem correlated with intention to quit (r = -.09), work-family conflict correlated with intention to quit (r = -.14); both were inversely related, at p < .05 and p < .01 respectively. Results of the moderated regression indicated a significant negative interaction of organizational-based self-esteem (OBSE) and work-family conflict in predicting employee’s intention to quit their job (B = -0.77, p < .001), which accounted for additional 8% of the variance in intention to quit (R2 change = 0.08), and this contribution was found to be highly significant; F(1,508) = 44.88, p < .001). The work-family conflict had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between OBSE and IQ. This result explains that employees’ confidence in their esteemed organization will likely reduce their intention to quit their current job only when there is a low work-family conflict experience; whereas when there is a high work-family conflict experience, then there is a propensity for the employees to quit their job irrespective of how they value their esteemed organization. Hypotheses 1, 2, and 3 were supported. Work-family conflict matters most to workers.

Humanizing the Ideal Worker from Within, or Occupational Scope Creep?: Physician Assistant Students’ Acceptance of and Resistance to Arts and Humanities Training.  Samantha Ammons, University of Nebraska, Omaha; T Lynne Barone, University of Nebraska, Omaha; Shaun C Horak, University of Nebraska Medical Center; Pamela L Dickey, University of Nebraska Medical Center; Abigail K Berg, University of Nebraska Medical Center; Hugh L'Heureux, University of Nebraska Omaha; Adrian Duran, University of Nebraska Omaha; Melissa Berke, University of Nebraska Omaha; Beth A Culross, University of Nebraska Medical Center; Daniel N Hawkins, University of Nebraska, Omaha; Steve Langan, University of Nebraska Omaha; Joseph McCaffrey, University of Nebraska Omaha; and Amy Morris, University of Nebraska Omaha

The attributes of the ideal worker norm (long hours, commitment to work, and privileging work above all other domains) is well-documented, as are its negative effects at the individual, family, and team levels. Nevertheless, dislodging this norm within organizations and occupations is challenging. Can intervention during early occupational training shift the norm? In this paper, we discuss findings from a curriculum intervention with a cohort of 64 Physician Assistant (PA) students during their didactic year. They participated in nine arts and humanities modules (e.g. creating poetry, music appreciation, drawing, and acting) intended to cultivate empathy, foster provider-patient communication, and build rapport. The arts and humanities content is designed to be carried into practice, to reduce the likelihood of burnout as working healthcare professionals. After the modules, PA students participated in two rounds of focus groups a year apart before and after clinical rotations. To what extent did PA students accept this new content blurring the line between work and leisure? Our findings indicate that many students saw value in the modules. Moreover, initial hesitancy and resistance transformed later into increased acceptance and appreciation. We discuss students’ struggles to reconcile arts and humanities content into their occupational training and the factors that shifted their perspective (such as modeling of preceptors during their clinical rotation). Our findings highlight short-term tensions that exist when the content of occupational roles shift and suggest that there are merits to undoing the ideal worker norm during occupational socialization.

'Energizing Wind Technicians’: The Relationship Between Age-Related HRM-Policies and Leave Intention Mediated by Work Engagement and the Moderating Role of Age.  Pascale Peters, Nyenrode Business Universiteit; and Arne Vanderstukken, Open University of the Netherlanarne.vanderstukken@ou.nlds

Labour-market shortages in the wind-production sector severely challenge climate objectives. This study contributes to conversations on age-related Human Resource Management (HRM) policies by providing insight into the relationships between perceived (bundles of) age-related HRM-policies and wind technicians’ leave intention and the moderating role of age herein. Building on lifespan and HRM-literatures, we developed hypotheses that were tested using multivariate analysis (PROCESS) on data from 101 wind engineers in the Netherlands. The bundle ‘development’ comprises practices relating to career planning, development on job, promotion, and regular training. ‘Maintenance’ comprises compressed work week, ergonomic adjustment, flexible benefits, flexible working time, performance appraisal, performance pay, and working from home. ‘Utilization’ comprises lateral job movement, participation, from-work-to-work-transition, and task enrichment (knowledge transfer). ‘Accommodative’ comprises additional leave, demotion, early retirement, exemption from working overtime, prolonged career interruptions, reduced workload, and part-time working. In line with expectations, we found negative relationships between ‘development’ and ‘maintenance’ and leave intention, partly mediated by work engagement. In contrast to expectations, we found a positive direct relationship between ‘accommodative’ and leave intention, not being mediated by work engagement. The positive relationship between ‘accommodative’ and leave intention, however, was negatively moderated by age (i.e., leave intention of older workers (45+) was lower). Strikingly, no relationship was found between ‘utilization’ and leave intention. We concluded that specific age-related HRM-practices (i.e., ‘development’ and ‘maintenance’) can contribute to retaining wind technicians, meanwhile enhancing sustainable work, whereas accommodative practices predict leave intention, but less so for older than younger workers.

Paper Session

Changes in Family (Formation) Choices and Reproductive Behavior

Paper Session

Changes in Work in Times of Crisis


Farming Family in Times of Drought: Intra-Household Labour Patterns and Hierarchy.  Marta Gospodarczyk, University of Warsaw

The presentation concerns the intra-farming household relations during a slow-moving violent crisis in the form of drought. Since farming is often a family affair - a statement true especially for the case country for this presentation, Poland - the relations between the family and the household, and the farm, as a workplace, are tight and intersecting. The members of the farming households must take actions and create strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of drought. These strategies are created based on process of negotiations and bargaining between the individual adult members of the farming households, and are influenced by a plethora of factors, both close to home and connected to macroeconomic processes. This research is focused on several questions: - What competing interests between members of the farming households may arise, and are they gender-based? - How are these competing interests negotiated, and how are they recognized in the process of the creation of household coping strategies in times of drought? - How do gendered labour patterns in the farming household change in times of drought? - How are the coping strategies created? - What factors influence the creation of said strategies? The presentation is based on individual, in-depth interviews with adult members of farming households and participant observations in Eastern Poland, in a research location that may be described as conservative in regards to gender roles. The important findings are: - women are likely to self-marginalize their role in the farm, and are not likely to call themselves farmers; - women seldom take up work outside the farm, as their work is necessary for its' survival; - women are likely to bear the brunt of caring labour in the household and manage the emotions connected to drought; - women are included in the household strategy-making efforts, however, their interests are contingent upon the condition of the farm; - the strategies undertaken by farming households range from, paradoxically, lack of visible strategy (apathy), to innovation and investment, to plans to abandon farming whatsoever. This research shows the need to nuance programs directed at households, to recognize their internal hierarchies and tensions between their members. Further gender mainstreaming efforts in drought management programs should be implemented, and those programs could possibly reflect both the differences in gendered experience of drought, as well as the nature of the phenomenon as a slowly violent crisis.

Flexible, Independent, Engaged?.  Lianara Dreyer, WZB Berlin Social Science Center

The consulting industry is expanding, as both private firms and public administrations require consultants' assistance due to the growing complexity of tasks. This is especially evident in the area of digital infrastructure development, where consultants' specialized knowledge is increasingly needed. This article analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the service sector's approach to work, using consulting firms as an example. According to neoinstitutionalist theory, consulting firms that guide clients through change processes can be viewed as models for future widespread organizational forms. Based on ten interviews with consultants and leaders from consulting firms, this study analyses how organizations adapted working practices during the pandemic, including how they organised internal cooperation, provided consulting services, and the potential future implications of these changed working practices for everyday consultancy. The analysis suggests that consulting firms gained advantages by implementing work from home (WFH) for their clients. The cultural shift to a home office setup on the client side created greater flexibility for consultants, which enhanced their well-being and made the job more appealing, especially for employees with children. This facilitated efficient organization and sustainable methods for advisory work. The negative effects pertained to consultants’ everyday work: Working remotely was associated with feelings of isolation and reduced interaction with colleagues. Celebrations of success and other fun aspects of work disappeared. The pandemic led to heightened personal responsibility demands on employees and the need for high levels of self-organization and self-discipline when working from home. The article concludes by discussing the challenges faced by the service sector regarding changes in the work environment. It presents actionable steps that can be taken to improve working conditions for the benefit of employees and further highlights the resulting implications for labor and social policy. The paper fits thematically into the Changes in Work stream by addressing the organization of work, the changes in work, and the future of work in the service sector. Focusing on practical forms of collaboration bridges the divide between academia and practice, and appeals the different stakeholders at the conference.

Does Work from Home Bring More Babies? Homeworking Intensity, Gender Role Attitudes, and Fertility Intentions in Times of Crisis.  Shiyu Yuan, University of Kent; and Heejung Chung, King&#x27;s College London

Unlike previous crises, the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced unique circumstances and dynamics aside from economic uncertainty and health concerns. One of the most unique and long-lasting changes is the broad adoption of working from home (WFH). Beyond the practical changes, many researchers found that the pandemic-driven surge in WFH may have also diminished its associated cultural barriers and stigmas. In light of these changes and developments, our study investigates how the surge in WFH during the pandemic has influenced, and will continue to influence, the fertility intentions of workers. We hypothesize that WFH could influence workers’ fertility through the nexus of individuals’ work-life dynamics. Moreover, its impact is expected to vary across socioeconomic groups, particularly among individuals with diverse gender role attitudes. We use data from Understanding Society COVID-19 survey wave 9, collected in September 2021, a period when all lockdowns ended in the UK. We focus particularly on the potential moderating effect of gender role attitudes, exploring what will the likely fertility effects be of promoting gender-egalitarian norms in a world increasingly embracing home working. Our empirical analysis, utilizing a logistic regression model, underscores the significance of WFH intensity and gender ideology in workers’ homeworking experience and their subsequent fertility intentions. By assessing the effects of both workers’ current homeworking practices and their future expectations of homeworking on fertility, this study will enhance our understanding of childbearing decision-making in a rapidly changing world where remote work is becoming increasingly common.

Paper Session

Childbearing, Fertility, and Paid Leave


Kids, Books & Consumption: A Developing Economy Model.  Indrajit Thakurata, Indian Institute of Management

This study estimates the implicit child-birth related expenditures that parents across income groups may be facing based on their empirically observed fertility rates. Employing a two-generation, multi-period model with endogenous fertility, income risk, borrowing as well as human capital investment constraints, the study numerically simulates intergenerational poverty traps as part of low income households’ optimizing behaviour. It explores the relative strengths of parental incomes, child-bearing related parental expenditures, and its transmission into cognitive ability of the child, in enhancing intergenerational mobility of human capital. Cognitively developed children increase parental human capital investments through reduction of fertility, assets and consumption. A policy like subsidised education improves children’s human capital through lowering of births while greater educational access is seen to improve both quality & quantity of children. Policies that subsidise cognitive ability related investments are extremely powerful in boosting average human capital. The study finds that policy induced trade-offs are substantial when family sizes are small.

Negotiating Work and Family Spheres: The Dyadic Effects of Flexible Work Arrangements on Fertility Among Dual-Earner Heterosexual Couples.  Senhu Wang, National University of Singapore; and Jolene Tan, Australian National University

Abstract Making flexible work arrangements (FWAs) the default in workplaces has been suggested by academics and policymakers to promote a family-friendly workplace culture that is conducive for having and raising children. However, there is limited systematic research investigating how FWAs, as a long-term approach to negotiate work–family spheres, are related to fertility among dual-earner heterosexual couples. Drawing on the linked-lives perspective, this study aims to theorize the relationship between FWAs and fertility among couples and how it may vary depending on the interplay of both spouses’ work and family characteristics. We test our hypotheses using longitudinal couple-level dyadic data in the UK (2010–2022). The results show that while the availability of FWAs alone is not related to fertility, wives’ (rather than husbands’) actual use of FWAs is significantly associated with a higher probability of experiencing a first birth. Moreover, the effect of wives’ use of FWAs is particularly pronounced when both spouses work in professional and managerial occupations, and when husbands contribute a larger proportion of income and equal or more housework. This study reveals a gendered effect of FWAs on fertility across different work–family arrangements, which deepens our understanding of couple-level dynamics in the fertility process.

The Return to Work Crossroads: An Examination of New York State Mothers' Decision Making and the Impact of Paid Family Leave.  Jillian Morley, Cornell University; and Elizabeth Day, University of Oregon

This paper explores the influence of New York State's Paid Family Leave (PFL) policy on mothers' decisions regarding their return to work after childbirth. This research builds on the established relationship between female labor market outcomes and Paid Family Leave policies by interrogating the nuances in mothers' decision-making processes surrounding the return to work across industries. The study utilized open-ended interviews with 15 participants, including 10 PFL users and 5 mothers that were unable to utilize the state’s PFL benefits. Respondents were recruited through purposive snowball sampling and inquiries to maternal online networks. Qualitative content analysis of interview transcripts reveal the interplay between maternal aspirations, workplace conditions, and policy provisions to bridge the gap between mothers' desire to work and their employment decisions. The findings call for holistic policy solutions that address diverse challenges, such as childcare issues and breastfeeding support, while elevating opportunities presented by hybrid work arrangements.

Paper Session

Class, Gender, and Race: Privilege and Stratification in Work-Life Experiences


Work-Life Balance, But For Who: Examining the Construct Through the Lens of Privilege.  Marie-Hélène Budworth, York University; and Huda Masood, Sam Houston State University

Changes to the nature of work have altered how work and family are experienced. A key driver of this shift being the identification of essential and non-essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic (van Zoonen & Hoeven, 2021). As a result, the early 2020s created a divide between those who have an option to work from home and those who do not. In general, flexibility is available to those who are in a “privileged labour market position” (Felstead, Jewson, Phizacklea, & Walters, 2002, p.214). Although the pandemic has ended, hybrid work arrangements persist, revolutionizing the structure of the workforce globally. This change raises important scholarly questions about who has access to work-life balance. The purpose of this paper is to advance theory by applying a critical lens in understanding the role of “privilege” as it relates to the work-life interface (Shuck et al., 2016). This work examines the following questions: (a) How is the concept of work-life balance experienced differently by those who have choice or flexibility in how the work is organized versus those who do not? (b) How has this concept evolved relative to the context created in recent years? (c) Who is disadvantaged due to the work-from-home arrangements? How? and (d) Who benefits from such an arrangement? How? The aim of this research is to support a critical dialogue on what it means to maintain a balance between work and life domains in today’s world.

Can Workplace Inclusion Close Racial and Ethnic Gaps in Work-Family Spillover?.  Ipshita Pal, St. John&#x27;s University; Ellen Galinsky, Families and Work Institute; and Stacy Kim, Life Junctions

Work-life scholars and practitioners have consistently found organizational practices, formal and informal, are linked to employees’ work-life spillover. However, few studies have examined whether such practices have similar consequences across ethnoracial groups—an important gap—given differences in relevant demands and resources, both work-related (such as, access to benefits, interpersonal relationships, and social exclusion) and nonwork-related (such as household division of labor, caregiving responsibilities and kin support). In this study, using a diverse nationally representative sample of U.S.-based employees from the 2016 National Study of the Changing Workforce (N = 1489), we examine ethnoracial differences in work-life spillover and its association with workplace inclusion, a set of relational practices that make employees feel accepted, valued, supported, and involved, through workgroup support and belongingness, a culture of respect and trust, participatory decision-making, and a whole-employee approach. Using logistic regression models, adjusted for demographic, socio-economic and occupational characteristics, we estimate and compare probabilities of spillover between white and non-white employees over the distribution of inclusion scores. We find work-to-family spillover is high for both groups and negatively associated with workplace inclusion, but ethnorcial differences are not significant; however, while family-to-work spillover is also high; it is significantly negatively associated with workplace inclusion only for non-white employees. Overall, the ethnoracial difference in work-family spillover is significantly smaller in more inclusive workplaces. Our findings provide new evidence on the role of employer practices in shaping work-family outcomes and indicate that they may be more consequential for non-white employees.

An (Un)necessary Separation from Families? The Case of Migrant Farmworkers in Canada.  Jill Hanley, McGill University; Guillermo Ventura Sanchez, Concordia University; and Pankil Goswami, McGill University

The experience of migration for temporary foreign workers in Canada provides novel perspectives in understanding critical issues of work and family studies. Focusing on the injured migrant farmworkers in Quebec and Ontario, the research studies throw light on how injured migrant farmworkers survive in alien and challenging conditions in Canada and experience radical changes in living and working without their family. Precarious conditions of work aided by exploitative employers and lack of family care and support in cases of work injury amplifies the need to better respond to challenges that arise for these workers. The initial findings point out the need for family to be accompanied by workers while they venture out on this long treacherous path to work on Canadian farmlands. However, the design of the program for temporary foreign workers working in agriculture makes it more difficult to bring families points out to the larger theme of bordering practices for temporary workers. The current study tries to provide new contributions in the field of work and family studies and the transitions that families experience from the perspective of migrant farmworkers in Canada. The study also brings forward the issue of migration of workers from the global south within the realm of family and work studies.

When Multiple Oppressions Intersect: Breastfeeding and Muslim South African Mothers in the Workplace.  Feranaaz Farista, University of Cape Town; and Ameeta Jaga, University of Cape Town

Overarching questions/concerns 1. What are Muslim mothers' breastfeeding experiences and decisions during maternity leave and in anticipating their return to work? 2. How do their intersecting social identities within interpersonal contexts, organisational practices, and wider societal processes affect these experiences and decisions? Statement on methods Data from 36, one-on-one, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with Muslim mothers in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa were thematically analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-step guide. Important findings 1. Embodied Motherhood: Navigating Modesty and Taboos, delves into the complexities of maternal identity within societal and religious frameworks, exploring issues such as breastfeeding, Islamic modesty, and the abject maternal body. 2. Maternal Paradox: Tradition and Modern Realities, delves into the dual challenges faced by modern mothers, balancing Islamic-specific motherhood expectations with contemporary pressures such as returning to work amidst economic constraints and family disapproval. It will explore the complexities of fulfilling Islamic duties while navigating the demands of modern life. 3. Maternal Mental Load, explores how workplace support affects mothers' mental health, balancing motherhood with employment, addressing postpartum depression risks, and the challenges and benefits of flexible work arrangements. Implications for research, policy and/or practice Our research offers nuanced contributions to understanding the experiences of Muslim mothers from the global South. By departing from predominantly Eurocentric perspectives, we enrich the literature with empirical insights, challenging universalising narratives that overlook cultural diversity. Additionally, we interrogate epistemological assumptions about maternal subjectivity, highlighting the necessity of considering diverse cultural contexts. Through a feminist, intersectional lens, our study serves as an epistemic intervention, deconstructing existing hegemonic norms and revealing hidden biases. This approach deepens our understanding of maternal experiences and prevents the homogenisation of Muslim mothers. Furthermore, integrating transnational psychology with intersectionality sheds light on the complex identity dilemmas and decisions confronted by Muslim mothers during their maternity leave. Our recommendations emphasise the necessity of culturally sensitive, family-friendly policies to support lactating Muslim mothers, fostering greater inclusivity of diverse women in the workplace.

Paper Session

Considerations for Child Development and Child Care


Time Allocation Depending on Nonmaternal Childcare Usage, Time Pressure, and Life Satisfaction Among Korean Mothers: A Sequence Analysis.  Ha Young Choi, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaig; Hanjin Bae, Seoul National University, South Korea; and Karen Kramer, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaig

Since 2013, South Korea has progressively provided childcare services to all preschoolers irrespective of household income or maternal employment status. It is now a policy and research priority to evaluate whether nonmaternal childcare provides Korean mothers with additional time resources and better well-being. Based on the concept of contamination in mothers' scheduling (Flood et al., 2020), we conduct a novel sequence analysis with the Korean Time Use Survey (KTUS) of mothers with children aged 0 to 5 in 2009, 2014, and 2019 cohorts. We identify four daily scheduling patterns of working mothers: 1) standard work schedule, 2) leaving work early, 3) midweek day off, and 4) leaving work late. In addition, five scheduling patterns are identified among stay-at-home mothers: 1) daylong intense mothering, 2) daylong mothering after nighttime leisure and morning sleep, 3) daytime housework between morning and evening mothering, 4) daylong housework followed by early bedtime, and 5) daytime leisure between morning and evening mothering. We find that working mothers in the midweek day off group (having the most uncontaminated daytime) exhibit the highest life satisfaction, with this relationship being fully mediated by lower time pressure. We also observe that among stay-at-home mothers, those who utilize nonmaternal childcare for scheduling uncontaminated housework or leisure (absence of children) show higher life satisfaction, and this effect is fully mediated by reduced time pressure when compared to those engaging in daylong intense mothering. We provide theoretical and policy implications of how to better support nonmaternal childcare for both working and non-working mothers.

Raising the Professional Class: Childcare Selection in an Era of Rising Inequality.  Talya Wolf, CUNY - Graduate Center

While it is established that childcare is a site of class reproduction, there is little research on early childcare specifically. This is a glaring gap in the literature given the relevance to American families: Limited publicly subsidized childcare or paid parental leave in the United States means that childcare is largely contingent upon the availability of family resources. Furthermore, high inequality results in disparate parenting practices and childcare experiences based on families’ financial status (Lareau 2011; Stahl et al. 2018). This creates an early childcare landscape in which those with more personal resources are able to access high-quality care and prepare their children to reproduce societal inequalities in the long run. Additionally, given the high levels of inequality in the United States, parents’ own standards of care and ability to attain their preferred childcare are greatly influenced by their class status. This provides the foundation for an early childcare landscape that mirrors and maintains current inequalities. Through in-depth interviews with mothers of young children (ages 0-3) based in New York City, this work begins uncover what professional-class women value most in their early childcare arrangements. Uncovering which childcare scenarios professional-class parents consider valuable reveals more than simply their care preferences. It offers a window into the resources, education, and experiences they believe very young children need to maintain their class advantage in the long run. Uncovering these values can help elucidate some of the pathways by which intergenerational transmission of inequality is maintained at early stages of the life course.

Exploring Predictors of Children's Socioemotional Development: A Machine Learning Analysis of Two Longitudinal Datasets.  Qiujie Gong, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaig; Karen Kramer, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaig; and Xiaoyang Lu, Illinois Institute of Technology

Early childhood has been identified as a vital stage for children’s socioemotional development. While numerous environmental factors contribute to this development, the relative influence of each remains inadequately understood. This study employs advanced machine learning techniques (i.e., LASSO regression, gradient boosting, and random forest) to explore the primary predictors of children's early socioemotional development using two longitudinal datasets, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) and the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS). Our findings revealed that mothers’ literacy involvement consistently emerged as a significant predictor of children’s socioemotional skills across both datasets, with higher literacy involvement linked to better socioemotional skills. Additionally, parental working hours serve as another significant predictor common to both datasets. Longer working hours are associated with children's lower socioemotional skills, suggesting that parental stress from work may overflow and impact family dynamics. Further, father-related variables, including caregiving, literacy involvement, work-family balance stress, and parenting stress, also consistently played vital roles in both datasets, underscoring the significance of fathers in children's development. Finally, while mothers’ literacy involvement was the most important predictor in ECLS-B, in the FFCWS dataset, mothers' parenting stress emerged as the most important determinant, highlighting that various predictors might hold different levels of importance for socioemotional development across distinct family contexts. This research supports the ecological system theory, emphasizing diverse factors shaping early socioemotional development. These insights hold significant implications for educational initiatives, clinical practices, and family-centered policies, aimed at fostering holistic socioemotional growth in children.

Paper Session

Contemporary Work-Family Challenges and Policy Implications


Generational Change in “Ideal Worker” Norms Among Postdocs in the Life Sciences.  Heather Hofmeister, Goethe University Frankfurt; and Anne-Kathrin Kronberg, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Overarching Questions Half a century after second-wave feminism, one main focus of inquiry still is the persistent underrepresentation of women in higher level academic science. The persistence of the “ideal worker” norm (Williams 2000) and the inability of the primary caregiver in a household to fulfil it has been offered as one explanation for the underrepresentation of women in many fields. We examine the degree to which resistance to the “ideal worker” model may play a role in strategic career decisions and future expectations for the next generation of top scientists in the life sciences. Do they reject a long-hours work culture? How do their ideals differ from their supervisors' expectations? Methods We use qualitative in-depth interviews with 22 life sciences postdocs (13 men, 9 women) in their final year from the same highly competitive research institution, and follow-up interviews, plus 5 interviews with principal investigators from their supervisors. Findings We found that all nine women and 12 of 13 men in the sample felt internal resistance to imitating the lives of their supervisors. The supervisors, in turn, were critical of the postdocs’ values. Despite these postdocs being among the best and brightest scientists in a cutting-edge industry, and wanting an alternative path, they largely did not see themselves as holding negotiating power for alternative ideal futures. Implications Our research may help predict the likelihood of change or continuation of labor market inequalities in one scientific field along gender lines. Parenthood status, gender, and region of origin played a role and will be discussed.

Post-Pandemic ‘Work From Home Revolution’ Discourses and the Invisibilisation of Women’s Unpaid Care Labour in Australia..  Amanda Peters, Monash University

In Australia, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns brought changes in work practices marked by a significant rise in the number of employees engaging in remote work arrangements. In the media and other public discoursers this shift in employment patterns has been dubbed ‘the work from home revolution’. This presentation critically analyses these ‘work from home’ discourses using a gendered perspective to understand how they may sustain existing patriarchal economic and social structures. A category analysis of Australian media and industry narratives of a ‘work from home revolution’ will explore how these narratives reinvigorate hegemonic masculine discourses of work. It is well established that the devaluation of unpaid care work, which is predominantly performed by women, is a key driver of gender inequality. This occurs in part via invisibilisation, a process in which unpaid care labour is simultaneously devalued and exploited within capitalism by obscuring the fact that labour has been performed. Invisibilisation of women’s unpaid care labour occurs via patriarchal socio-cultural mechanisms which tie definitions of work exclusively to forms of labour for which someone is paid, such mechanisms exclude women’s unpaid care labour despite it being an essential part of the production system. This presentation will explore how ‘work from home revolution’ discourses invisibilise women’s unpaid care work, and thus reinforce patriarchal economic and cultural structures which drive gender inequality.

Redefining Boundaries: The Evolving Dynamics of Work-Life Interface in the Digital Age.  Moses Kayanja, Multitech Business School; and Moses Kayanja, Multitech Business School

The advent of the digital age and the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic have thrust the global workforce into a reevaluation of traditional work structures. This research examines the new intersections forming between work and family in this era of change. Using a multi-modal approach, we gathered qualitative and quantitative data from professionals across various sectors, regions, and family structures. Our findings suggest a shift in the definition of work and its significance at varying life stages, especially among the younger generation who prioritize flexibility and work-life integration. Concurrently, the dynamics of family experiences are changing, with a noticeable decline in traditional family models in high-income nations, coupled with increased feelings of isolation despite being more digitally connected than ever. Furthermore, the paper investigates how these changes affect transitional stages in the life course, from childhood to old age, emphasizing the evolving challenges and coping mechanisms. Finally, our research highlights innovative solutions and practices from both global north and south that can serve as models for creating a balanced and inclusive work-life paradigm. By understanding these intricate dynamics, stakeholders can better navigate the future of work and family, ensuring resilience, equity, and holistic well-being.

“Now I Have Two Dads and No Mom”: Investigating the Familial Experience of Adults Learning ‘Not Parent Expected’ News From an At-Home Ancestry DNA Test.  Juliette Careau, McGill University; and Rob Whitley, McGill University

According to recent estimates, over 30 million people have taken at-home DNA tests with companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA. These tests reveal details about a user’s ethnic ancestry, and also match users with biological relations on their database. This process can throw up sudden and surprising news. The most shocking may be a ‘Not Parent Expected’ (NPE) discovery, where a user learns that an assumed father is not a biological father. In this presentation, the authors will report the results of a qualitative study aiming to document the psychosocial experience of people receiving NPE news from an at-home DNA test. This involved 52 semi-structured interviews with affected individuals, analyzed using thematic analysis. Results indicate that learning NPE news revealed unknown truths about a user’s conception such as marital infidelity, sperm donation and other uncommon stories. Most participants reported that the discovery had a profoundly negative impact on family dynamics, especially concerning their mother, leading to ruptured relationships and shattered trust. Participants often used the language of grief, trauma and loss in this regard. In some cases, participants established positive and rewarding relationships with their new biological family, including the biological father and half-siblings. But overall, the discovery typically had negative implications for mental health. Some participants sought help from therapists and psychologists in response to the news, but these were often considered ill-equipped to help. All this suggests the need for tailored training for family therapists and psychologists, as well as targeted interventions that can help the NPE population.

Teaching, Research, Administration and Family: A Comparative Case Study of Professor’s Work-Life Balance in Brazil and Canada.  Ana Luiza Leite, Santa Catarina State University; Linda Duxbury, Carleton University; Dannyela da Cunha Lemos, Santa Catarina State University; and Mario Cesar Barreto de Morais, Santa Catarina State University

The term work-life balance (WLB) came into use in the 1970s concomitant with the influx of women into the workforce. Since then, research in this domain has exploded as academics and practitioners sought a better understanding of the phenomena. Most of this research has focused on the balance between work (defined most often as a unitary construct - work) and family roles. Few studies have examined the challenges faced by employees who job requires them to balance the demands imposed by multiple competing work roles with their roles outside of work. Our study contributes to the WLB literature by looking at how University faculty in two countries (Canada, Brazil) balance the competing demands imposed by three quite different work roles (teacher, researcher, and administrator) and how this impacted their role performance at work and at home. We use Role Theory to theoretically frame our qualitative study which involved interviews with 23 Canadian and 24 Brazilian business school professors. Participants were asked questions pertaining to their work and family demands during COVID. We also administered a short survey designed to collect demographic data as well as data on time spent in work/ non-work roles. Most informants reported high levels of conflict between the teaching and research roles and that this conflict split over into the family domain. Results from this study can be used by universities to design mechanisms to support their professors’ desire to balance having a life with their aspirations as researchers and teachers.

Paper Session

Contextualizing Work-Family Conflict: Considering Class and COVID-19


An Eight-Wave Study of Manager Burnt-Out Risk in New Zealand: Is Covid-19 Impacting Managers Still?.  Jarrod Haar, Massey University; and David Brougham, Massey University

Job burnout refers to a work-related state of exhaustion, characterized by tiredness, lower cognitive and emotional processes, and cynicism. The Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) is unique because a high burnt-out risk can be calculated, representing severe burnout levels. The present study focuses on managers due to their importance in the workplace, not only in decision making, but also due to contagion effects on followers. A quasi-natural experiment was achieved due to studying manager burnout immediately before Covid-19 lockdown in New Zealand (February 2020), immediately post-lockdown (May 2020), and then roughly every six months: December 2020, April 2021, November 2021, May 2022, December 2022, and June 2023. These were paid panels (each wave is unique) between n=268-505. Each study included the BAT plus high work demands with odds ratios calculated. The burnt-out risk rate was 19.5% (February 2020), 20.6% (May 2020), 25.2% (December 2020), 32.7% (April 2021), 52.1% (November 2021), 31.4% (May 2022), 25.9% (December 2022), and 27.2% (June 2023). This provides evidence that high burnt-out risk grew steadily and peaked in late 2021 but remain stubbornly high. Currently, around a quarter of managers are working while burnt-out. High work demands are key, with significant odds ratios towards burnt-out risk of 6.7/5.6/7.8/4.6/3.2/4.6/3.7/10.1 times the risk. The findings suggest managers as a group might be suffering a serious impediment to their well-being, through managing massive change not only through COVID-19, but also managing working-from-home expansion. This group needs greater organizational support and attention to their well-being for their personal and organizational futures.

Work-to Family Conflict or Family-to Work Conflict? Variations in Work Family Conflict on Women's Mental Well-Being By Class..  Berglind Hólm Ragnarsdóttir, University of Akureyri; Valgerður S. Bjarnadóttir, University of Iceland; and Andrea Hjálmsdóttir, University of Akureyri

In this presentation we report findings from a study where we estimate the effect of work-family conflict on women’s mental well-being and explore whether that relationship is contingent on class. Prior research finds that high levels of work-family conflict negatively impact women’s well-being. However, most research concentrates on women of high socio-economic status. Variation in the effects of work-family conflict across socio-economic class has been understudied. Moreover, most estimates of work-family conflict do not distinguish between the differing effects of work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict, two directional components of work-family conflict that have different antecedents and consequences. We use data from a cross-sectional phone survey conducted on a sample of Icelandic women in spring 2022. Key findings include: i) work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict both have a direct effect on symptoms of anxiety and depression for all women, ii) when we introduce the interaction term for class we find that work-to-family conflict increases symptoms of anxiety and depression across the class spectrum, but, iii) the effect of family-to-work conflict is contingent on class position. Working-class women are more likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety due to family-to-work conflict than women of intermediate or salariat class. These findings underline the importance of including class-structures in research on work-family conflict and not ignoring class disparities in women’s resources and barriers when it comes to juggling work and family. Moreover, these findings demonstrate the need to consider both work-to-family conflict as well as family-to-work conflict in research on work and family.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Childcare and Gender Equity.  Alicia Modestino, Northeastern University; Jamie Ladge, Northeastern University; Alisa Lincoln, Northeastern University; and Zachary Finn, Northeastern University

Overarching questions/concerns The COVID-19 pandemic was labeled by some to be a “She-cession” due to the disproportionate impact on women workers who were more likely to be employed in industries and occupations that suffered large job losses during the subsequent recession. At the same time, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an unprecedented disruption to caregiving as daycares and schools were closed, exposing the critical link between childcare and the labor market. Prior research has tried to disentangle the differential impact of COVID-19 on the labor market outcomes and well-being of mothers due to the disproportionate allocation of childcare responsibilities, using variations in lockdown, school and daycare closures or comparing households with children of different ages as a proxy for caregiving responsibilities. However, these approaches are unable to separately identify the differential impact of the pandemic on female labor outcomes caused by the childcare shock versus the COVID recession due to the endogeneity of household decision making. To address this shortcoming, we use a national panel survey to directly ask working parents if they lost a job or reduced their hours solely due to childcare and then compare the experiences of households that had a greater exposure to the childcare shock based on their pre-pandemic characteristics. We also estimate the degree to which households had access to and utilized employer benefits to alleviate the effects of childcare responsibilities on labor market outcomes. Finally, we examine whether the lack of childcare during the pandemic differentially affected maternal well-being including sleep qualify, job satisfaction, psychological distress, and parental stress. Statement on methods To answer these questions, we conducted a national panel survey of roughly 2,500 working parents Mother’s Day (May 10) and Father’s Day (June 21) of 2020. The survey included various categories of questions, including individual demographic and household characteristics, household time use before and during the pandemic, changes in work status and the causes of such changes, pre-existing and new employer benefit policies and practices, and changes in individual physical and mental well-being. We directly asked respondents whether adverse labor outcomes experienced during the pandemic were caused by the lack of childcare compared to other factors, as well as how childcare decisions were made during this unique moment in time. To separately identify the impacts of the pandemic on labor outcomes due solely to childcare, we create an affected group individuals who are more likely to be exposed to this negative shock that includes single parents and parents with working spouses who have a child under the age of 10 living in the household. Then to test our research questions, we run a series of OLS regressions looking at the joint impact of being in the affected group and female on the likelihood of experiencing adverse labor outcomes, whether employer policies alleviated these outcomes, as well as mental health indicators such as psychological distress or job satisfaction. Throughout, we control for various demographic and labor characteristics, including race, age, income, education, school closure, access to backup childcare, job type, and industry. Important findings During the onset of the pandemic, women significantly increased time spent per week on schoolwork and playing with children as well as cooking and cleaning. Men saw marginal increases in time spent cooking and cleaning. Although moms were more likely to experience both job loss compared and hours reductions to dads, working mothers in the affected group were disproportionately more likely to have only reduced their hours worked due to childcare responsibilities compared to those with less exposure to the childcare shock. Although moms experienced a variety of declines in well-being compared to dads, working mothers in the affected group were only more likely to be dissatisfied with their jobs. Although roughly one-quarter of working parents had access to paid family leave, fewer than 4 percent of working parents used this benefit during the early months of the pandemic. Neither standard policies aimed at lessening adverse labor outcomes, such as family or medical leave, nor newer policies such as childcare subsidies or the ability to work from home, were effective in alleviating the adverse labor market outcomes experienced by working mothers in the affected group. Implications for research, policy and/or practice We learn that gender dynamics and childcare responsibilities played a significant role in the gender differences seen in labor outcomes during the pandemic. This can help to inform future policy makers looking to support working parents and women, by better understanding how childcare decisions are made.

Pandemic Shadows: Unmasking Gender Disparities in Academic Productivity and Well-Being.  Marisa Young, McMaster University; Nicole McNair, McMaster University; Gabriella Christopher, University of Toronto; and Loa Gordon, McMaster University

Women academics experience inequalities across multiple facets in the workplace, including research productivity; teaching, advising and mentoring responsibilities; service workload, and cross-over stress between work and family obligations. The recent COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these gender disparities. Drawing upon 2021 data from 475 research faculty and staff at a lead research university in Canada, we highlight such inequalities. Our data suggest that the impact of the global pandemic has been far-reaching and potentially long-lasting for women in academia. Results initially suggest that men and women experienced similar setbacks in productivity due to COVID-19. However, women experience far greater work-family conflict and mental health problems due to COVID-19; and, both work-family conflict and mental health problems due to COVID-19 are strongly associated with lost productivity during this period. In other words, even though it appears women and men have similar productivity, women were disadvantaged compared to their male counterparts during the pandemic because of unequal exposure to work-family conflict and mental health, which ultimately correlates with lost productivity. We discuss these results and conclude our paper with a discussion about the importance of rethinking the operationalization of “productivity” in post-secondary institutions, given the “un-covering” of differential exposure and vulnerabilities to stressors and mental health during the pandemic.

Navigating the Interplay of Financial Well-Being, Boundary Blurring, and Work-Life Balance: A Theoretical Exploration..  Joan-Ark Manu Agyapong, University of Cape Coast; Abigail Opoku Mensah, University of Professional Studies; Ummu Markwei, University of Professional Studies; Mercy DeSouza, University of Professional Studies; and Mary Naana Essiaw, University of Professional Studies

Abstract Purpose This theoretical exploration aims to investigate the interplay among financial well-being, boundary blurring, and work-life balance. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted an extensive literature review and analysis of relevant theoretical frameworks to examine the association among financial well-being, boundary blurring, and work-life balance. Findings The findings of this study indicate that financial well-being notably impacts boundary permeability and work-life balance. Individuals with superior financial well-being demonstrated an increased probability of experiencing enhanced work-life balance and lesser extents of boundary blending. Limitation A constraint of the study is its emphasis on theoretical and conceptual expedition as a research paradigm rather than utilizing a descriptive investigational pattern. Implication This paper underscores the crucial connection between financial wellness and achieving a harmonious work-life equilibrium, highlighting that individuals with sound financial stability are more likely to experience improved work-life balance and enhanced overall wellness. Additionally, the study illuminates the adverse consequences of boundary permeability, wherein the boundaries between occupational and personal life become indistinct, negatively impacting both financial well-being and work-life equilibrium. Originality/value This paper contributes to the current corpus of research by investigating the intricate interplay between financial well-being, boundary permeability, and work-life equilibrium. The findings provide valuable perspective for individuals, employers, and policymakers to devise strategies aimed at promoting financial well-being and preserving work-life balance. By exploring the complex dynamics between these factors, the study contributes new insights to help interested parties establish measures conducive to enhanced wellness in both financial and work-life domains. Keywords Financial well-being, boundary blurring, work-life balance

Paper Session

Couples, Spouses, and Others' Perception Within the Work-Family Interface


My Experience or Your Perception? A Meta-Analysis on the Association Between Self- and Other-Reported Work-Life Experiences.  Nina M. Junker, Universitetet i Oslo; Kinga Bierwiaczonek, Universitetet i Oslo; Sharon Toker, Tel Aviv University; and Jenny M. Hoobler, Nova School of Business &amp; Economics

Overarching questions/concerns: Work-life experiences, such as work-life conflict, enrichment, and balance, have important work- and life-related consequences for individuals themselves (e.g., Lapierre et al., 2018; Michel et al., 2010) and their role partners, such as their spouses (e.g., Li et al., 2021; Matei et al., 2021). However, not only do individuals’ experiences at the work-life intersection have such consequences, but also role partners’ perceptions of such experiences come with relevant negative (e.g., Hoobler et al., 2009; Li et al., 2017) and positive consequences (e.g., Filippi et al., 2022). This raises the question as to what extent such perceptions reflect individuals’ realities and which factors affect the association between self- and other-reported work-life experiences. Statement on methods: We conducted a preregistered meta-analysis of N = 35 primary studies that reported at least one correlation between self- and other-reported work-life experiences or perceptions. Important findings: - The congruence in self and other reports is lower than one might expect - There is some contingency of the size of congruence depending on moderating factors, such as who the other report is (e.g., spouse, supervisor) Implications for research, policy and/or practice: Other reported work-life experiences do not properly capture individuals' experiences and should not replace these in research. Rather than relying on perceptions, supervisors (and spouses) should ask about the actual experiences.

A Dyadic Model of Work-Family Enrichment: Job Resources, Capitalization, and Positive Anticipatory Emotions.  Zheng Chen, University of South Florida; and Allison Ellis, California Polytechnic State University

Despite a rich literature investigating the work-family interface at the individual level, emerging work has begun to show that how workers interpret, respond to, and are impacted by work stress is influenced by their immediate social context, particularly, spouses (e.g., Carlson et al., 2019). In our investigation involving 91 dual-career couples, we employed work-family enrichment (WFE) and crossover theories as the foundation for our research. Our primary focus was how job characteristics ( job demands and job variety) shape the WFE process. We examined a serial mediation model, in which job characteristics impact WFE in dual-career couples through two key factors: interpersonal capitalization (the sharing of positive work experiences with one's spouse) and positive anticipatory emotions (i.e., hope, eagerness, and confidence). To analyze our data, we utilized the actor-partner interdependence model, treating the couple as the unit of analysis. This approach allowed us to explore both intrapersonal and interpersonal effects, encompassing how one partner's job characteristics influenced their own outcomes (actor effects) and their partner's outcomes (partner effects). Our main findings demonstrated that in dual-career couples, job variety positively influenced capitalization efforts for both partners. Notably, husbands' capitalization had a positive impact on their own and their wives' positive anticipatory emotions, while wives' capitalization affected only their own. Additionally, wives' positive anticipatory emotions were associated with their own WFE but negatively impacted their husbands' WFE. Conversely, husbands' anticipatory emotions only positively influenced their own WFE. This study also explored other mediation paths within the dyadic model.

Gender Differences in the Impact of Telework on Spousal Time Squeeze in Japan.  Masaki Hosomi, Kansai University; and Tetsushi Fujimoto, Doshisha University

Overarching questions/concerns Teleworking has received much attention globally ever since COVID-19 pandemic set in. In general, teleworking is believed to exert positive effects on individuals and families, but it also has negative effects, such as blurring of boundaries between work and family and increase of family-to-work conflict. Although family time is important for family members’ well-being, few studies have focused on the effect of teleworking on family time, and how gender conditions the relationship. This study focuses on the concept of family time squeeze (Hill et al., 2013; Milkie et al., 2004; Southerton & Tomlinson, 2005). Given the increasing number of childless couples in Japan, we focused on the spousal time squeeze (i.e., STS) as a factor related to marital happiness. We investigated how teleworking affects individual perceptions of time spent with one’s spouse, with a particular focus on how frequency of teleworking affects STS, as well as how job freedom and gender affect these relationships. Drawing on the Conservation of Resources Theory (Hobfoll, 1989), it is predicted that when teleworking functions as a resource facilitating interactions between family members, couples would spend longer time interacting with each other, but the effect would be stronger when work resources are available simultaneously. In Japan, on the other hand, where gender role orientations are strong, we also expected that these processes are expected to differ by gender in a country like Japan where gender role expectations and sex-based domestic division of labor still remain strong. Statement on methods To test our hypotheses, we analyzed data from an online survey of Japanese regular workers working for private companies. First, we conducted a questionnaire survey for monitors registered with a research firm and selected those who teleworked at least once a week as of October 2020. From among them, we allocated the same number of men and women and conducted the first survey in November, targeting to receive responses from a total of 500 people. A second survey was conducted one month later. The final samples were 353. In the previous study, family time adequacy (i.e., time spent with their children) was used as the measurement variable (DePasquale et al., 2018). Therefore, in this study, spousal time adequacy was used as the independent variable. We used SPSS and PROCESS (SPSS Macro) in the analyses. Important findings 1. Frequent teleworking and job-related freedom were associated with adequate time spent with one’s spouse, but these relationships were different for women and men. 2. For women, job autonomy strengthened the relationship between teleworking frequency and adequate spending of spousal time. 3. For men, regardless of the level of job autonomy, teleworking frequency did not exert a significant effect on adequate spending of spousal time. Implications for research, policy and/or practice First, this study contributes to the understanding of how teleworking impacts families. It has been shown that teleworking has negative as well as positive effects on family life. This study identified a complex mechanism through which telework frequency and gender determine, in an intertwined fashion, whether or not sufficient time is spent with one’s family. In Japan, where there still exists a strong gender norm that stipulates “work for men", Japanese men might not experience a positive impact on family life, even when the frequency of teleworking increases. Our study suggests that a key to successful teleworking, for women in particular, is not only to provide workers with opportunities for working from home but also accessibility to workplace resources from the workplace. Second, this study advances the research on telework and family time; while family time squeeze is a subjective experience and an important way of perception, the relationship with telework has not been studied, and this study offers a new perspective on research on family time. The study brings a new perspective to family time research. One of the significant practical implications of this study is that it shows that gender differences exist in the family life brought about by telework. This will be especially valuable for those in human resource management. Second, this study has important implications, especially for policymakers. In Japan, the birthrate has been declining, and an increasing number of couples choose to be childless. While previous studies of family time squeeze have focused on the time parents spend with children (DePasquale et al., 2018; Hill et al., 2013; Lee et al., 2017), given that birthrates may continue to decline in the near future not only in East Asian countries but also in other countries, we believe focusing on STS is necessary.

Couples' Careers Revisited: The Role of Gender Ideologies.  Daniela Grunow, Goethe University Frankfurt; and Torsten Lietzmann, FDZ des IAB Nürnberg

We assess the role of gender ideologies for couples’ division of paid work in Germany. We use data from the German panel study Labour Market and Social Security (PASS) and sequence analysis to identify and describe distinct typical work trajectories of heterosexual couples age 18-39. We then assess the role of both partners’ individual and joint gender attitudes as well as socio-economic status characteristics to predict the couples’ work trajectories. We identify six typical work trajectories, three of which clearly dominate at present: (1) dual full time earner, accounting for 29% of couple-trajectories (2) marginal secondary earner, with a male full time earner and the female partner marginally employed, and (3) a one-and-a-half earner, with a male full-time earner and the female partner part-time employed, each accounting for about 27%. The less common patterns are (4) dual limited and unstable employment, accounting for 10 % of couple- trajectories, (5) male breadwinning, accounting for 4% and (6) dual precarious employment, accounting for 4% of trajectories. We employ regression models to assess whether gender ideologies account for variation in couples’ careers. Findings indicate that gender ideologies matter in particular for membership in the dual full time earner, as well as the dually limited and unstable employment cluster. The effects are stable across models with and without socio-economic controls. Importantly, men’s but not women’s egalitarian gender ideologies appear to be a precondition for adopting a dual fulltime earner strategy, and avoiding limited and unstable employment.

Household Structure and Time Use Among Indian Adults: Estimates From First Time Use Survey.  Harchand Ram, International Institute for Population Sciences

The dynamics of family structures, gender roles, and societal norms have undergone a significant transformation in recent decades, propelled by a confluence of factors such as changing cultural paradigms, advancements in technology, and shifts in educational landscapes. This global phenomenon has not only redefined the traditional family system but has also influenced individual time allocation in various spheres of life. This transition is particularly evident in India, a nation where societal norms and values have deep roots. The interplay of declining average family size, evolving gender roles, increased access to education, and the pervasive influence of technology collectively shapes the intricate tapestry of how Indian individuals (aged >15 years) from different types of family structures use their time in a day. In this exploration, we delve into the multifaceted aspects of this transition, examining its implications on individual time use patterns and the broader socio-cultural landscape. India’s first nationally representative Time-Use Survey (TUS), conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation, has been used for the analysis. The Tobit model has been used to examine the correlates of individuals' time allocation for different activities. The study finds that individuals with the 'single-person household' and 'Adult couple with both sexes of children' predominantly spent more time on paid work activities than the family structure, such as 'only female older persons', 'Older couple families'. Furthermore, it also shows that there were not many differences among the individuals with family types, such as 'Adult couple with male children' and 'Adult couple with female children'.

Paper Session

Cross-National Analyses of Work and Family Policies

Paper Session

Cultural Variations in the Work-Family Interface


Working Women on India’s Urban Marriage Market.  Megan Reed, Emory University

Many marriages in India follow a male breadwinner model resulting in India having one of the lowest rates of female labor force participation in the world. Despite this pattern, there is evidence of growing labor force participation among the highest educated women in India’s metros. This study uses data from 46 interviews conducted in New Delhi to examines how the urban middle class makes sense of the competing cultural ideals of male breadwinning and dual earner marriage. Men married to working women frequently report that they were explicitly looking for a working woman on the arranged marriage market. Women’s careers were seen as essential to some families because the second income could help insure against financial instability. Working women, on the other hand, report that they want to work because their careers provide them with autonomy and a sense of accomplishment. Countering narratives which idealize the breadwinning household model, dual earning couples argued that working women make better partners and that shared career experience helps facilitate a companionate marriage. There was less willingness, however, to challenge gender roles in the division of household and care work. Dual earner couples employed patchwork of different strategies to manage household labor including employing domestic workers and relying on the labor of other female household members.

Social Infertility in Japan: Redesigning Social Policies and Future Trajectories.  Takashi Mita, Kyoto Sangyo University; and Yukari Ito, Osaka University

1. Overarching Questions/Concerns Japan's low fertility rate (1.26 in 2022) has led to calls for measures to address this decline. The number of unmarried people intending to marry for life is decreasing, and later marriage is becoming more common. A government survey revealed that reasons for not marrying include not finding a suitable partner, not feeling the need to marry, and focusing on work or studies (Japan Cabinet Office 2016). Despite this, Japan's measures are limited to individual infertility treatments, economic support for child-rearing, and expansion of daycare capacities, lacking understanding of the comprehensive situations and difficulties in family formation. The conventional reasons and factors contributing to the emergence of a childless society encompass various aspects of Japanese modern life are commonly discussed, however, there has been limited consideration of the way young people in contemporary Japan live. Having such a background, this study aims to clarify what realities local assembly members, who are in the position to connect residents with city policies, perceive as factors that cause social infertility. In this study, social infertility refers to situations where economic and social pressures make it difficult to form a family or have children. This study aims to explore policies that can lead to solutions regarding social infertility. The authors offer multiple future visions to aid policymaking in addressing social infertility in Japan. 2. Methods The study uses two primary methods: qualitative research based on interviews to uncover issues identified by local government policymakers, and the "deductive forecasting" method from Futures Studies to determine preferred/alternative future policies. In 2022, interviews were conducted with 19 individuals, including city mayors, municipality administrative staff, and city assembly members from seven mid-sized cities on the outskirts of metropolitan cities in Osaka, Hyogo, Shiga, and Mie Prefectures in western Japan. These areas are expected to be hubs for young families. The interviews explored four main questions: 1) the roles of various municipality stakeholders in family formation policies, 2) challenges recognized in family formation, 3) preferred future directions for family formation, and 4) COVID-19-related issues in family formation. Information from Question 2 was used in this study, focusing on 11 municipality council members among all informants. The study was approved by the Kyoto Sangyo University Ethics Committee (No. 0132). In the second part, the deductive forecasting method of Futures Studies, one of the methods in Futures Studies proposed by Jim Dator (1998), was used. Deductive forecasting is a methodology that uses four predefined models to construct futures images based on past and present trends, deductively forecast scenarios, and use the scenario to formulate measures and policies. The following four models are used in this analysis: -Growth Model: Assumes a stage before problems arise, focusing on policies for economic and national development without specific problem-focused policies. -Collapse Model: Depicts a state where parties face significant difficulties in a particular problem area. -Discipline Model: Shows a state where measures are taken against the problem depicted in the Collapse Model through policies and other interventions. -Transformation Model: Illustrates a state where a new method or paradigm different from previous ones is assumed to solve the problem. Each model identifies not only the state but also the factors enabling that state. Methods, policies, and technologies to advance each model are considered and depicted, providing multiple futures images and scenarios. 3. Important Findings 3-1: From Local Government Qualitative Research The following are contributing factors to contemporary Japanese hesitance to start families or have children, based on interview accounts: (A) Social Factors - Increasing numbers of people struggle with communication and have low self-esteem, making social participation difficult. - The phenomenon of severe social withdrawal (Hikikomori) worsens social disengagement. - Younger generations have low participation rates in local community activities. - The average age of city assembly members in some municipalities is increasing, hindering policies for younger/future generations. (B) Limited Support - Raising a child alone with a partner is difficult without nearby parents. - Childless couples receive no support except for infertility treatment subsidies. - Unlike in previous Japanese society, the presence of community members to help match future spouses as well as arranged marriages has shrunk significantly (due to privacy concerns). (C) Limited Availability of Daycare - Many children are on daycare waiting lists, forcing parents to choose between work and having one more children. (D) Social Intolerance - People are often intolerant of public, workplace, and social media displays of child-rearing. 3-2: From Deductive Forecasting Leveraging the insights gained in Part 1, we have generated the following four future visions using a conceptual four alternative futures model: (a) Growth Model: Easier family formation, increased children, driven by economic stability. -Policy Direction: Promote economic growth. -Similar to Japan's high economic growth period. (b) Collapse Model: Harder family formation, decreased children, due to economic instability and social unwelcomeness. -Policy Direction: Lack of policy to promote economic growth, minimized support for parents, and lack of policy to prevent individualization/isolation of child-rearing. -Similar to Japan and East Asia today. (b) Discipline Model: Improved family formation, child numbers recover, with enhanced welfare and societal support. -Policy Direction: Improved welfare policies, societal welcome for children, promotions for parents returning to work, accessible and affordable childcare, more social venues, and opportunities for meeting others. -Similar to some European nations. (c) Transformation Model: Cooperative child-rearing, with communal mutual aid systems and multi-family cooperatives. -Policy Direction: Establish community/regional mutual aid systems, multi-family cooperatives, and a foster parent system. -Similar to some traditional Pacific Islands societies. 4. Implications for Research and Policy Community and citizen efforts in marriage and child-rearing are declining, with insufficient systemic support and social unwelcomeness. Local government officials recognize these factors as contributing to social infertility. Tailored social policies based on the scenarios, except the Collapse Model, are essential for multi-directional social change. Without adaptation, Japan's social infertility problem will persist, hindering demographic balance. Interviews highlight Japan's "Collapse Model" and suggest examining the "Discipline Model" to enhance family formation quality and dignity of individuals. The "Transformational Model" envisions policies that strengthen social capital and collective child-rearing. Collaboration with policymakers is crucial to implement these visions.

The Role of Culture for Work-Family Policies – Theoretical Approach and Comparative Analysis.  Birgit Pfau-Effinger, University of Hamburg

There is so far relatively little research about the ways in which cultural ideas influence the development of work-family policies. The paper aims to contribute to the scientific debate in that it theorizes and analyses the role of cultural ideas for change in work-family policies. The paper offers a theoretical framework that theorizes causal mechanisms and processes by which cultural ideas can contribute to institutional change in work-family policies. It evaluates these theoretical assumptions on the basis of a comparative historical analysis in four European societies which represent different types of welfare state traditions, Germany, Denmark, Spain, and the Czech Republic. The focus is on of selected time periods in which work-family policies were changed, between the 1990s and 2022. The study is based on process tracing, using document analysis, analysis of statistical data, and analysis of data of national surveys and of international surveys like ISSP, European Values Survey (EVS) and Eurobarometer. The findings show how, and under which conditions cultural ideas can influence institutional change in work-family policy, regarding the dynamics between social and political actors and different types of cultural and institutional processes, and why specific cultural ideas can be more relevant than others in the reforms in a country. The paper makes an innovative contribution to the theoretical debate and research about the relationship between culture and work-family policy, and about the reasons why work-family policies can differ across countries.

Religiosity and the Work-Family Interface Across Cultures.  Barbara Beham, Berlin School of Economics and Law; Tammy Allen, University of South Florida; Ariane Ollier-Malaterre, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) - École des Sciences de la Gestion (ESG); Andreas Baierl, Austrian Family Research Institute, University of Vienna; Matilda Alexandrova, University of National and World Economy; Artiawati Artiawati, Surabaya University; Alexandra Beauregard, Birkbeck, University of London; Vania Sofia Carvalho, University of Lisbon; Maria José Chambel, University of Lisbon; Bruna Coden de Silva, Norton; Eunae Cho, National Chengchi University; Sarah Dawkins, University of Tasmania; Pablo Escribano, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez; Konjit Hailu Gudeta, Addis Ababa University; Ting-pang Huang, Soochow University; Ameeta Jaga, University of Cape Town; Dominique Kost, BI Norwegian Business School; Anna Kurowska, University of Warsaw; Emmanuelle Leon, ESCP Business School; Suzan Lewis, Middlesex University - Business School; Lu Chang-qin, Peking University; Angela Martin, Universit of Tasmania; Gabriele Morandin, University of Bologna; Fabrizio Naboa, Universidad San Francisco de Quito; Shira Offer, Bar-Ilan University; Eugene Ohu, Lagos Business School; Pascale Peters, Nyenrode Business Universiteit; Ujvala Rajadhyaksha, Governors State University; Marcello Russo, University of Bologna; Young Woo Sohn, Yonsei University; Caroline Straub, Bern University of Applied Sciences; Mia Tammelin, University of Tampere; Marloes van Engen, Radboud University; and Ronit Waismel-Manor, The Open University, Israel

Religiosity has not been a focus of cross-cultural/national comparative research on the work-family interface thus far (Allen et al., 2020), even though it may play a major role in shaping beliefs about work and family roles and responsibilities in social groups (Rogers & Franzen, 2014). Including religiosity into our studies may advance our understanding of work-family relationships across cultures (Allen et al., 2020). Using data from the International Study of Work and Family (ISWAF), this paper examines the impact of religiosity at the individual and country levels on both directions of work-family conflict and positive spillover among 9,985 employees in 29 countries/territories. We draw on conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, 1989) to predict individual-level relationships between religiosity and work-family conflict and positive spillover, and on person environment/culture fit theory (Edwards, 2008; Fry, 1987) to explore the impact of religiosity at the country level on those relationships. Contrary to predictions, we find a positive relationship between individual religiosity and family-to-work conflict (but not work-to-family conflict), indicating that religious employees report stronger interference of family into work. However, in more religious countries/territories religious employees report less conflict in both directions than less religious employees. In more secular countries/territories, we find reversed effects. As for positive spillover, we observe the hypothesized significant positive effects of religiosity on both directions of spillover but no significant country or cross-level interaction effects. Hence, religiosity seems to be both a demand and a resource and its effect is partially dependent on the religious country-level context.

Paper Session

Diverse Experiences in Employment Across the Lifecourse


Intentions to Engage in Bridge Employment Among Public Sector Employees in Mauritius.  Annick Yeung Pat Wan, University of Mauritius

The transition from traditional retirement to bridge employment is a significant life stage for mature workers. Improved health, increased longevity, insufficient financial resources and volatile economic conditions amongst others have redefined the concept of retirement. To unravel the complex antecedents of bridge employment intentions among public sector employees in Mauritius, this study follows a two-phase process; a qualitative study followed by a quantitative investigation. In the initial qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews and content analysis were carried out to delve into the experiences and perspectives of 17 individuals across different job categories in the public sector approaching mandatory retirement age of 65. Preliminary findings revealed multifaceted determinants, at the individual and institutional level. Building upon the qualitative groundwork, a quantitative pilot study was designed to refine research instruments and data collection procedures. The use of two theoretical frameworks namely Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Neo-Institutional Theory (IT) shape the study. This study presents the design of the survey instrument, data collection procedures, sample size and elaborates on the challenges encountered. The pilot survey targets a diverse sample of public sector professionals across various occupations including nurses, firefighters, educators. Preliminary results and findings will be shared. Plans for the next stages of the research will be elaborated.This research addresses a critical gap in the literature by adopting a sequential mixed-methods approach. By elucidating the determinants of retirement intentions, valuable insights for policymakers and organizations can be developed for targeted interventions, such as retention strategies and retirement planning programs.

Evolving Work Dynamics: Knowledge Sharing Practices in the Public Sector of Mauritius..  Yannick Li Luen Ching, University of Mauritius

The global aging workforce presents a significant challenge for public sector organizations. The departure of experienced employees not only leads to the loss of invaluable knowledge but also underscores the evolving dynamics of knowledge sharing. In this context, where multiple generations coexist, inherent intergenerational tensions emerge, necessitating a better understanding of the factors that facilitate knowledge sharing to bridge the gap. This mixed-method doctoral research, conducted in the public sector of Mauritius, started with a qualitative phase comprising 22 semi-structured interviews utilizing content analysis. It uncovered the challenges, motivations, and barriers related to knowledge sharing in the context of evolving work dynamics. In the subsequent quantitative phase, a pilot survey study was administered to 69 mature workers across diverse public sector occupations, applying the theory of planned behavior and the Neo-institutional theory. This phase aimed to (1) validate and refine the survey instrument, (2) assess the current state of knowledge sharing practices among aging employees, and (3) provide initial insights into the factors influencing knowledge sharing. The findings from this pilot study provide a foundation for a comprehensive investigation involving a refined scale, a larger sample and promising invaluable insights for public sector organizations. This study carries significance for policymakers and organizations. For policymakers, it offers guidance to facilitate knowledge exchange, collaboration, and information access. In the corporate sphere, it encourages effective knowledge management, a culture of sharing, and collaborative platforms. Ultimately, the amalgamation of qualitative and quantitative methodologies contributes to research methodology advancement, demonstrating their synergy in exploring complex subjects.

The Role of Housing Throughout Late Working Life and Retirement. A Comparative Causal Analysis of Germany and the UK..  Jan Einhoff, DYNAMICS RTG (HU Berlin/Hertie School)

Despite its crucial role in generating and consolidating social inequalities, little is known about the role of housing for demographic outcomes across the life course. To address this research gap, this article provides evidence on the causal effect of home ownership on the risk of retirement from age 50 to 70 in two distinct welfare and housing regimes. Data are drawn from the German SOEP (n = 12,510) and the British BHPS/UKHLS (n = 11,350). The parametric g-formula is employed to account for the dynamic selection of individuals into and out of homeownership throughout their late working lives. The results show that British homeowners have a up to 22.4% higher risk of being retired than their renting counterparts but that this effect ceases at the statutory retirement age. In Germany, where renting is far more common, differences in the retirement risks of homeowners and renters appear to be fully driven by confounding factors. These findings suggest that institutional context conditions critically moderate how housing affects key life course transitions.

Supporting Immigrant Identities and Choice in Labour Market Integration: The One-on-One Mentorship Model of Her Mentors.  Monika Imeri, Carleton University; Lily Ivanova, University of British Columbia; and Erica Mildner, University of British Columbia

Canada is a high immigrant-receiving nation, with well-known programs like the points-based system for middle-class families, the business investor stream, the refugee-class, and temporary migrant worker streams. What Canada is also known for, however, is the difficulties that immigrants face with labour market integration, including barriers to credential and experience recognition, discrimination against racialized minorities, and seclusion into low-skilled positions. In response, over 90 mentorship programs have been created to help immigrants overcome these obstacles. Most of these initiatives focus on supporting immigrants’ employment journey, including the job application process, networking, and education about finding work in Canada. Noticing a gap in services that provide comprehensive support for the immigrant experience, the Women’s Economic Council (WEC), supported by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), created a six-month one-on-one mentorship program for racialized newcomer women (RNW). The program, called Her Mentors, pairs RNW with a mentor based on their preferences about field-specific knowledge, cultural background, and other identity and experience-based factors. In studying Her Mentors, we interviewed 30 mentees and 15 mentors, as well as providers of 19 other mentorship programs across Canada. Our findings show that mentees and mentors had different needs, preferences, and abilities in receiving and providing social, emotional, and field-specific support. Rather than enhancing employment programming alone, our findings highlight the importance of tailored mentorship programs that consider the holistic experiences of RNW as the key to their success in labour market integration.

The Role of Leadership Style and Organizational Climate on Immigrant vs Non-Immigrant Workers' Perceived Discrimination, Inclusion and Work-Life Balance.  Guler Kizilenis Ulusman, York University; Marlee Mercer, York University; and Marie-Hélène Budworth, York University

According to recent reports, immigrants comprise 27.7 percent of the Canadian workforce aged between 25 and 54. Immigrants play a crucial role in fostering the economic and social progress of Canada, contributing to the nation’s prosperity. They actively facilitate the diversification of human capital. Nevertheless, current research offers limited insights into practical strategies for integrating immigrants beyond their initial entry into local institutions. In particular, there is a lack of understanding about how immigrants, in contrast to their non-immigrant counterparts, exhibit distinct responses to various leadership styles. This exploration is critical given that it has the potential to offer insights into developing effective leadership approaches and more inclusive workplaces. The current study investigates how leadership styles and organizational climate impact the workplace perceptions and well-being of immigrant workers. Drawing on the JD-R model, this quantitative study will investigate how leadership style and organizational climate affect the perceptions of discrimination and subsequent work-life balance of immigrant employees relative to their non-immigrant counterparts. Participants (N=400) will be randomly assigned to participate in one of three leadership styles’ vignettes (i.e., inclusive, abusive, and neutral) and two of the organizational climate conditions (i.e., inclusive and non-inclusive). In the present study, it is hypothesized that participants in the inclusive leadership style and inclusive organizational climate conditions will report higher levels of work-life balance and inclusion and lower levels of perceived discrimination than the participants in the other leadership styles and non-inclusive climate conditions. Moreover, immigrant workers in the inclusive leadership style and inclusive organizational climate are hypothesized to report higher levels of work-life balance and inclusion and lower levels of discrimination than the non-immigrant participants. This study contributes to the scarce literature that compares immigrant and non-immigrant workers, thereby offering valuable insights into the unique challenges and opportunities faced by immigrant employees within organizational contexts. The key implications of the study are discussed.

Paper Session

Economic Empowerment in a Global Perspective


The Challenge of Gender Equality in Brazil.  Flavia Ivana de Melo Santos, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia; Vérica Freitas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia; and Veronica Freitas de Paula, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia

Gender equality is a worldwide challenge, with the countries of the Global South usually ranking among the countries with the worst rates, and it is well known that increasing gender equality contributes to entrepreneurship, innovation, and consequently, economic, and social development. One of the main factors identified as inhibiting gender equality is related to motherhood and family configurations, through social constructions that assign responsibility for care in general, with children, the elderly, family members, and the sick, to women - in Brazil, women devote almost double the time of men to caring for people and household chores. This context affects the lives of Brazilian women, as well as women's participation in the labor market where, despite having more schooling, there is: less participation in the formal labor market (53% vs. 72.4% in 2022); more women working reduced or part-time hours (28% vs. 14% in 2018); an average income of 78% of that received by men in 2022; fewer women in management and leadership positions (37.8% in 2016) and as political representatives (15% of parliamentarians in 2022). The discrepancy is even greater if other criteria are considered, such as social class, color, race, place of residence (national or regional), or areas and sectors of activity. In this context, public policies and organizational actions are needed so that social precepts are rethought, and discriminatory stigmas are condemned, contributing to promoting equality and protecting human rights.

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs: Is Economic Empowerment Good For Women?.  Rhonda Breitkreuz, University of Alberta; and Marian Baird, University of Sydney - Business School

Globally, women’s economic empowerment has been touted as a game changer and the next frontier for social transformation. The UN’s former Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, wrote that “gender equality remains the greatest human rights challenge of our time. Economic empowerment is a uniquely potent way for women to achieve greater control over their own lives” (UN, 2017). National governments and other international organizations such as the World Bank, the United Nations, and the World Health Organization have identified women’s economic empowerment as a key priority. While improving women’s economic security globally is certainly an important and laudable goal, the means by which this is to be achieved is debated. Although governments and major NGOs are investing in initiatives such as employment activation programs, entrepreneurship, business development, and other market-based solutions, feminist scholars point to the reality of many women’s lives including poor employment conditions, the predominance of informal work, the gender pay gap, violence against women, and the disproportionate unpaid care and household work that women perform worldwide. In this presentation, we provide a conceptual analysis of women’s economic empowerment globally, situating this concept within social, economic, policy and geographic environments, and ask: is women’s economic empowerment good for women? Identifying the major themes central to a discussion of women’s economic empowerment, we discuss the opportunities and risks for women amidst this international policy trend.

Gender Ideology and Health Status Among Individuals: A Global Perspective.  Glory Narjinary, International Institute for population Sciences

Amid the global shift in gender ideology from traditional to modernization, it becomes increasingly essential to understand how ideological change and self-actualization influence different spheres of society. While the literature addressing these changes has been burgeoning, the health status of the individual with gender ideology has been not well-researched despite health being the most important aspect of human life. Thus, this study tends to investigate the association between gender ideology and health status. To study this we used data from the ISSP 2012 module, and we employed ordered logistic regression and marginal effects to observe the level of association. Additionally, using multiple robustness checks the propounded result is reaffirmed. We find that individual with egalitarian belief is associated with good health level, suggesting the construction of more gender-equal societies where every individual can achieve their optimal health status.

Multi Level Factors Associated with Husbands’ No Opposition to Wives’ Economic Activity Among Married Syrian Refugee Women Living in Non-Camp Settings in Jordan.  Nabila El-Bassel, Columbia University; Anindita Dasgupta, Columbia University; Ajita Singh, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Maysa Kadra, University of Jordan School of Medicine, Amman, Jordan; and Neeraj Kaushal, Columbia University

We examine the relationship between IPV, women’s agency, and husbands’ no opposition to wives’ economic activity using Bronfenbrenner’s socio-ecological framework. We hypothesize that married Syrian refugee women who report no lifetime physical and sexual IPV as well as also report themselves as head of households will be more likely to report husbands’ no opposition to wives’ economic activity compared to married Syrian refugee women who report lifetime physical and sexual IPV and who do not report themselves as head of households. We recruited 344 married Syrian refugee women for project ASPIRE study using time and venue-based random sampling from health clinics in Jordan in 2018. We asked if their husbands would have a negative reaction towards their learning of a vocation in Jordan. We used multivariable logistic regressions to examine the hypothesis. In both the unadjusted odds ratio (OR=3.44 95% confidence interval, CI=1.80-6.54) and adjusted odds ratio (aOR=2.65, 95% CI=1.33-5.29) models, women who reported themselves as head of the households were associated with increased odds of husbands’ no opposition to wives’ economic activity. Likewise, in both the unadjusted odds ratio (OR=7.97 95% confidence interval, CI=2.40-26.40) and adjusted odds ratio (aOR=5.82, 95% CI=1.66-20.40) models, women who reported no IPV experiences as well as who reported themselves as head of the households were associated with increased odds of husbands’ no opposition to wives’ economic activity relative to women who reported lifetime IPV experiences and who did not report themselves as the head of the households.

Paper Session

Eldercare: Family Complexity, Dynamics, and Wellbeing


Caregiving Trajectories and the Well-Being of Caregivers.  Bram Audenaert, KU Leuven; and Lore Van Herreweghe, KU Leuven

Population ageing puts pressure on the fiscal sustainability of most European Welfare states, in particular on the funding of pensions, health and long-term care (LTC). Over the past decades, policymakers across Europe have been aiming to reduce the fiscal strain by increasing the retirement age or increasing employment, in particular among older working-age adults and by restructuring the use of public funds to provide LTC services. Despite substantial differences in care policies across European welfare states, a general shift occurred towards ‘active citizenship’ of older people including policies to promote home-based familial care provision (Eggers, 2022). This however increases the burden on adult children or partners of elderly in need of care. Not only are older adults increasingly expected to be engaged in paid employment, which limits their availability for familial care provision, the provision of informal care might also have adverse effects on the well-being of caregivers. Consequently, a focus on safeguarding the economic sustainability of welfare states may come at the expense of the social sustainability of informal care provision. However, the impact of informal care on the well-being of caregivers is not clear yet. In the literature there seems to be a prima facie consensus that informal caregivers experience lower levels of well-being compared with non-caregivers. Despite this extensive body of literature, there are many ambiguities impeding us from drawing a firm conclusion. Two major issues arise. Firstly, research on the well-being of informal caregivers usually neglects the fact that caregiving careers are dynamic and transitional in nature. Research on informal care mostly has a cross-sectional design which limits its potential to answer socially relevant questions. The cross-sectional design struggles to capture caregiving trajectories over time and the trade-offs people make in terms of paid work and providing care over the life-course. Secondly, the literature has a limited view on caregiving trajectories by focusing on only one characteristic of these trajectories at the same time. For this paper we chose the life-course perspective as our analytical framework. The life-course perspective regards individual lives and caregiving trajectories as long-term sequences and transitions that form distinctive trajectories. Caregiving trajectories can be defined by four distinct elements: (1) the sequencing of caregiving episodes, (2) the duration of caregiving episodes, (3) the timing of caregiving episodes and (4) the density or the speed at which caregiving episodes alternate. Because of this clear lack of information on caregiving trajectories, two research questions arise. First we want to know how caregiving trajectories occur based on the four distinct elements of trajectories (RQ1). Secondly, we want to know how different caregiving trajectories are distributed across our society (RQ2). To answer our research questions, this paper is devoted to empirically map the dynamics of informal caregiving trajectories. We will do this by using the longitudinal data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), we will conduct a sequence analysis of care trajectories over the life-course. Caregiving trajectories will be defined for caregivers over the period 2004-2020 based on the four distinct elements of caregiving trajectories: sequencing, duration, timing and density. Subsequently, we will perform a cluster analysis to identify patterns in these career trajectories. Only participants of countries that have participated in at least four waves will be used (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden, Israel, Czech Republic, Poland, Estonia and Slovenia). Only participants that have reported to have cared for someone in at least one wave are included in the study. Both care inside the household as care outside the household are taken account of.

Perceived Support and Job Search Barriers Among Unemployed Carers of Elderly or Disabled Relatives.  Hugh Bainbridge, University of New South Wales; Lukas Hofstätter, Carers NSW; and Sarah Judd-Lam, Carers NSW

Many people of working age are also unpaid caregivers for an elderly or disabled relative. Extensive research has linked this caregiving role to withdrawal from the workforce. Caregiving demands may lessen over time though and returning to paid work is often a desirable individual, organisational, and policy goal. However, while job search is challenging for caregivers, little consideration has been given to the re-employment process. The current study moves to address this gap by examining the extent to which job seeker beliefs about societal recognition of a role that is central to their identity (caregiving) affect perceived barriers to employment. We then extend this by exploring how this effect occurs (whether the effect is mediated by social connections), and when this occurs (whether the effect is moderated by three forms of support). In a survey of job seekers with caregiving responsibilities, greater societal recognition of caregiving was associated with lower perceived job search barriers. This effect was mediated by social connectedness and moderated by support in the form of coaching and planned respite from caregiving. Job seekers who reported lower societal recognition of caregiving benefited most from coaching and planned respite from caregiving.

The Role of Culture in Senior Caregiving: Preliminary Analysis of Canadian National Surveys of the Care Economies in Context Project.  Ito Peng, University of Toronto; and Pelin Gul, University of Toronto

It is now widely acknowledged that Canadian population is ageing, and it will continue to age over the next several decades. Today, people over the age of 65 make up 19% of the total population, up from 11% in 2000. This population is projected to increase to 26% by 2068, with those aged 85+ ageing faster than other 65+ subgroups. What is less well known is that today over 30% of Canadian seniors are foreign-born, as compared to 21% in the total population. As these seniors begin requiring care, the number and proportion of 1st and 2nd generation caregivers will also grow. Public support for long-term care is never more important now; yet families remain the main source of caregiving for Canadian seniors. Our surveys of unpaid family caregiving in Canada show families continue to provide much of senior care. Amongst 1st and 2nd generation caregivers, culture plays an important role in shaping their understanding of and perceptions about their caregiving roles, and who and how care should be provided to older people. Culture is used to justify the familial division of caregiving responsibilities. More specifically, men are more likely to justify the allocation of caregiving responsibilities based on cultural norms—and thus perpetuating the unequal roles of men and women in senior caregiving—while women frequently shoulder much of caregiving responsibilities, regardless of the need for such justification.

Household Headship, Filial Expectations and Mortality in Older Widows: Evidence from Panel Survey of India..  Babul Hossain, International Institute for Population Sciences

The presence of older widows is always symbolic of power for families in India. An older widow is in India correctly cared for and respected by their family, which implies the widow represents a good family. If a widow is left to manage independently, is not taken care of properly and is treated less respectfully, in other words, experiences a lack of filial responsibility, the older widow represents a bad family. Thus, in Indian culture, the household dynamics and familial aspects can be more relevant when discussing the well-being of older widows. In this context, this study investigates the relationship between household headship and mortality experiences for widowed women aged 45 and above in India. The study used the India Human Development Survey, a nationally representative panel survey. The results indicate that no excess mortality risk was observed for widows compared to married women, where widows or their sons were household heads. On the other hand, when the widows in households are headed by others (viz. brothers, sons-in-law, grandsons and extended family members), they experience heightened mortality risk than married women. Subsample analysis suggests that widow-heading households if they were expecting financial support from sons, had higher mortality than widows who did not expect financial support from sons. By adjusting for the endogeneity between household headship and economic status using an instrument variable regression model, the study confirms that older widows in households headed by others have double the mortality risk compared to widows heading households themselves.

Paper Session

Employees Transition to Parenthood


Promoting Male Parental Leave in Japanese Organizations: Strong Gender Norm Can Be Broken?.  Renge Jibu, Tokyo Institute of Technology

In this study I analyzed qualitatively the latest activities of Japanese companies in promoting male parental leave using the framework of institutional theory. Japan is known as a country with the largest gender gap among global north, because of few female leaders in political and economic fields and a large gap in unpaid care work hours between men and women. From the perspective of gender equality, it is important to promote male participation towards unpaid care work at home. Male parental leave is an important life event that provides an opportunity for men to become actively involved in housework and childcare. Japan's legal system for male parental leave is generous by global standards. However, the take-up rate is low, at less than 20% for Japan as a whole, and workplace culture has been pointed out as a factor. In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with people involved in human resources management, marketing, and public relations at two major Japanese companies, asking what they did to promote male parental leave and what strategies they used to promote it. Both of the two companies surveyed have publicly announced that they have a 100% male parental leave rate. Analysis of the interviews and related materials revealed that a push related to all three pillars of institutional theory-regulative, normative, and cultural-cognitive-has occurred in the last five years. In particular, the role of CEOs, corporate executives and managers at work places created significant effect while their work place culture had been changed.

Accommodations for Lactating Workers: Combining Breastfeeding and Employment.  Elizabeth A. Hoffmann, Purdue University

In countries without maternity or parental leave beyond 6-8 weeks, such as the United States, workplace accommodations for lactating workers are essential. Without breast milk expression accommodations, women employees must choose between breastfeeding their children and full employment. Recognizing that many health organizations recommend nursing for at least 12-24 months (Mohrbacher 2014, World-Health-Organization 2002), various laws have been passed to enable combining working and continued breastfeeding. Some organizations’ policies comply with the letter of the law, but do not ameliorate the struggles of lactating women employees, creating lactation accommodations that satisfy the law but are purely symbolic. Other organizations focus less on the law itself and, instead, reinterpret legal compliance through the lens of managerial goals, finding ways to comply that directly help what objectives management already supports, yet also creating possible solutions for their lactating workers. Other organizations went beyond policies that furthered managerial goals to create successful accommodations for lactating workers. Often, these organizations have individual human resource specialists and supervising managers with personal or close second-hand experience with expressing breast milk. These allies push for organizational policies to directly aid lactating workers’ efforts, usually before any law or policy is even in place. Other organizations with successful lactation accommodations have supervising managers who initially were only perfunctorily supportive, but eventually became staunch advocates. These managers shifted away from either the legal directive or the managerial objectives. Over time, these managers embraced health-related reasons for supporting the pro-lactation policies and becoming strong advocates for effective lactation-at-work accommodations.

Gender, Transition to Parenthood, and Workplace Authority in Urban China.  Manlin Cai, University of British Columbia

Prior research has documented that parenthood typically leads to lower wages for women but higher wages for men. However, do motherhood penalty and fatherhood premium go beyond money and extend to other labor market outcomes? Drawing on six waves of nationally representative, longitudinal data from the China Family Panel Studies (2010–2020), the current study examines how transition to parenthood affects women’s and men’s workplace authority in urban China. Fixed-effects results show that parenthood significantly decreases women’s probability of holding supervisory authority at work. This motherhood penalty in authority is larger for women working in the private sector than those working in the state sector. By contrast, transition to fatherhood does not affect men’s probability of holding supervisory authority at work, regardless of the sector they work in. Overall, the findings reveal that parenthood widens the gender gap in workplace authority. Because access to authority positions is associated with more job benefits and greater control over organizational decisions, the differential effects of parenthood on workplace authority between men and women may well produce and perpetuate gender inequalities in other realms of work and family lives. Furthermore, the transition into parenthood exacerbates the glass ceiling that prevents capable women from reaching leadership at work, which could, in turn, incur a tremendous loss to organizations and society.

Paper Session

Employer Supportive Behaviors


Fathers’ Intentions and Use of Paternity Leave in the Netherlands.  Onur Şahin, Utrecht University; Mara A. Yerkes, Utrecht University; Lianne Aarntzen, Utrecht University; Esther Kluwer, Utrecht University; Chantal Remery, Utrecht University; and Belle Derks, Utrecht University

Fathers’ involvement in childcare is crucial for multiple work-family outcomes, including children’s development and relationship quality. Improving their involvement is also crucial for reducing persistent gender inequality in household divisions of care. A key resource to increase father involvement is the availability of father-specific paid leave. Recognizing the importance of such paid leave, the European Work-Life Balance Directive in 2019 required European Union Member States to provide a minimum of 10 days of paid leave for fathers, reimbursed at least at the level of sick pay. While such paid leave can be an important resource for fathers, the availability of leave does not guarantee equal capabilities to use this resource. We analyse two potential factors – biological essentialist beliefs and family-supportive line managers – shaping fathers’ capabilities to make use of this new resource, focusing on the Netherlands. The Netherlands responded to the EU directive by providing fathers (and same-sex partners) one week of fully paid leave from 2019 onwards and access to an additional five weeks of leave paid at 70 per cent of the daily wage from 2020 onwards. Using couple-based longitudinal data collected among expectant parents pre- and post-birth in 2023, we analyse fathers’ intentions to use leave pre-birth in relation to leave-taking behaviour post-birth. We expect that fathers with stronger essentialist beliefs will have reduced intentions to take leave pre-birth, which in turn predicts a lower post-birth leave uptake. Additionally, we expect that family-supportive line managers diminish the intention-behavior gap in leave uptake among fathers.

Seeking for Help: Leader Workaholism and Subordinate Appraisals of Leaders.  Sang-Hoon Lee, Loyola Marymount University; Sunjin Pak, California State University, Bakersfield; Yaqing He, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaig; and Amit Kramer, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaig

Grounded on the challenge-hindrance stressor framework, this study examines how subordinates appraise their work context, particularly in relation to their leaders, and hence how this shapes their behavior within the organization. We argue that leader workaholism has a dual-edged impact for employees, such that they may appraise their leaders as both a source of challenge and hindrance. Consequently, such appraisals are linked to distinct behaviors: on the one hand, challenge appraisals will be positively associated with autonomous help-seeking behaviors, while on the other, hindrance appraisals will be positively associated with both dependent and avoidance help-seeking behaviors of subordinates. We further contend that subordinates’ workaholism moderates the positive relationship between leader workaholism and subordinate challenge appraisal, while moderating the positive association between leader workaholism and subordinate hindrance appraisal. Our findings suggest the positive impact of leader workaholism, such that leader workaholism has a positive indirect association with subordinate autonomous help-seeking via subordinate challenge appraisal. This positive indirect relationship was further pronounced when subordinate workaholism was high. In addition, the respective indirect relationships between leader workaholism and subordinate dependent help-seeking, as well as avoidance help-seeking via hindrance appraisals, depend on subordinate workaholism levels. Specifically, leader workaholism had a positive effect on dependent and avoidance help-seeking when subordinate workaholism was low. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of concurrently considering both leader and subordinate workaholism.

Uncovering the Behaviors Underlying Family-Supportive Supervision: Validation of a Behavioral Typology.  Victoria Daniel, York University; Amanda Sargent, Bentley University; and Linda Shanock, University of North Carolina

Recognized as one of the most promising solutions for helping employees effectively navigate the work-family interface, a pressing challenge to be resolved in research and practice is understanding how supervisors actually 'do' family-supportive supervision (“FSS”). Despite the demonstrable value of employee-rated FSS shown for both individual and organizational outcomes, the literature has largely examined employees’ evaluations of FSS—leaving questions about the concrete behaviors supervisors engage in to provide this targeted family support. To address this limitation, we previously conducted a mixed methods study to generate a comprehensive inventory of FSS behaviors and organize these into a preliminary typological structure. In the current study, we build upon this by empirically validating our behavioral typology with a sample of 294 employees who were asked to rate where each behavior fell on the continuum of six different attributes. As expected, this evidenced two significant dimensions distinguishing supervisor actions by family orientation and effort. When taken together, this broadens the spectrum of known supportive and unsupportive behaviors that are relevant to contemporary employees and underlies the refined conceptual definition of FSS we propose. Further, the behavioral index and resultant typology are a foundational step in mitigating substantive conceptual (e.g., ambiguity; range restriction) and operationalization issues (e.g., confounded items) that have stemmed from the lack of clarity and parsimony in the extant study of FSS. These novel insights also lay the groundwork for advancing FSS research and its practical applications, such as serving as an important tool for managers and the development of training programs.

Leader Behavior and Employee Work-Family Interface: A Review, Integration and Meta-Analytical Examination.  Sudong Shang, Griffith University; Zitong Sheng, Deakin University; Yimin He, University of Georgia; Paula Brough, Griffith University; Xi Wen (Carys) Chan, Griffith University; and Xuchu Liu, Henan University of Chinese Medicine

Research has widely recognized the important role of leaders in assisting subordinates with managing work and family responsibilities. Although considerable research attention has been devoted to uncovering how different types of leader behavior facilitate or hinder employees’ work and family interfaces, research evidence in this field is quite scattered. A systematic quantitative review is highly needed to synthesize the ample research evidence and clarify the relationships between leadership and employees' work-family experiences. Such research endeavor will provide practitioners with evidence-based prescriptions to improve their employees’ work-family experiences. Drawing upon DeRue et al.’s (2011) taxonomy of leader behavior, this meta-analysis examines the associations between five categories of general leader behaviors (i.e., relational-oriented, task-oriented, change-oriented, ethics-oriented, and destructive leadership) and employee work-family conflict and enrichment. In addition, Using meta-analytic evidence, we then explore the relative importance of general leadership behaviors as well as their incremental validity over work-family-specific leader behaviors. Furthermore, we take into account cultural contingencies and methodological moderators in shaping the relationships between leader behavior and employee work-family interface outcomes. Through analysing 335 independent samples from 301 studies, we found that the patterns between leadership-WFC and leadership-WFE relationships are different; ethics-oriented leadership emerged as the most influential contributor for both WFC and WFE constructs. This synthesis and empirical integration broaden the nomological network of the relationship between leadership behaviors and work-family interface, providing greater insight into the impact of diverse leadership styles on employees' work-family management and offer evidence-based practical advice for organizational leaders.

Parenting Stress Across the Transition to Parenthood: The Case for Job Autonomy, Job Urgency, Coworker Support and Supervisor Support.  Diego Barcala-Delgado, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Ciara Venter, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; and Maureen Perry-Jenkins, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Overarching Question: While existing literature explores the consequences of structural aspects of parents’ work on parenting stress, limited attention has focused on how parents’ experiences on the job are related to parenting stress during the transition to parenthood. This study investigates associations between job autonomy, job urgency, coworker and supervisor support as they relate to levels of and changes in parenting stress among new parents employed in low-wage occupations. Statement on Methods: The sample included 127 dual-earner couples, and 82 single mothers interviewed five times during the transition to parenthood. Using Multilevel Modeling, we examined whether parents’ prenatal work conditions influenced their levels and change in parenting stress across five time points during the first year of parenthood. Important Findings: • Mothers’ and fathers’ parenting stress changed quadratically across the first year of parenthood. Specifically, parenting stress initially declines until leveling off at later time points. • No significant findings were found for the association between mothers’ work conditions and their levels and change of parenting stress. • For fathers, jog urgency was related to levels and change of parenting stress; fathers who experienced higher urgency increased in their parenting stress, whereas fathers who experienced less urgency showed a slight decline in parenting stress. Job autonomy was negatively related to mean levels of parenting stress 3-months post-partum. Implications: Stressful experiences in the workplace can increase fathers’ stress about parenting and their children, supporting a spillover model of stress. The workplace may be a suitable intervention site for fathers’ stress and parenting. Workplace policies should focus on supporting parents' wellbeing.

Paper Session

Employment Issues and Inequalities Across Contexts


The Work-Family Dilemma in the Post-COVID Labor Market in China.  Haijing Dai, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

The COVID pandemic has brought family caregivers all over the globe new challenges to balance work and family needs. This study sets out to examine how employers evaluate and treat family caregivers of different categories in the post-COVID labor market in China. Respondent-driven sampling was adopted to recruit 206 company directors and HR managers in Guangdong Province for a CV-based survey. The respondents came from two major industries in Guangdong: the traditional retail and accommodation industry and the new information technology and logistics industry. They were offered six different CVs (representing men/women without family care duties, fathers/mothers of young children, and son/daughter of ageing and needy parents) for a hypothetical opening in their companies, and were asked to evaluate the candidates on competence, commitment, potentials of promotion, and hiring decision. Twenty (20) in-depth interviews were also conducted with selected respondents for them to articulate their rationales and views. Compared with men without family care duties, all four types of family caregivers were rated lower in competence, commitment to work, and promotion potentials. For hiring decisions, mothers of young children and adult sons taking care of ageing parents are significantly less likely to obtain job offers. There is little difference between the traditional and the new industries in the province. In their articulation and justification of the evaluations and decisions, the respondents mobilized discourses of gender norms, individual choices, and personal responsibilities. They believed that such practices in the labor market are natural, normal, and highly justifiable from the employers’ perspective.

Labor Market Inequalities and Black Women’s Birth Outcomes.  Angela Bruns, Gonzaga University; Lauren Schmitz, University of Wisconsin, Madiso; and Margaret Hicken, University of Michiga

It is well-documented that Black mothers have the worst childbirth outcomes in the United States (US), but the underlying causes are poorly understood. Employment and the workplace context are critically underexamined aspects of women’s lives that have the potential to impact birth outcomes. Research suggests that when pregnant women involuntarily work part-time hours, physically demanding jobs, and night-time shifts, they are at greater risk of low birthweight and pre-term births. Most studies focus on the work environment while pregnant. In this paper, we consider whether Black women’s collective experience of labor market inequalities (i.e., structural racism) is a key driver of Black mothers’ birth outcomes. Specifically, we examine associations between unequal working conditions in local labor markets and pre-term, low-weight births for Black mothers using linked data from the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Information Network (O*NET), the American Community Survey (2009-2013), and live birth records (2014-2016). We find that living in a local labor market where Black women are well-represented (relative to White women) in jobs with high levels of job control reduces Black mothers’ risk of adverse birth outcomes. These results are concentrated among mothers without bachelor’s degrees. For mothers with bachelor’s degrees, it is Black women’s representation in low stress jobs that reduces Black mothers’ risk of adverse birth outcomes. Understanding racial inequities in the employment context in which women live and work clarifies where we might direct effective, efficient intervention efforts.

Gender Differences in Job Application Requirements: Do Women Demand More of Themselves Than Men? A Survey-Based Study of Job-Seeking Behaviour in Spain.  Carlos Ochoa, Universitat Pompeu Fabra; Clara Cortina, Universitat Pompeu Fabra; and M. José González, Universitat Pompeu Fabra

This study analyses gender differences in the propensity to apply for a job above one's qualification level. The research aims to test two main hypotheses. The first hypothesis is that women have less confidence in their own abilities, which may lead them to be more pessimistic about their chances of getting the job. The second hypothesis is that women are more likely to follow the rules, which may lead them to believe that the selection process will be exactly as advertised (i.e. that failure to meet an explicit requirement will disqualify their application). According to the two hypotheses, women are less likely than men to take the risk of not meeting the requirements when applying for a job, which could lead to a loss of job opportunities compared to men. This research is based on data collected from a sample of panellists who agreed to participate in our research project using their mobile phones. Acceptance of the project involved equipping their phones with a device that allowed us to track their activity on the internet. In this way, we were able to identify the job applications completed by the panellists and the extent to which their profile matched the requirements of the job they were applying for. Participants also provided personal and subjective information by completing an open-ended questionnaire. This is a unique study in Spain that identifies the role of gender bias in dimensions such as overconfidence and conformity in job search patterns. The results of the study have multiple implications for the design of gender equality policies and the promotion of women's employment. This research is easily replicable in other European countries.

From Home, to Being a Stranger: Understanding the Work Experiences of Professionals Relocating Abroad.  Mariam Gbajumo-Sheriff, University of Lagos

In recent times, the quest for greener pastures has led to the mass relocation of professionals from emerging countries to western economies. The reasons for relocation have centred around push (insecurity and harsh economic conditions) and pull (bigger opportunities, better terms and conditions of employment and better family life) factors. The reality however is that sometimes, there is a gap between the mind picture and realities faced by these professionals when they finally arrive at their destination. The work structure, pay and their quality of life change, especially coupled with the fact that Western countries are mostly individualistic in orientation while their home countries are collectivist. The aim of this study is to investigate the work experiences of professionals who relocated from one country to another, from a non-Western to a Western one. The main question for respondents was “How does your home country and new work location compare in terms of work experiences? Data was collected via questionnaires that were administered via google form. Questions were structured to test work experiences like job type, conditions of employment, hours of work, pay, skills, knowledge, and competencies required. Research is still at the preliminary stage however initial findings suggest that some of the professionals had to take lower-level jobs requiring lower skills, thereby offering lower rewards and career prospects. Many of the participants benefitted from social amenities however their quality of life wasn’t better than when they were in their home country.

Fulfillment at the Work-Life Interface: New Insights on Conflict, Balance, and Energy Among US Fulfillment Center Workers.  Dena Javadi, Harvard University - School of Public Health; Grace DeHorn, MIT - Sloan School of Management; Jarvis Chen, Harvard University - School of Public Health; Laura Kubzansky, Harvard University - School of Public Health; Lisa Berkman, Harvard University - School of Public Health; and Erin Kelly, MIT - Sloan School of Management

The work-life field has increasingly shifted attention beyond white-collar workers and professionals, but there is more to learn about the experiences of lower-wage workers. This study investigates the work-life interface of 480 hourly workers surveyed over one year in U.S. fulfillment centers. The rapidly growing warehouse sector involves challenging conditions, including shiftwork, schedule unpredictability, time pressures, physically tiring and repetitive work, increasing algorithmic management, and isolation. Given this context, we investigate the outcome of wellbeing at the work-life interface (WWLI) – encompassing work-life conflict, balance, and energy (“After I leave work, I have enough energy to do the things I want or need to do”). We draw on the job demands-resources model, interpersonal justice, and social capital theories to investigate informal supports, including schedule supports and workplace social capital, as potential predictors of WWLI at 12 months of follow-up. We then consider burnout and work engagement as potential mediators. Finally, we complement our theory-driven approach with a data-driven random forest approach to confirm workplace social capital and schedule supports as important predictors. We find that workplace social capital has a sustained positive effect on WWLI at 12 months of follow-up and that work engagement (focus, sense of purpose, low monotony) and burnout are joint mediators of this relationship (~0.76 proportion mediated). Our study concludes that workplace social capital can play an important role in supporting WWLI via work engagement and decreased burnout. We discuss implications for policy and practice.

Paper Session

Events Disrupting the Life Course: COVID-19


Telework, Time Use, and Well-Being: Evidence from the 2022 Canadian Time Use Survey.  Dana Wray, Statistics Canada

Overarching Questions How is telework associated with time use and well-being? Using the first time use data collected in Canada since the pandemic, this study examines the association between teleworking and time use in activities such as sleep, paid work, unpaid work, and free time. The study also explores how work-life balance and time pressure are associated with teleworking. Statement on Methods Data from the 2022 Canadian Time Use Survey are used to examine time use and well-being. Survey questions about teleworking in the last week are combined with the location of paid work on the time diary to look at “WFH” teleworkers, “on-site” teleworkers (who teleworked last week, but worked on-site on the diary day), and non-teleworkers. Regression models are estimated that adjust for sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., gender, age, marital status, etc.) and job characteristics (e.g., industry, occupation, usual work hours). The predicted adjusted minutes per day in different time use activities are presented, as well as the predicted probabilities for well-being outcomes. Important Findings -Teleworking from home was associated with over an hour saved in commute time to and from work. -Teleworkers who worked from home did not differ in paid work time compared to on-site teleworkers and non-teleworkers, once adjusting for socioeconomic and job characteristics. -WFH teleworking was associated with more time on ‘self-care’ activities such as sleeping and eating, but did less personal care. -Compared to those who worked on-site, WFH teleworkers spent more time in both active leisure – such as exercise or sports – and passive leisure – such as TV-watching. -Teleworking at home was associated with more unpaid housework – for both men and women. -Parents who teleworked at home spent more time with and caring for their children. Both mothers and fathers increased their total time with children, with gendered differences in whether that time was co-present with children or in active childcare activities. -WFH teleworkers were more likely to be satisfied with their work-life balance compared to on-site and non-teleworkers. -Unexpectedly, on-site teleworkers had the highest levels of time pressure, with no differences between WFH and non-teleworkers. Implications for Research, Policy, or Practice This study contributes new Canadian evidence on telework and time use after the dramatic change in work arrangements spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. The patterns of time use for teleworkers complement prior research done in other national contexts. This study helps us better understand how telework might affect Canadian workers and Canadian society more broadly.

Future Childbearing Choices and Life Course Decisions in Childless Families in Japan: Comparison Between Pre- and Post COVID-19 Pandemic Perspectives.  Yukari Ito, Osaka University; and Takashi Mita, Kyoto Sangyo University

1. Overarching questions/concerns Previous literature has extensively demonstrated that fertility decisions are influenced by individuals past life experiences and current socioeconomic status. Economic uncertainty and financial pressures can create obstacles for young couples who wish to have children. Excessive costs related to education, housing, and child-rearing can impose financial burdens and serve as reasons to delay the decision to start a family. Many in younger generations aspire to invest time in building their careers and pursuing professional success. Having children demands time and effort, which can be challenging to balance with a career. However, these circumstances can vary significantly among individuals and regions, especially under uncertain conditions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Japan has not taken a strict lockdown policy, however, the impact of the pandemic have been prolonged. 2. Statement on methods 2.1.Objective The aim of our study is to examine the impact of COVID-19 on fertility decisions and the future life course of childless families in Japan. We empirically test our arguments by leveraging the exogenous uncertainty shock caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our analysis aims to examine the impact of COVID-19 on how women are choosing their life course concerning having children and continuing their careers. We examine economic uncertainty and financial pressures caused by COVID-19 pandemic would damage couples who wish to have children and continuing their careers. 2.2. Design and Setting We present evidence of a causal impact of the pandemic on fertility intentions and the choice of future life course for childless families. We employ a two-group, two-period Difference-in-Difference analysis, using participants living in a prefecture subject to an emergency declaration due to COVID-19 as the treatment group and others as the control group. We assess the impact of the pandemic on future fertility intentions and continuing their careers by comparing pre- and post-pandemic data. 2.3. Participants We conducted online surveys in Japan using a private research company twice: once in February 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic, and once in February 2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected data from 20–49-year-old anonymous married and childless participants in Japan. The valid samples totaled 1,531 (764 in 2020 and 767 in 2022). Our survey samples are women from 20–49-year-old anonymous married and childless participants. We got consent from them to participate prior to the survey. Ethics approval and permission were obtained from Ethical Review Board Osaka University Hospital (2020-TH19371) and (2022-TO19371). 2.4. Method We apply Multinominal logit model for our estimation since there is a single decision based on two or more alternatives. The simplest model is Multinominal logit model because computation is simple and parameter estimates are easier to interpret than in some other multinominal model according to Cameron and Trivedi (2022, pp.908-914). We understand that categorial data based on individual choice are naturally ordered or groups in some cases, however we apply Multinominal logit model in our study for its convenience. Furthermore, we apply 2-group 2-period Difference-in-Difference analysis for analyzing the impact of COVID-19. Differences-in-Differences is a popular quasi-experimental methodology used to estimate causal effects from longitudinal observational data. We evaluate the impact of a COVID-19 by using Differences-in-Differences under a simple pre-post and control-treatment environment. We set our average treatment effect = (Average difference of 2-period in Treatment group) - (Average difference of 2-period in Control group). We calculate average treatment effect from average marginal effects of intersection term: Y2022 (year 2022 dummy variable) x S_area (1 = treatment group who live in severe COVID-19 area, 0 = Control croup). We calculate average treatment effect from average marginal effects with this intersection term. By using average marginal effects, we can use the estimated model to make predictions so that we can better interpret the model. In this study, we regress life course choice as a dependent variable by Multinominal logit model. The life course choice is the five options consist of combinations of having a child and continuing working. The options are: 1 = Have a child and continue working, 2 = Have a child and adjust work, 3 = Have a child and not work, 4 = Do not have a child and continue working, 5 = Do not have a child and not work. Our independent variables (or explanatory variables) are household income, participant’s employment status (Regular employees, non-regular employees, unemployed), age category (20s, 30s, 40s), health status, partner’s age, and Difference-in-Differences related variables. 3. Important findings -Regarding the COVID-19 interaction term, the probability of choosing option 3 decreased by approximately 6.8%. On the other hand, no statistically significant results were obtained for other options of life course choice. -As household income increases, the probability of choosing option 1 decreases by approximately 3.9%, while the probability of choosing option 3 increases by approximately 2.5%. -As age increases from the 20s to the 30s and 40s, it was found that the probability of choosing option 3 decreases, while the probability of choosing childless options such as 4 and 5 increases. -The increase in the partner's age was found to have minor impact on the selection of life course choice. -Compared to regular employees, non-regular employees have a probability of choosing option 1 that is approximately 23.3% lower, while the probability of choosing option 2 increases by approximately 14.4%, and option 4 by approximately 6.5%. 4. Implications for research, policy and/or practice Our analysis aims to examine the impact of COVID-19 on how women are choosing their life course concerning having children and continuing their careers. Our results show that COVID-19 pandemic has an impact on individual’s life course choice in severe COVID-19 area. Our findings highlight the complex and varied impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on fertility intentions and behaviors.

American Parents’ Imaginings of Post-pandemic Future(s) for the Work-family Nexus: Dramatic Shifts in Fathers' Perspectives?.  Shabnoor Nabi, University of Toronto; and Amanda Deeley, University of Toronto

Social resources (i.e., social support) and personal resources (mastery and self-esteem) remain mechanisms that differentially moderate the social and psychological wellbeing of mothers and fathers, especially in face of uncertainties. Ample research has shown how each of these mechanisms serve as a regulating resource for parents’ wellbeing. However, the ways these moderators are implicitly and/or explicitly combined, as well as their potentially varying efficacy as interlocking mechanisms for both mothers and fathers remain key questions. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered parents’ daily work and family routines. Parents’ unanticipated extra time with children came with limited access to social and institutional support for time needed to raise children. The salience of financial, social, and institutional support for familial well-being was highlighted during this period of unprecedented uncertainty. Overarching Questions: Our present project investigates the effect of the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic on shifting the ways American fathers a) construct and exercise a dynamic matrix of social and personal resources as buffer amidst the macro-level stressor of the pandemic, and b) subsequently use it in their renewed sense-making and imaginings of post-pandemic parental relationship and work-family arrangements. Methods: Data come from a larger multi-country, qualitative study (PACT) based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted in 2020-2021 with mothers and fathers with co-residential child(ren) under 18 in Canada, Australia, and the United States. The preliminary analysis we present here examines key emerging themes from the in-depth interviews conducted with 20 American fathers residing in urban, suburban, and rural regions of the United States. Findings: Our investigation suggests three broad themes: 1) Work-Family Nexus: flex time, schedule control, and workplace/remote work flexibility constructed by fathers as significant positive resources shaping their involvement in familial life; 2) Job Flexibility and Fathering Practices: fathers differentially value and mobilize flexibility during the pandemic based on gendered perceptions of this additional familial time; and 3) Pandemic-driven Shifts in Fathers’ Perspectives and Behavior around Work and Fathering: fathers developing new understandings about family life and their role in the family, driven by pandemic-instigated changes. Many fathers report being able to align their actions and practices/behavior with their desires for a more directly involved/ hands-on fathering and/or express their intention to reconsider and negotiate their future work roles in ways that would prioritize family life over work. Implications: Our present research focuses on the interconnectedness between pandemic-driven changes to workplace flexibility and schedule control available to fathers (and their partners) and American fathers’ changing sense-making around fatherhood and their parenting practices. Our study documents fathers’ dramatically changed visions of post-pandemic work-family balance, stemming from their altered sense of the importance of the fatherhood role within their respective families. We suggest that these fathers’ visions for a family-first approach to work has implications for future post-pandemic era research into the work-family nexus, particularly given that previous research has shown how fathering remains relatively more susceptible to context and situational factors. It thus remains vital to examine these interconnections in future research to determine how contextual factors shape American fatherhood practices, with implications for parental and familial wellbeing.

Paper Session

Family Insecurity and Strategies to Reduce Hardships


Work Hardship and Family Life: Harmony or Discord in Marital Life.  Abdel-Halim BERRETIMA, University A-M of Bejaïa Algeria

The relationship between work and family prompts us to define the interdependence and functioning of two different spheres, with the aim of understanding the treatment of the multidimensional equences of work hardship and all that it can trigger as professional or social risks among individuals. Exploring the connection between these two fields also means comprehending the determinants of the relationships of the actors, interpreted differently in each sphere. In this context, how is work hardship experienced within a working-class family, particularly an immigrant one? Work hardship serves to define the functioning of the family group. This family needs to confront the suffering and physical toll of the father's work to determine the functions, roles, and responsibilities of the actors involved in the psychological, social, and financial support and care for the suffering individual. Thus, the analysis of the strategies employed by the members of this institution (family) reveals the nature of the initiatives undertaken by each member to mitigate the financial, material, and social repercussions of work hardship and the risks it can entail. Examples can be accidents, illnesses, mental or physical suffering, disability, and precariousness. This is why, in my presentation, I will focus on the mobilisation of the wife and children and the new roles they can undertake in managing the repercussions of this work hardship. This is to understand the factors responsible for precariousness, the socio-cultural transformation of the family, and the different methods of its structuring and restructuring to be able to pinpoint the factors ensuring its societal equilibrium or imbalance. Keywords: professional activity, hardship, marital life, suffering, professional risk, precariousness, family reorganisation, structuring/restructuring, societal balance/imbalance.

Why Are the Needy Still in Need?.  Maria José Bosch, ESE Business School; and Matias Braun, ESE Business School - Universidad de los Andes

The relative income and happiness of different groups of people in need varies between countries. In general, it is assumed that the results presented by needy groups in a society depend on their ability to alleviate their needs. For example, how rich the country in question is, or the effort deployed by the state. However, the level of GDP per capita explains between 0.45% to 40% of their poverty and unhappiness relative to the rest of the population, while the spending as a percentage of GDP explains between 1% and 20% of relative poverty and unhappiness. We quantify the relevance that preferences, and families, have on the level of poverty and happiness of the elderly, the sick and disabled, the unemployed and immigrants in 43 European countries. We show that this variation responds, in part, to differences in the extent to which society is concerned with the wellbeing of these groups and the importance people assign to the family. In particular, the elderly, the sick, and the unemployed (but not the immigrants) exhibit a higher relative income and levels of happiness in more caring countries. Also, the elderly and sick are happier where the family is more important. Public policy and participation in the civil society are important mechanisms to explain the impact of concern. The quality of the state and the degree of trust in a country increase this effect, while the size of the family tends to be associated with the importance assigned to the family.

How is Family Survival Organized During the COVID-19 Pandemic? Strategies for Informal Sector Workers in México.  Mauricio Padrón-Innamorato, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

For decades, the literature has shown that adversity, at least in Mexico, is largely resolved within the home. In a society such as Mexico's, with an absence of support services, with few public spaces to seek care in case of illness, with deficiencies in housing and education, the crisis is resolved within the domestic units (Cortés & Rubalcava, 1991; Rubalcava, 1999; Oliveira, 1999; Padrón & Navarrete, 2023), which seek to restore internal order through their resources (personal and economic). The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the environment and life. Individuals, as they are not passive recipients, were making decisions seeking to solve the setbacks -of all kinds- arising from the health contingency. The purpose of this text is to learn about the strategies of informal sector workers in the face of the arrival of COVID-19: who got involved, what was more successful, why some managed to solve the problems, and others found it more difficult, are doubts that the work presented here seeks to resolve. To achieve the above, we begin with a bibliographical review and reflection on the importance of domestic units in resolving conflicts. In the second part, we will give rise to the testimonies, which show the different paths implemented in the face of illness and lack of workspaces.

Unsettled: How Homelessness Exacerbates the Problems of Precarious Work for Families with Children in Des Moines, Iowa.  Elizabeth Talbert, Drake University

Over the past decade, homelessness has become an increasingly visible and discussed phenomenon in the United States. In growing, mid-sized cities like Des Moines, Iowa, the economic struggles associated with labor market inequality, an increasingly unaffordable housing market, and personal histories of trauma and health issues have collided, leaving some families with children without permanent homes. This paper seeks to understand how homelessness affects parents’ ability to hold low-paid, precarious jobs and what strategies families use to ameliorate the double-marginalization of low-paid work and homelessness. Using data from interviews with interviews and ethnographic observations of 20 families with experience in Des Moines’ emergency family homeless shelters, we find that most parents are sporadically engaged in some kind of paid work, and some parents even have stable jobs through severe housing instability. However, on the whole, we find that the uncertainty that comes with being homeless makes precarious work—and the organization of life around it—even more unsustainable that it is when families have more stable housing. The daily work that goes into remaking family routines, clashes with the sometimes-strict rules of family shelters, and uncertainty about next housing situation add to the precariousness that already characterizes the balance between work and life for low-income families. We conclude that more centralized resources, homelessness programs targeted specifically to working parents with children of various ages, and better access to information about these resources are necessary to better support unsettled working families.

Paper Session

Fatherhood in Transition: Adapting Paternal Roles and Responsibilities in a Changing World


‘I Am Different’: A Qualitative Analysis of Part-Time Working Fathers’ Constructions of Their Experiences.  Eric Mercier, University of Adelaide; Amanda LeCouteur, University of Adelaide; and Paul Delfabbro, University of Adelaide

Although there has been an increasing interest in the notion of involved fatherhood, few studies have examined how fathers who work part-time and engage in child-rearing make sense of this experience. The present study explores how part-time working fathers positioned themselves in terms of their ‘at home’ and ‘at work’ identities. Thematic analysis was used to examine 30 interviewees’ accounts of their experiences. Three central themes were identified: (1) choosing to work part-time, (2) benefits of working part-time, and (3) contrasts with fathers as ‘breadwinners’. A common feature in all of these themes was interviewees’ flexible transition between traditional and non-traditional types of masculinity. The ways in which part-time working fathers positioned themselves as caring for children while maintaining attachment to more traditional types of masculinity are considered in terms of implications for theory and for fathers’ personal development. At a time where expectations of fathers engaged in child-rearing are increasing, the results of this study could be drawn on in the area of personal development to support men in forming new strategies around fathering practices.

Family Supportive Supervisor Behavior and Father Involvement in Parenting: The Role of Work Family Conflict as a Mediator..  Kartika Widiningtyas, Surabaya University; and Artiawati Artiawati, Surabaya University

The role of father in parenting is as important as the role of father as a breadwinner.The effort to meet the demands of both work and family life simultaneously can lead to work-family conflict among working fathers, which can reduce father involvement in parenting. It is important to study about resource in the work environment that can minimize work family conflict. Family supportive supervisor behavior has the potential to reduce the work family conflict and thus increase father involvement in parenting. This study was aimed at examining the relationship between family supportive supervisor behavior and father involvement as mediated by work family conflict. The total number of 188 working fathers in the state-owned banks in Indonesia participated in this study. The purposive sampling method applied in collecting data. The results showed that work family conflict partially mediated the relationship between family supportive supervisor behavior and father involvement (indirect effect =2.034, p=0.042; total effect =10.265, p=0.001; direct effect=9.504, p=0.001). Some important findings from the research include: • Supervisor support for family life is needed by working fathers in order to reduce work family conflict so that the fathers can better involve in parenting. • Long working hour and stress due to work is one of the obstacle for working fathers to involve in parenting • Gender role orientation has an association with father involvement in parenting. Supervisor as the role model and creative work family management are the most significant aspects in influencing work family conflict and father involvement in parenting. Reducing excessive working hours is also important in reducing work family conflict of working fathers. It is suggested for further research to consider gender role orientation in predicting father involvement in parenting.

Paternity Leave-Taking and U.S. Fathers’ Participation in Housework.  Richard Petts, Ball State University; Daniel Carlson, University of Utah; and Chris Knoester, Ohio State University

Overarching Questions/Concerns: Paternity leave may promote greater gender equality in domestic labor. Though numerous studies show that paternity leave promotes greater father involvement in childcare, less is known about whether paternity leave-taking may facilitate father involvement in other forms of domestic labor such as housework. This study examines the extent to which paternity leave-taking and length of paternity leave are associated with U.S. fathers’ shares of, and time spent in, housework. Statement on Methods: We use repeated cross-sectional data on 1,654 different-gender partnered U.S. parents from the Study on Parents’ Divisions of Labor During COVID-19 (SPDLC), and consider both fathers’ relative shares of housework as well as how many hours per week fathers spend in housework. Important Findings: • Paternity leave-taking is positively associated with fathers’ shares of, and time spent in, housework tasks. • Longer paternity leaves are also associated with fathers performing greater shares of housework. • The associations between paternity leave-taking and fathers’ housework persist for all housework tasks other than grocery shopping. Implications for Research, Policy, and/or Practice: Overall, this study indicates that the benefits of paternity leave likely extend to fathers’ greater participation in housework, providing additional support for the belief that increased use of paternity leave may help to promote gender equality in domestic labor. As such, these findings provide additional evidence that expanding paid parental leave policies in the U.S. would be beneficial for families.

Caregiving Fathers Experiences Post Covid- “It’s a Little Bit of a Kick in the Face”.  Jasmine Kelland, University of Plymouth; and Daniel Deahan, University of Plymouth

The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted traditional patterns of the management of work and caregiving (Andrew et al., 2020) and at that time UK fathers expressed intention to have greater involvement in caregiving after the pandemic (Fatherhood Institute,2022). Perhaps unsurprisingly, the post-covid work context is typified by changes in work patterns (Shirmohammadi et al., 2023) and increases in staff turnover (Cosgrove et al., 2023), however, little qualitative research has been undertaken to explore the experiences of caregiving fathers in this context. Thus, we undertook 27 in-depth semi-structured interviews with UK caregiving fathers in Summer 2023 to explore how they are managing work and care post-covid. We find caregiving fathers report an increase in flexible working and workplace visibility which has positively impacted upon their family life. However, they continue to experience less workplace support than mothers with levels of conditionality existing and support being dependent on line-managers' parental status and the organisational context. Our findings provide evidence for the continuation of elements of ‘fatherhood forfeits’ (Kelland,2022) and expand knowledge on ‘paternal supervisory gatekeeping’ (Hennekam et al, 2022). The provision of workplace flexibility was emphasised as a central retention factor, with many fathers leaving their employment if they did not receive the flexibility they needed, offering a potential explanation for ‘the great resignation’ (Cosgrove et al., 2023). We argue that despite a climate of increased support post-covid, parental gendered differentials remain, which impact upon labour retention, highlighting the ongoing need for organisational and policy action to support caregiving fathers in the workplace.

How Do We Measure Father Involvement? Methodological and Epistemological Issues in a Canadian Mixed Methods Study on Household Tasks and Responsibilities.  Kim de Laat, University of Waterloo; and Andrea Doucet, Brock University

This paper compares fathers’ survey responses to questions about their involvement in childcare and housework, and couple interviews in which the same fathers reflect on their involvement at home. It is based on data from a Canadian qualitative study with diverse Canadian families (the Care/Work Portrait project) and the Canadian Familydemic survey, which is part of a six-country Familydemic comparative project. We highlight two key findings from a sample of twenty fathers from diverse socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds who participated in a national survey and a follow-up up interview with their partners. First, we find evidence of higher levels of agreement between fathers’ individual survey responses and couples’ interview responses on fathers’ involvement in care tasks: discrete interventions into childcare or housework that have a clear beginning, middle, and end, (for example, cooking a meal). Second, there is less agreement between our quantitative and qualitative data about fathers’ involvement in care responsibilities, which is the type of cognitive labour that involves noticing needs and managing, organizing, and planning different spheres of family life (for example, meal planning). We draw on two in-depth case studies to illustrate how and why, in surveys, fathers may overestimate their involvement in forms of care and household work that involve cognitive labour and varied temporal and spatial dimensions. Our mixed methods data provides methodological and epistemological insights into the importance of attending not only to what we measure, but also how, when we make assessments about gender equality in household divisions of labour.

Paper Session

Financial Dynamics in Intimate Relationships


Gender Gaps in Education and Earnings: How Do They Correlate to Divorce in a Patriarchal Society?.  Maha sabbah Karkabi, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

This research examines how couples’ gaps in education and earning, affect the likelihood of divorce in Arab community in Israel. Recent data indicate a pronounced rise in divorce rates among Arab couples in Israel. Simultaneously, there has been a notable surge in educational achievements, especially among women, which exceed those of their male counterparts. However, despite these shifts, the traditional homemaker-breadwinner paradigm persists, prompting an inquiry into the interplay between these evolving socioeconomic dynamics and marital stability. Research on divorce has documented the possible consequences stemming from the expansion of marriage types where the wife possesses a higher education or outearns her husband (hypogamy). Such configurations have been posited to challenge traditional male gender roles as primary breadwinners and reduce the economic interdependence between spouses. Nevertheless, recent research suggests that marriages characterized by hypogamy no longer exhibit a higher divorce risk than other marriage types as gender norms have become more egalitarian. Most research conducted in the Global North highlights the recent cohort transitions from a breadwinner-centric marital paradigm to one that champions marital egalitarianism. However, there remains a need of comprehensive studies centered on societies at the periphery of the Global North, where educational shifts are evident, yet the evolution of gender norms appears to be more stagnant. Given the cultural context, this study utilized a longitudinal dataset, collated by Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics spanning from 1995 to 2019. Through employing a series of discrete-time event-history analysis models for marital dissolution, preliminary findings indicate that educational hypogamy marriages does not singularly jeopardize marital stability. Nevertheless, unions where the established male breadwinner role is not upheld exhibit a heightened susceptibility to divorce.

Gender Inequalities in Married Couples' Earnings Trajectories: A Comparison of the United States and Germany.  Nicole Kapelle, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin / Humboldt University of Berli; Lili Vargha, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin / Humboldt University of Berli; Maria Hornung, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin / Humboldt University of Berli; and Anette Fasang, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin / Humboldt University of Berli

Wives commonly earn less than their male partners, with substantial consequences for women's subjective and economic wellbeing. The present study aims to identify, compare, and describe diverse patterns of gender inequalities in married couples' earnings trajectories over the first six years of marriage in Germany and the United States. As such, we focus on identifying overlapping as well as unique groups within the two contexts and understanding the factors associated with group memberships. Using group-based multi-trajectory modelling, we simultaneously consider both spouses' earnings trajectories as well as trajectories of women's share of couples' earnings to identify latent patterns of inequalities in married couples' earnings trajectories at different levels of household earnings. Preliminary results for Germany highlight six distinct couple types that are differently associated with socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. Next, we will include PSID data for the US and use multinomial logistic regressions to formally describe the patterns.

Women’s Financial Independence, Household Money Management and Gender Inequalities Within Couples With Children.  Susan Harkness, UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL

How couples manage their money can give important insights into gender inequalities within the household. Using panel data for the United Kingdom from 2009/10-2019/20, we analyse how women’s financial independence and the couples’ family structure affect the management of household finances. Our focus is on couples with dependent children, among whom gender earnings gaps are large. We show that finances are less likely to be shared in non-traditional households: where women earning contribute towards a higher share of family income, where they cohabit, or where there are stepchildren. Linking information on how couples manage their money to individuals’ perceptions of financial stress and psychological well-being we further show that, when finances are not shared, women are more likely to face financial stress and have poor mental health. We conclude by discussing the implications for the design of tax and benefit systems.

Paper Session

Flexible Work Arrangements: Experiences and Impacts


Remote Work and Gender Inequalities in Paid Work: the Role of Norms.  Olga Leshchenko, University of Konstanz

Flexible working arrangements in terms of work location aim to allow employees to balance work and private domains of life. Nonetheless, there is evidence that flexible working can lead to the expansion of paid labor rather than life beyond work, i.e., a phenomenon named the flexibility paradox (Chung, 2022). Research shows that this pattern might depend on gender identification, with women increasing unpaid work contributions and men increasing their paid work contributions when working flexibly (Lott & Chung, 2016; Chung & Booker, 2023). Some small-N studies show that these findings are not universal but depend on the individual’s work or family devotion (Lott, 2023) and attitudes toward gender roles (Leshchenko & Chung, 2023; Yucel & Chung, 2023). This study goes beyond single-country analysis and examines how contextual gender and work norms moderate the relationship between remote work arrangements and paid working hours for men and women. It uses individual-level data from the European Social Survey (2021) and aggregated country-level data from the European Values Study and World Values Survey on work and gender norms. It applies linear regression with clustered standard errors. The preliminary results indicate that on-site employees work more hours than those working remotely in countries with high work devotion. In countries with higher support for more traditional gender roles, women work fewer hours if they have access to remote work compared to women working on-site, which contributes to the gender gap in work hours.

Remote Socialization: Evidence from a Field Experiment in India.  Stephanie Chan-Ahuja, London Business School

Overarching questions/concerns In the past few years, remote working has proliferated across the labor market. From the demand side, job seekers have strong preferences for remote working arrangements (Woźniak-Jęchorek, 2024). From the supply side, offering remote work enables global talent acquisition and increases the diversity of job applicants (Choudhury, 2022; Hsu & Tambe, 2024). As a result, organizations in general, and startups in particular, have been experimenting with being fully remote, where entire organizations are “location-independent” (Rhymer, 2023). In understanding workers’ experiences in fully remote organizations, the remote working literature offers mixed findings. On the one hand, a large body of work finds that employees who work remotely, compared to those working in an office setting, have higher subjective well-being, and lower work-family conflict, among other psychological benefits (e.g., Gajendran & Harrison, 2007; Kelly et al., 2014; Sherman, 2020). On the other hand, more recent research on remote working has found negative work consequences, such as siloed conversations and lower performance (Atkin et al., 2023; Bloom et al., 2022; Emanuel et al., 2023; Yang et al., 2022). I argue that one potential explanation for these opposing results lies in the socialization process of newcomers. Critically, the existing research has almost exclusively studied employees who have been socialized into the organization in an office setting prior to remote working. For example, in the canonical remote working experiment conducted by Bloom and colleagues (2015), participants were required to have worked in the office for 6-months to be eligible for the study. In my job market paper, I study whether starting a job in the office versus remotely influences the newcomers’ socialization experiences and outcomes. Statement on Methods I created a company called Data Lumina to conduct a field experiment in Pune, India (AEA RCT Pre-registration #12248; https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.12248-1.0; ethical approval by London Business School Committee #REC892). Participants provided consent to participate in an academic study. The decision to create a company for research purposes was to maximize the internal and external validity of the research. By employing real employees, the study achieved high external validity as the study participants were real employees working for wages. Moreover, I had full control over the study design and data collection process, including the ability to randomize employees into experimental conditions, contributing to high internal validity. I hired employees (hereafter, “participants”) for a three-to-four-week period. Employees were recruited online and have recently graduated from college or will soon graduate from college. During their employment, participants engaged in a data annotation task to classify texts from interview transcripts, a task which involved critical thinking, ambiguity, and learning, while having a clear performance measure. Given that participants worked at the company for several weeks, I was able to collect repeated survey measures each week, which allowed for more precise estimations as well as the ability to monitor changes over time. I randomly assigned new hires into Remote or Office conditions with equal probability. For the first three weeks of the study, participants in the Remote condition worked remotely whereas participants in the Office condition worked from the office. For the fourth week, participants in both conditions worked remotely. My final sample composed of 235 participants, with 125 participants in the Remote condition and 110 participants in the Office condition. To assess newcomers’ experiences and outcomes, I measured socialization success, work-life conflict, performance, and retention. To measure socialization success, I surveyed participants each week using a socialization measure, which captured the three key factors of socialization: company, task, and relationship (Cooper-Thomas et al., 2014, 2020). Also on a weekly basis, I surveyed participants on their work-to-family and family-to-work conflict (Netemeyer, Boles, and McMurrian 1996). To measure performance, I collected unobtrusive data on the quantity and quality of participants’ work. Additionally, they completed a self-reported measure of performance each week (Sherman, 2020). To measure retention, after participants had worked for three weeks, they reported their willingness to stay as well as their reservation wage (i.e., the lowest salary they were willing to work for). Finally, I also captured a number of other organizational behavior and demographic measures. Important Findings (Preliminary) - Participants in the Remote condition reported significantly lower levels of socialization for the relationship factor (b = -.335, p < .000) with no statistical difference in participants’ socialization with regards to the company (b = .036, p = .767) and the task (b = .039, p = .627). - There were no statistical differences in family-to-work conflict (b = -.05, p = .632) between conditions but Remote participants experienced significantly lower work-to-family conflict (b = -.36, p = .002). - Remote participants classified 35% fewer passages per day compared to Office participants (p = .000). Interestingly, there were no differences in self-reported performance (b = -0.014, p = 0.869). - Although there was no difference in the binary measure of willingness to stay (b = .049, p = .329), participants from the Remote condition provided a significantly lower reservation wage to work for an additional week (b = -208.66, p = .008). - 182 participants stayed for the fourth week of their employment and worked remotely. I find that Office participants, while completing marginally fewer passages than the prior week (t = 1.92, p = .056), continued to complete a significantly higher number of passages than Remote participants (b = 63.68, p = .020), with no changes in self-rated performance. Implications for future research, policy, and/or practice This study contributes to the work flexibility literature by deepening our understanding of remote working among demographic subgroups such as new hires. Moreover, I also advance the socialization literature by assessing the role of colocation when joining an organization. By running a field experiment, I provided a rigorous empirical test of the research question. Moreover, this study has immediate implications for practice as organizational leaders continue to grapple with designing the optimal remote working policy. This paper suggests that new hires could benefit from socializing in the office and organizations could consider designing a remote working policy that accommodates newcomers.

Dynamic Configurations: How Changing Patterns of Team Members’ Locations Shape Individual and Team Outcomes.  Aurora Turek, Harvard University - Business School; Salvatore Affinito, Harvard University - Business School; Ashley Whillans, Harvard University - Business School; Leslie Perlow, Harvard University - Business School; and Preeti Varma, INSEAD

1. Overarching questions/concerns: Remote work has become more prevalent in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading many organizations to adopt hybrid work models that blend in-office and remote work to varying degrees. Yet, prior research has identified both advantages and challenges faced by individuals and teams in remote work settings, suggesting that there are tradeoffs to be considered in different hybrid work arrangements. We explore how the tradeoffs between remote and in-office work are balanced in various hybrid work arrangements by examining where individuals work in relation to one another and how these configurations change over time within each type of arrangement. 2. Statement on methods: We review the virtual work literature, with a specific focus on how existing research addresses team configurations - i.e., where team members work in relation to one another - and their implications for both individuals and teams. 3. Important findings: - The virtual work literature illuminates important tradeoffs between remote and in-office work for both individuals and teams. For remote and in-office individuals, key tradeoffs include balancing work and non-work lives, developing social and professional relationships, and knowledge sharing. These individual-level outcomes have significant implications for teams, affecting coordination, conflict, trust, and innovation. - Hybrid work offers the potential to balance the tradeoffs between remote and in-office work, but due to the wide variety of possible hybrid work arrangements, it's necessary to take a configurational perspective to understand how to achieve this balance. Specifically, we suggest that it is crucial to consider how team configurations vary over time to effectively manage these tradeoffs. - We identify the key dimensions along which hybrid work arrangements can vary and provide examples of how team configurations change over time according to these dimensions. -We suggest that different hybrid work arrangements vary in their ability to balance the tradeoffs of remote and in-office work for individuals and teams, depending on the patterns of how team configurations change over time. 4. Implications for research, policy, and/or practice: Implications for Research: Existing literature on virtual teams often examines team configurations as static. We suggest that future research exploring the implications of remote work in today’s hybrid work environments should consider the dynamic nature of team configurations, as different patterns of configurations over time may yield different outcomes. Implications for Policy and Practice: When developing hybrid work policies, leaders should recognize the wide variety of hybrid work arrangements and how they balance remote and in-office work tradeoffs. Leaders should carefully consider these tradeoffs to select arrangements that best align with their organizational goals and maximize the benefits for both employees and the organization.

Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Flexible Working Arrangements: Investigating the Role of Ideal Worker Norms.  Antje Schwarz, Bielefeld University

Overarching questions/concerns This research in progress examines the association between flexible working (schedule control and telework) and the willingness to perform organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), as the willingness to take on extra responsibilities in the workplace without being paid, in 30 European countries. The study asks (1) how flexible working is associated with the willingness to perform OCB? And (2) whether the implications of flexible working differ between organizational contexts of expectations of work devotion? Drawing on the social exchange theory, the ideal worker norm theory, and the job demands-resources model (J D-R), the study considers organizational expectations of working overtime and being responsive outside working hours as moderators. Statement on methods A multi-level analysis is conducted using data from the European Social Survey (10). Important findings (bulleted list) The results indicate • a higher willingness to perform OCB for employees who are working flexibly. • that higher perceived expectations of being responsive outside working hours go along with higher OCB. • that higher perceived expectations of working overtime show no significant relationship in the total sample but go along with lower OCB in the subsample of employees in full-time arrangements. • a stronger OCB-enhancing effect of the expectations to be responsive outside working hours for employees without any schedule control compared to employees with schedule control. Implications for research, policy and/or practice The findings support the notion that flexible working arrangements support OCB. Overall, the findings differ by dimensions of ideal worker norms and working hours.

Does Working From Home Lead to Higher Employment of Parents? Evidence From Europe..  Magdalena Grabowska, University of Warsaw; Anna Kurowska, University of Warsaw; and Anna Matysiak, University of Warsaw

Overarching questions The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 caused a tremendous increase in the share of employees working from home (WFH) in all European countries. Many studies have recently investigated how WFH affects workers’ career opportunities, such as promotion or salary increase, showing that even in the post-pandemic context, WFH negatively affects workers’ career outcomes. Little is known, however, whether this mode of work has the potential to increase the presence of parents in paid employment. This is possible as WFH may allow persons with care obligations, particularly mothers, to enter employment even though it is related to lower promotion opportunities or salary than onsite work. This paper aims to fill this research gap. We use data from 11 European countries and proceed in two steps. First, we adopt a macro-level approach and study the relationship between the spread of WFH in a country and parental employment rates. Second, we move to the micro-level and examine whether the availability of WFH at the country level influences the transitions of individuals between non-employment and employment. We stratify both analyses by gender and parenthood status in order to determine whether the availability of WFH in the country differently affects the employment opportunities of mothers, fathers, and childless individuals. Statement on methods We address our research questions using the data from 2006-2019 from the Labor Force Survey for 11 European countries. Our sample consists of countries where the average share of occasional or permanent teleworkers exceeds 10% throughout the study period. This applies to 8 Western countries (i.e., Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Portugal, the UK, and the Netherlands) and 3 CEE countries (i.e., Estonia, Poland, and Slovenia). Our sample choice is based on the assumption that only in countries with relatively widespread access to teleworking might the impact of WFH spread significantly influence the employment rates or individual employment decisions. The analysis uses both macroeconomic and microeconomic perspectives. First, we estimate the fixed-effects panel data model for employment rates of parents and childless individuals using country-aggregated data. Next, we estimate logistic regressions to examine individual transitions between unemployment or being inactive and employment using individual-level data. Our main explanatory variable in both models is the share of workers in a country working from home at least sometimes. Since the increasing availability of WFH is presumably noticed by individuals with a delay and changing employment status requires time, we include a one-year lag of this variable in our models. Apart from that, we control for several contextual variables. These are childcare coverage, unemployment rate, the mean age of the adult population, the share of people with higher education, and proxy for gender role attitudes. The last variable is constructed based on a question from the European Values Survey. In addition, for our microanalysis, we introduce a set of individual variables, including sex, age, having a partner, having higher education, and the age of the youngest child. Both macro- and micro-level analyses are stratified by gender and parenthood status, meaning we run separate models for parents, mothers, fathers, and the childless. Important findings - The employment rates for parents are higher in countries with the higher spread of WFH although this relationship is driven by maternal employment. If we consider only fathers, the relationship is not significant. - The employment rate of childless individuals is also positively related to the spread of WFH although the effect is smaller and almost non-significant. - Parents are more likely to enter employment in countries with higher WFH spread. The effect is similar in size for mothers and fathers while it remains insignificant for childless individuals. - For fathers, increased WFH spread also decreases the probability of transitioning from employment to unemployment or being inactive. We do not observe a similar effect for mothers or childless individuals. Implications for research, policy, and practice In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has undoubtedly accelerated the implementation of various labor market regulations regarding teleworking, studying the potential effects of increased access to WFH is of major importance. Our results shed new light on the advantages of working from home from the workers' perspective. The increased availability of WFH positively influences parental employment in terms of country-level employment rates as well as individual chances of transitioning into employment. Therefore, widening access to telework can potentially enhance parents' employment. This, in turn, would benefit the whole economy as parents form a sizeable proportion of the labor force. However, it is worth noting that the cultural context, including the social attitudes toward gender roles, might moderate the magnitude of the effect of WFH spread. Particularly, we anticipate that in countries with more traditional norms regarding gender division increased availability of WFH might not be as important for maternal employment as in more egalitarian societies. Thus, there is a need for further research in different social contexts and on post-pandemic data.

Paper Session

Future Directions for Work-Family Research: Revisiting Constructs and Exploring New Themes


Gendering Digital Labor: Work and Family Digital Contact in Europe.  Yue Qian, University of British Columbia; and Yang Hu, Lancaster University

With rapid digitalization, people increasingly use digital technologies for contact in their work and family lives. Nevertheless, how digital labor is gendered remains under-researched, particularly in a cross-national context. Analyzing data from the 2020 European Social Survey, this study examines gender differences in digital contact across the domains of work and family. Using latent profile analysis, we identify five distinctive profiles of work-family digital contact—dual medium, dual low, high work-only, high family-only, and dual high digital contact. We find notable gender differences across these profiles. Compared with men, women are less likely to have high work-only digital contact but are more likely to have high family-only and dual high digital contact. Moreover, with an increase in digital literacy and in the frequency of working from home, women are increasingly more likely than men to have dual medium digital contact; as we move from countries with a lower to a higher level of internet coverage, women are increasingly more likely than men to have high family-only and dual high digital contact. These results suggest that as individuals’ digital literacy increases, working from home becomes more prevalent, and internet access expands further in society, women may disproportionately take on family-related digital labor and also suffer from a “digital double burden” in work-family life. The findings call for attention to new forms of gender inequality in the division of labor in the digital era.

Job Search and the Work-Nonwork Interface: A Self-Regulatory Perspective on Job Search Progress and Strategies via Job Search Goal Adjustment.  Alex Lefter, Concordia University; Tracy Hecht, Concordia University; and Emily Burdman, Concordia University

The purpose of this study was to explore the indirect effects of work-to-nonwork and nonwork-to-work conflicts and enrichments on job search outcomes (i.e., job search progress and strategies) via job search goal adjustment. Drawing from a self-regulatory perspective and the conservation of resources model, we hypothesized that conflicts have negative indirect effects on job search outcomes through their positive impacts on downward goal adjustment, and that enrichments have positive indirect effects on job search outcomes through their positive impacts on upward goal adjustment. We recruited employed individuals who were actively looking for new jobs (N = 308) from a Canadian panel service. Using a sequential research design, we surveyed participants three times over three weeks. The hypothesized relations were tested simultaneously using structural equation modelling, accounting for covariances among variables, with 20,000 bootstrap samples to test the indirect effects. Overall, we found that nonwork-to-work conflict had positive indirect effects on job search progress and exploratory job search strategies via upward goal adjustment, and positive indirect effects on haphazard and focused job search strategies via downward goal adjustment. We also found that work-to-nonwork enrichment had positive indirect effects on job search progress and exploratory job search strategies via upward goal adjustment. Some direct effects from conflicts and enrichments to job search outcomes remained significant after controlling for goal adjustment. These findings point to the importance of the work-family interface for understanding the self-regulatory nature of the job search process of employed individuals.

A Paradox Approach To Examine Work-Nonwork Issues.  Sue Epstein, SUNY - Empire State College; and Sue Faerman, SUNY - Albany

Work-nonwork issues have often been presented as dilemmas, i.e., either/or decisions involving mutually exclusive choices where one option must be prioritized over the other. In this paper, we propose using a values-based approach to instead encourage conceptualizing work-nonwork tensions as paradoxes. Thus, rather than assuming work-nonwork issues involve only either/or decisions, we raise the potential for conceptualizing work-nonwork issues through a both/and approach and, as an illustrative case, we explore the popular work-nonwork construct of work-family conflict. This approach to work-nonwork issues provides a framework accommodating of and adaptable to different situational contexts (e.g., different societal cultures) and thus provides an adaptable, inclusive approach to exploring work-nonwork issues. Our goal is to show how using a paradox approach and value dimensions encourage the framing and development of sustainable and beneficial work-nonwork solutions. We conclude by discussing some of the benefits of our values-based paradox approach.

Work-Family Research in the 21st Century and Beyond.  Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, Purdue University

Defining what is considered work-family research today is no easy task. The phrase ‘work-family balance’ was probably first used in the UK in the late 1970s, and in the US in the mid-1980s. The composition of both work and family spheres has, however, changed significantly since the discipline was first introduced. Modern technology and the “always on” culture common in many countries has blurred the line between work and family domains. The recent pandemic has shifted what is considered possible with respect to both work time and workplace. Over the past few decades there has been an explosion of research on the relationships between work and non-work life. Post-pandemic with many people feeling stressed and not “balanced” and the world of work in flux it is time to look at how we conceptualize and study work-family balance. In this session we present the results of a Delphi study intended to initiate a discussion within the work-family research community on how we as work-family researchers envision work-family research now and into the future. The Delphi methodology is a problem-solving technique where answers to a question are determined by sending multiple rounds of questionnaires to a group of experts – in this case all WFRN members. The Delphi approach facilitates dialogue between geographically separated experts while serving as an effective means for learning. In this session we summarize our informants’ responses to the following questions: What do scholars mean when they say that they are “work-family” researchers? What impact does the researcher’s discipline and nationality have on how they conceptualize work-family research?

Theorizing Through TikTok: How Journalists Amplified a Work Disengagement Narrative Justifying Remote Work Retrenchment.  Leroy Gonsalves, Boston University; and Charles Chu, Boston University

In the aftermath of the pandemic, much of the sensemaking around greater worker autonomy from remote work has been facilitated by business press journalists. But how do abrupt shifts in public discourse occur, and with what consequences for managerial control? We present systematic qualitative analysis of articles on “quiet quitting” (N=170) that dominated the business press between 2022-2023. Our analysis reveals a novel professional practice we identify as ‘theorization by social media’ which blurs the lines between entertainment and news. This involved crafting a narrative conflating online entertainment content with offline historical changes in social behavior, reinforcing the narrative by citing prior media attention and thin evidence validated by non-experts with commercial interests, and extending the narrative by predicting reactions and coining related terms aimed at going viral. We suggest that the resulting ‘work disengagement narrative’ justifies and prescribes managers’ use of rational and coercive control. We present supplementary causal evidence from a survey experiment (N=1,000) where managers exposed to the narrative generalize amotivation onto workers and increase selection of rational and coercive control practices, such as pay-for-performance incentives, returning workers to the office, and digital surveillance. The study illustrates how sudden shifts in media narratives fueled by trending social media content can capture the public imagination with potential consequences for how managers aim to motivate their workforces.

Paper Session

Gender, Identity, and Career Progression


Parents' Experiences of Remote Work: A Photo-Documentary Study.  Jennifer Augustine, University of South Carolina; Nicholas Hollis, University of South Carolina; Paola Tamayo, University of South Carolina; and Morgan Koziol, University of South Carolina

Overall Issue. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly upended norms of work. One of the most profound changes was a shift toward remote work. Today, nearly 16 percent of the U.S. workforce is fully remote. Over 28 percent of workers have a hybrid schedule. This recent rise in remote work has been heralded as providing greater opportunities for parents to balance work and family demands. Yet social scientific research suggests that remote work may carry distinct downsides. For example, studies based on time-diary data reveal that mothers who work from home perform more childcare and domestic work, exacerbating gender disparities in unpaid labor. For fathers, remote work often leads to greater time working, making it more difficult for them to meet their family responsibilities. Several studies have also found that parents who work from home do not experience the promised benefit of remote work—greater work family balance—but rather greater work family conflict. The reasons that parents who work at home experience greater work-family conflict, however, have largely eluded scholars, as prior research has typically employed quantitative methods based on surveys. These surveys provide representative estimates of how parents allocate their time, or how they feel about their remote work schedules. But they do not provide a window into the everyday lived experiences of remote working parents or a textured understanding of the challenges of remote work. Statement on Methods. In this project, we will provide this window by capturing photographic images of the remote workspaces of 28 parents. Our use of photography as a data collection method is rare amongst social scientists, who tend to capture the social world through numbers and words. Yet photography is a valuable method that captures the spaces where remote work is performed. Such spaces contain rich details about the lives of families who are navigating new working norms, and parents’ remote workspaces reflect an increasingly important social place within the home. To date, we have taken over sixty photographs of the remote workspaces of twenty mothers and eight fathers with children aged 13 or younger who work from home two or more days per week, although our data collection is ongoing. We have recruited parents through school PTOs, local gyms, coffee shops, community centers, and libraries, and across urban and suburban neighborhoods in our community. Our data collection also includes a small interview component, in which we ask parents (a) what they like and (b) what they dislike about their remote workspaces, as well as a brief demographic survey. The quotes from the interview provide additional insight into the significance of the pictures. The information from the survey allow us to describe the parents whose spaces are pictured. Important Findings. Key findings of our analysis are as follows. • We identified two key themes in our analysis of the photographs. The first theme we observed is that most spaces were characterized by “blurred physical boundaries.” • Specifically, parents’ workspaces contained materials that not only were used in the performance of their work activities. They were also used to perform other activities, such as caregiving, domestic work, and hobbies. Workspaces also shared functions with other key activities—for example, working and eating—or with other people; for example, parents’ workspaces were also children’s sleeping spaces. • Parents reported that this issue of blurred spaces made remote work challenging, as they presented regular distractions, limited privacy, and made it difficult to cognitively distinguish between working and other activities. • The second theme we identified was that most spaces were “improvised” in various ways. Spaces borrowed materials from other spaces in the home; for example, to create a makeshift desk or serve as a desk chair. They also borrowed space; for example, by occupying a small corner of a room used primarily for another purpose. As a consequence, parents’ workspaces were often disorganized, cramped, and lacking in necessary storage or space for key work materials. Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice. These findings provide a unique window into understanding the challenges of parents who work from home; specifically, because parents lack the space and materials to create an ideal work environment. Employers should thus consider ways to help workers create appropriate work set-ups, beyond providing access to computing and platforms, which tends to be their focus. The results also highlight one way in which remote work—which has been hailed as a potentially democratizing force in the post-COVID era, in which remote work access has widened—may further inequality; specifically, because less advantaged workers may experience blurred physical boundaries and improvised spaces more so that more advantaged workers. At the same time, these results highlight a key set of challenges for remote work that are less amenable to intervention. Many parents refused to designate more space in their home for work, even when such space was available. As such, they reveal how parents are still adapting to their new working norms and unsure how much of they want work to become integrated into their homes.

The Impact of Partners’ Identity Comprehension on Workers’ Outcomes: The Role of Felt Understanding and Gender.  Xing Liu, Wayne State University; Christina Hymer, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; and Sherry Thatcher, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Research examining the work-family interface indicates that work-family conflict contributes to negative individual outcomes, including reduced well-being and job performance. While valuable, this research has traditionally only accounted for the perspective of the worker. In this study, we examine the impact of a partner’s perceptions of a worker’s work-family interface on a focal worker’s work outcomes. Drawing upon identity theory, we anticipate that a partner’s identity comprehension (i.e., the extent to which a partner understands the importance of a focal worker’s work- and family-related identities) positively relates to a worker’s levels of job satisfaction, job engagement, and work-family balance satisfaction. That is, as a partner more correctly assesses the importance of a focal worker’s identities, they are better capable of providing resources to help a focal worker navigate work and family demands. We anticipate that these positive relationships are mediated by a focal worker's perception that their partner understands their work-family conflict. Drawing upon gender role theory, we anticipate that these relationships are strengthened when the focal worker is female given gender differences in role demands that may contribute to greater levels of work-family conflict among women. We test our model using a multi-source, multi-wave cross-lagged design on a sample of 158 couples from Prolific. We find that partners’ identity comprehension enhances focal workers’ job satisfaction, job engagement, and work-family balance satisfaction. However, felt understanding only mediates the relationship between identity comprehension and work-family balance satisfaction for female workers. Our paper carries implications for the identity and work-family literatures.

A New Dimension of the Motherhood Penalty: Perceptions of Future Childbearing Risk.  Tania Hutt, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile

While there is widespread evidence of the motherhood penalty in the U.S. labor market, it remains unclear whether future childbearing risk activates employers’ forward-looking concerns about job applicants. I draw from existing social-psychological research to theorize that future childbearing risk will be associated with forward-looking characteristics, such as future cost, risk, and growth potential. Using an original conjoint survey experiment that disentangles current motherhood status from future childbearing risk, I find that among childless women, future motherhood is penalized in perceptions of cost and risk while among current mothers, future additional childbearing is also penalized in perceptions of growth potential and competency. In addition, by examining how the penalty associated with current motherhood varies across low and high future childbearing risk, I find that when motherhood is signaled in isolation from future childbearing risk (i.e., mothers who are “done” with childbearing), mothers are penalized exclusively in perceptions associated with having current childcare responsibilities. In contrast, when current motherhood is combined with high future childbearing risk, the penalty is larger and impacts nearly all measures of cost, risk, growth potential, and reliability—being more closely aligned with the conventionally studied motherhood penalty. I also find some interesting variations of these penalties across racial and social class groups. I propose a theoretical framework that enables a deeper understanding of the motherhood penalty, showing how perceptions of future cost and risk of childbearing can affect childless women as well as exacerbate and expand the penalties already experienced by mothers of young children.

Paper Session

Gender, Partnerships, and Family Dynamics


Intensive Partnering: Gendered Partnership Aspirations and Household Inequality.  Yinan Wang, Harvard University

Existing scholarship addressing the discrepancy between rising egalitarian gender ideals and persistent household inequalities has either focused on structural/cultural influences on couple dynamics or on couples’ post-hoc justifications. This study identifies an overlooked perceptual mechanism - partnership aspirations - that operates prior to couple dynamics as guidelines that shapes their following interactions, resource distribution, and responsibility allocation. Using 89 interviews with college-educated individuals, I argue that their partnership aspirations can be characterized as “intensive partnering,” a multi-layered support framework emphasizing intertwining support for the partner, relationship, and household. Its maintenance demands intensive and extensive energy, cognitive capacity, and emotional investment; continuous adaptation and incorporation of cultural tools in adjustment to partner’s expectations; and persistent assessment of both parties’ personal and professional lives. Notably, female participants emphasized these demands more frequently than their male counterparts. These insights illuminate the perceptual underpinnings of household gender dynamics, opening new research directions on domestic gender inequality.

The Mental Load: Implications for Work-Family Integration Among Canadian Mothers.  Haneen Abraham, University of Alberta; and Rhonda Breitkreuz, University of Alberta

The mental load is a form of labor that describes cognitive and emotional labor undertaken by women, often in the form of rumination or anticipation about tasks pertaining to the functioning of the family system. Unlike tasks typically associated with reproductive work, such as childcare and housework, the mental load is an invisible form of labor. Characterized by its ambiguous boundaries, the mental load is a critical yet often overlooked factor in the work-family integration of Canadian mothers. Employing a socio-ecological, critical feminist approach, this study examines the ways in which the mental load impacts maternal employment choices. To conduct this analysis, data was collected from six focus groups and individual interviews with 58 mothers of preschool children in the Province of Alberta. The findings of this study highlight the diverse ways in which mental load is experienced, revealing how the mental load intersects with paid work and its impact on maternal employment choices. Specifically, we show how spouses' lack of recognition or awareness of the cognitive aspects of reproductive and household labor perpetuates gender inequality within households and hinders mothers' capacity and desire to engage in full-time employment. Because earned income is the key source of financial well-being for the majority of Canadian households, this research is important to explore pathways to enhancing income security while also contributing to the broader goal of gender equality in Canada.

Gender Ideology and Marital Dissatisfaction in Global Perspective.  Nandeen Bhattacharyya, International Institute for Population Sciences

The worldwide reduction in satisfaction of marital union is guiding traditional marriages to dissolve rapidly. Despite a sharp increase in research on gender norms and marital interface, most of the scholarly papers are concentrated on certain geographical areas having the advantage of quality longitudinal family data. Since gender ideology is transiting worldwide and has a diversified effect on individuals' decision-making and lived experience, this study provides insight into the ways in which gender ideology influences dissatisfaction in marital unions. This study uses the data from the ISSP 2012 module ‘Family and Changing Gender Roles’ to answer the question of whether individuals with varied gender ideologies show dissimilar patterns in marital dissatisfaction. With the help of a multinomial regression model, coefficients of three categories (dissatisfied, neutral, and satisfied) of marital quality are estimated by gender ideology. We find a significant association between marital dissatisfaction and egalitarian gender ideology in a global context. The adjusted percentage of marital dissatisfaction by gender ideology estimated from multinomial regression coefficients converted into Multiple Classification Analysis shows more dissatisfaction in marriage with egalitarian gender ideology rather than traditional ideology and even more among females. The rigid traditional ideologies of society prevent an individual from combining the two spheres of gender roles leading to a higher level of marital dissatisfaction. This global study highlights that individuals specifically females with an egalitarian gender ideology vis-à-vis those with a traditional gender outlook tend to be more dissatisfied in their marriage than their counterparts.

In Search of a Suitable Boy: Tracing Gendered Linkages Between Employment Status and Marriage Market Outcomes.  Shreya Singh, International Institute for Population Sciences; Srinivas Goli, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS); Anu Rammohan, University of Western Australia; and Harchand Ram, International Institute for Population Sciences

The Indian marriage market is characterized by its unique penchant for several requisites and restrictions on entering into a marital union. In recent times, these impositions have been undergoing a marked shift. Marriage as an institution is becoming increasingly sensitive to economic indicators. The erstwhile demands of religious, caste, wealth and educational endogamy have now been supplemented by the requirement of a steady job. Using longitudinal data collected by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, this paper seeks to map the gender differentials in employment status and marital status. The Cox Proportional Hazards Model reveals that employed males have a greater hazard ratio of entering into a marital union as compared to unemployed males, while the opposite is observed in the case of females. We thus conclude that linkages between employment status and marriage market outcome are considerably different for males and females, thereby adversely affecting their age at marriage.

Moving Beyond Family Borders: An Exploration of Work-Life Balance Experiences of Knowledge Workers Differentiated by Relationship and Parenthood Statuses..  Giulia Giunti, St Andrews; Laura Radcliffe, University of Liverpool; Rory Donnelly, University of Liverpool; and Ragnhild Nordset, University of Liverpool

Building on Border theory and Boundary theory, this paper elucidates how physical and non-physical borders between work and life are negotiated by knowledge workers in the profession of academia, a context in which boundaries/borders are highly permeable. In doing so, we move beyond the longstanding focus on work-family balance by examining three groups differentiated by relationship and parenthood statuses: (i) partnered/married academics without children; (ii) partnered/married academics with children; and (iii) academics who are single and without children. Drawing on rich insights from semi-structured interviews aided by photo elicitation, the paper contributes to the work-life literature by identifying similarities and differences in the ways in which boundaries/borders are negotiated by the three groups sampled. The findings provide insight into how to build more inclusive flexible working policies and practices.

Paper Session

Gender: Roles, Contributions, and Responsibilities Across the Life Course 1


Embracing the Non-Normative Roles? An Exploration of Stay-At-Home Fathers' Caregiving Journeys in Pakistan.  Rahat Shah, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany; Shah Faisal, University of Stirling; and Fazal E Subhan Safi, Liverpool Hope University

This study aimed to explore the caregiving experiences of stay-at-home fathers (SAHFs) in Pakistan, an area of research that has not been fully explored. The study employed a qualitative approach and used the (un)doing gender as framework. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with a sample of 30 SAHFs in Pakistan. The results indicate that despite being in a SAHF role, most men avoided participation in caregiving responsibilities, citing a lack of caregiving skills, the perception of caregiving as a women's domain, stigmatization, and challenges to their masculinity as reasons. These SAHFs also devalued paternal caregiving compared to maternal, reflecting a widespread sentiment that women, particularly their wives, are naturally more adept at caregiving. However, the data shows that caregiving experiences of SAHFs were not homogeneous and their participation in caregiving roles was greatly influenced by household structure (joint-nuclear), levels of education, and residential background (rural-urban). The findings of this study make a valuable contribution to our understanding of how the powerful cultural narratives continue to reinforce gendered practices and perceptions, making it difficult for SAHFs to fully embrace their roles as primary caregivers in highly patriarchal non-western cultural contexts.

Running On Empty: Gender, Time Allocation, and Daily Stress Experience Across the Life Course.  Maria Stanfors, Lund University

Stress is a public health concern. One of the explanations to why women, more than men, receive stress-related diagnosis in connection to sickness absence is their responsibility for housework and caregiving. We investigate men’s and women’s time allocation and its association with everyday stress across life course stages (25-74 years), using individual time diary data (N=11,880) from the 2000/01 and 2010/11 Swedish Time Use Survey (SWETUS), including self-reported stress on the diary day. Though Sweden is known for gender equality in both the workplace and in the home, time use is still gendered. Women still perform more unpaid work, including housework and caregiving, across the life course, even if they are employed. Women are also more likely to experience daily stress across the life course, irrespective of life course stage. Results from multivariate regression analysis show that daily stress is higher for ages 25-49 than 50-74. Both determinants of stress and stress associations with time use vary between these groups. Paid work is positively related to men’s stress, while caregiving – to own children or other adults – is the primary determinant of women’s stress. Results hold across the life course and are independent of education, occupation, and income. Gender still structures individuals’ daily life and well-being.

Work-Family Balance and Adjustment of First-Time Urban Chinese Fathers During the Transition to Fatherhood.  Kai Sun, Arizona State University; and Xuan Li, University of Copenhagen

Research on the work-family interface typically focuses on mothers. However, men’s participation in the family domain has been increasing around the globe, including in urban China. With little policy support for men’s involvement in family life, it is likely for first-time Chinese fathers to feel squeezed between their two main roles: employee and parent. As such it is necessary to look into their work and family interface around childbirth and understand how today’s Chinese fathers navigate this crucial transition period.   The current study investigates how first-time urban Chinese fathers balance work and family responsibilities, and how their work-family interface relates to their adjustment. Survey data concerning their work-family experiences were collected from 108 first-time Chinese parents (54 couples; mean age=31.5, SD=6.21) living in Shanghai at three time points (3 months before childbirth, 3 months and 9 months after childbirth), among whom 40 couples were also interviewed. Preliminary analyses suggested that fathers’ perceived support in work and family domains played a crucial role in their work-family conflict after childbirth. Moreover, fathers’ psychological well-being after childbirth is influenced by multi-level factors on the individual and family level, including their gender-related traits, marital relationships, and social support. Additionally, interview respondents articulated a tension between the new fatherhood ideals and actual practices and a lack of workplace support for fathers. The finding contributes to the work-family scholarship as it captures paternal experiences during a most challenging transition period and explores multi-level factors related to their work-family balance and adjustment.

Are Attitudes and Behavior Aligned? Cohort Dynamics in Gender Attitudes and The Division of Childcare.  Hyunjae Kwon, University of Minnesota

1. Overarching Questions My paper addresses the following two questions. 1) How do the trends in age, period, and cohort affect work-family practices? 2) Does the trend in gender attitudes explain age, period, and cohort trends in work-family practices? 2. Methods 2.1. Data I use the Work and Family Life Study, which was formerly called the Marital Instability Over the Life Course. The study consists of three cross-sectional waves spanning over 40 years (1980, 2000, and 2022). Only married individuals between the ages of 19 and 55 in the United States were included in the study. I limit my sample to parents with household children and those who do not have missing values in the variables used in the current study. This results in an analytic sample of N = 3,381. 2.2. Variables My dependent variable is work-family practice. Following the approaches used in Pessin 2024 and Kitterød and Lappegård 2012, I perform latent class analysis (LCA) using a group of work-family related measures. These measures are wife's weekly time spent in paid work (in hours), husband’s weekly time spent in paid work (in hours), division of childcare, and division of housework. I compare the LCA results between the following number of classes: two, three, four, five, and six. The AIC and BIC values and my theoretical knowledge point to four as the optimal number. I define the four classes as traditional, egalitarian, his second-shift, and neither full-time. My key independent variable is gender attitudes. A set of seven questions in the survey taps into respondents’ attitudes regarding gender roles. I reverse code responses to some of the questions, so that for all seven questions, higher score indicates more gender egalitarian attitude (1 to 4). For the current iteration of analysis, I simply average responses to the seven questions to create a single index capturing gender attitudes. 2.3. Model I analyze work-family practice using Luo & Hodges’ APC-I model (2022). APC-I is a model that allows users to disentangle age, period, and cohort effects of a social trend. It is an improvement to previous versions in that it does not assume the existence of an independent cohort effect. Instead, it treats cohort effect as an interaction of age and period effects. One way to understand cohort effect is as variation in period that depends on age. 3. Important Findings Findings addressing my first research question: 1) How do the trends in age, period, and cohort affect work-family practices? Age effect As individuals age throughout their life course, the log odds of their work-family practices being egalitarian versus traditional increases. Period Effect The patterns of period effect are unusual at first glance. One would expect the log odds of having traditional work-family practices versus egalitarian to decrease from 1980 to 2022. The log odds decreases from 1980 to 2000 (from -0.426 to -0.856); however, it actually increases from 2000 to 2022 (from -0.856 to 1.226). This set of results highlights the importance of detangling age, period, and cohort effects. When age and cohort effects are accounted for, the probability of individuals implementing traditional over egalitarian work-family practice increases from 2000 to 2022. Cohort Effect Out of the 14 cohort effects (for 14 cohort groups), 12 were statistically significant. The log odds of having traditional versus egalitarian work-family practice decreases slightly from the 1925-1930 to 1956-1960 cohort. And even though the log odds decreases, it remains positive throughout the period, which indicates that the probability of having traditional work-family practice is higher than the probability of having egalitarian work-family practice Deviating from the trend, the direction of the log odds switches for the 1961-1965 cohort. This suggests that the probability of having traditional work-family practice becomes even higher compared to the probability of having egalitarian work-family practice. Then, the direction switches back again for the 1966-1970 cohort. Starting with the 1971-1975 cohort, the log odds is negative. In particular, there is a dramatic decrease in the log odds from the 1971-1975 to 1976-1982 cohort. Then, the log odds actually increases consistently for the subsequent cohorts. This implies that the 1983-1987, 1988-1992, and 1993-1997 cohorts are more likely to have traditional work-family practice than the 1976-1982 cohort. Findings addressing my second research question: 2) Does the trend in gender attitudes explain age, period, and cohort trends in work-family practices? When I add gender attitudes variables to the model, the general cohort patterns remain the same. However, there are two key differences in detail. The positive log odds are higher in value, and the negative log odds are lower in value. This suggests that without the observed trend in gender attitudes, the log odds of having traditional versus egalitarian work-family practice would have been higher for all cohorts. However, statistical tests show that none of the differences in cohort effects between the model without and with gender attitudes are statistically significant. 4. Implications for research, policy and/or practice My findings show that disentangling age, period, and cohort effects is crucial to understanding the trend in individuals’ work-family practices. Contrary to my expectation, the trend in gender attitudes does not explain the cohort differences in work-family practices. References Kitterød, R. H., & Lappegård, T. (2012). A Typology of Work-Family Arrangements Among Dual-Earner Couples in Norway. Family Relations, 61(4), 671–685. Luo, L., & Hodges, J. S. (2022). The Age-Period-Cohort-Interaction Model for Describing and Investigating Inter-cohort Deviations and Intra-cohort Life-course Dynamics. Sociological Methods & Research, 51(3), 1164–1210. Pessin, L. (2024). Gender Equality for Whom? The Changing College Education Gradients of the Division of Paid Work and Housework Among US Couples, 1968–2019. Social Forces, soae028.

Paper Session

Gender: Roles, Contributions, and Responsibilities across the Life Course 2


Economic of Widow Mortality in India.  Babul Hossain, International Institute for Population Sciences

The economic consequence of widowhood on health is well-established, demonstrating that poorer economic status can significantly modify health outcomes, even the risk of mortality. However, empirical evidence is restricted only to developed countries. Thus, this study assesses the roles of economic factors (paid work, pension and household economic status) on the mortality of widows in broad age groups from India. We used two waves of the India Human Development Survey (IHDS), a nationally representative prospective dataset in India for 42,009 women (married and widows) aged 25 years and above from IHDS wave 1 whose survival status was observed between two waves. Further, 6,953 widows were considered for sub-sample analysis in this study. Logistic regression and propensity score matching (PSM) were applied to understand the association and causality between economic factors and mortality for widows. Poor household status paid regular work, and receiving a widowed pension were significantly associated with lower mortality for young widows, while unpaid and paid regular work was linked considerably with mortality for old widows. The result of causal inference suggests that receiving a widows' pension had no significant impact on mortality for both young and old widows, while engaging in paid regular work significantly reduced the mortality of old widows. These findings suggest that paid employment has a protective impact by reducing mortality among widows in India.

Changing Family Configurations, Non-Resident Father’s Marginalisation Through Lack of Power and Choice.  Dominic Violi, Western Sydney University; Peter Lewis, Western Sydney University; Cannas Kwok, Charles Sturt University; and Nathan Wilson, Western Sydney University

Abstract Background: In 2011 the UN reported non-resident fathers may experience several family configurations over their lifetime resulting in diminished relationships with their children and possible marginalisation. This may result in stress, distress and mental health issues as non-resident fathers’ mental wellbeing is often correlative to child access, and impacted by social and legal structures. Aim: This study aimed to explore non-resident fathers' experience of changing family configurations, the impact of change on themselves and their relationships with children. Method: Semi-structured in-depth interviews were used with 19 Australian participants. Topics included: changes to family configuration, desired relationship with children, helps and hindrances to their relationship with children. Critical Thematic Analysis was used for data analysis with data scrutinised and sorted to plot changes and identify basis of power within interactions. Results: Changing family configurations resulted in the deterioration and hindrance of non-resident father’s relationships with their children, lack of agency and decision-making power and difficulties in social and legal forums. Conclusions: The changes in family configurations had serious consequences for non-resident father’s relationships with their children and mental health. Changed family configurations were difficult to resolve resulting in stress, distress, marginalisation and a sense of disempowerment. Outcome: Non-resident father’s relationships with their children and mental health status can be improved by addressing the impacts of change, minimising marginalisation, improving agency in decision-making, minimising conflict and increased involvement in the lives of their children.

The Changing Demography of Single Motherhood: Its Causes and Consequences For Women in Sweden 1905-2015.  Maria Stanfors, Lund University; and Gabriel Brea Martinez, Lund University

Single mothers have fewer resources than partnered mothers with implications for their own well-being and their children’s future. We apply a long-term perspective and study the changing demography of single motherhood in Sweden using individual-level data from the Scanian Economic and Demographic Database (SEDD) 1905-2015. We document routes into single motherhood and study its determinants over the course of the 20th century. Further, we investigate the consequences of single motherhood in terms of economic outcomes (occupation, education, and income) compared to those of married women, exploring differences between the never married, divorced, and widowed. We explore change over time against the backdrop of increasing cohabitation and divorce, particularly after 1970. Determinants of single motherhood include immigrant background, urban residence, and SES, highlighting a longstanding interplay of immigration, social class, and changing marital statuses. Examination of more or less causal relationships (OLS, LPM, PSM) suggests disadvantage for single mothers in terms of higher education, SES, and income. The results show that single motherhood changed in character from the late 1960s and onwards with family demographic change and female independence. However, single mothers’ disadvantage compared to married women increased from the early 1970s and in more recent decades, i.e., when married women made remarkable gains in the labor market, single mothers were left behind, despite active social policy and a comprehensive welfare state targeting inequality in opportunities as well as outcomes. The present study shows that single motherhood is a dynamic concept, changing over time, yet consistently impacting women’s socioeconomic outcomes.

Financial Stability Among Bereaved Women in South Korea: A Focus on Intergenerational Transfers, Income, and Pensions.  Dahye Kim, National University of Singapore; Jeremy Lim-Soh, Duke-NUS Medical School; and Christine Mair, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Despite ongoing debates about the financial challenges faced by older women after bereavement, little is known about their financial stability, especially when considering diverse sources of financial support. These sources encompass the state's welfare provision, support from children driven by filial piety, inheritance, wealth left by their spouse, and labor income. This study utilizes seven waves of exit surveys from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging to explore the financial stability profiles of bereaved women in Korea—a society experiencing shifts in filial norms and transitioning toward a welfare state. We construct a financial stability typology through latent class analysis, with a focus on intergenerational transfers, income, and pensions. Additionally, we employ binary and ordered logistic regression analyses to investigate sociodemographic factors associated with stability types and their impact on subjective well-being. Our results reveal that bereaved women in Korea exhibit varying combinations of economic resources. Only a small fraction exhibit a well-rounded and balanced high level of financial support, while over 40% rely on both universal pension and intergenerational support. In groups with lower levels of financial support, transfers from their children play a significant role. This research paper aims to fill a critical literature gap by examining the financial circumstances of widowed women, shedding light on the challenges they face, and exploring potential solutions to enhance their financial well-being in an evolving societal landscape. Ultimately, this research has the potential to inform policies and strategies that can better support widowed women and promote their financial independence and security.

Changing Demographic Processes and The Gender Revolution in the United States.  Léa Pessin, ENSAE/CREST; and Liying Luo, Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)

Have U.S. couples become more egalitarian over time? How should we interpret the persistence of her-second-shift couples across the years? These questions have important implications for our theoretical frameworks of social change, but also in finding practical solutions to reducing gender inequality within partnerships. Yet, answering these questions requires the simultaneous considerations of three distinct dimensions of time: age, period, and cohort. In this paper, we will apply recent methodological advancement in age-period-cohort modeling, namely the Age-Period-Cohort-Interaction model, to historical data from the 1968-2021 Panel of Study of Income Dynamics. We will focus on the three work-family strategies that have received the most theoretical attention within the gender revolution literature: traditional couples, her-second-shift couples, and egalitarian couples. We will examine how age, period, and cohort patterns shape historical changes in how different-sex couples divide paid work and housework in the United States.

Paper Session

Gendered Perceptions and Representations of Work-Family Issues


“It Really Freed Me Up to Work”: Australian Mothers’ Experiences of Living With a Father Who Works Part-Time.  Eric Mercier, University of Adelaide; Amanda LeCouteur, University of Adelaide; and Paul Delfabbro, University of Adelaide

The literature about mothers and engaged fatherhood is expanding; however, current research focuses on breadwinner mothers living with stay-at-home fathers. There is a gap in knowledge about the experiences of mothers who live with part-time working fathers. The current study focuses on Australian breadwinner mothers’ experiences within such a family arrangement. Interviews with 15 mothers were analysed with Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Two themes transpired: (1) a recurrent contrasting by mothers of their experiences at work and home (the arrangement was described as contributing to their career, and disrupting traditional mothering), and (2) a constant comparison by mothers between themselves and partners in relation to work and parenting (career was suggested as more important for participants and fathers were suggested as better fits for child-rearing). A common element in both themes was the overall positive presentation of the family arrangement as well-balanced. Participants balanced the family arrangement’s flaws with its benefits. Furthermore, participants’ positioning suggested an identification to an in-group which aligned to traditional motherhood while deviating from traditional feminine norms. As societal norms shift towards greater gender equality, this study helps increase awareness of the variety of contemporary mothering practices, by reporting experiences of mothers who adopt non-traditional mothering practices.

Understanding Public Perceptions of the Mental Load Through Popular Media Comments.  Liz Dean, University of Melbourne; and Brendan Churchill, University of Melbourne

The mental load involves cognitive labour and emotional labour: the interplay of anticipating, thinking and caring about family needs and feelings. As cognitive labour, it involves the scheduling, planning, and organising required to support the smooth operation and functioning of families, and this points toward the emotional dimension. Cognitive labour involved in supporting families emerges from caring for loved ones and that involves emotional labour. As I and others have previously theorised, the mental load - the combined cognitive, emotional, and affective labour is invisible because much of this work is internal to the body and not visible to others (Dean et al. 2021; Daminger 2019, Offer 2014). Recent scholarship has brought newfound public interest in how mental load can be understood. This is the impetus for this paper, which asks: how does popular media and the public understand and conceptualise the mental load? Drawing on media texts from national newspapers and popular online articles in Australia and elsewhere (n=20) which focus on the mental loud, this paper utilises innovative textual methods to analyse readers comments (n=1200) to examine the publics’ perceptions of the mental load. Preliminary findings from the analyses reveal that many commenters understand the mental load as yet another form of domestic labour, overlooking the emotional and affective elements of this work. This has important repercussions for how to tackle the mental load and suggests that more needs to be done to advance public understanding of this social phenomenon.

“How to Have a Job and Children (and Be Happy)”: Constructing and Marketing Work–Family Issues on Parents Magazine Covers, 1926–2021.  Casey Scheibling, University of Nevada, Reno; Linda Quirke, Wilfrid Laurier University; and Deanna Persico, Wilfrid Laurier University

Throughout the modern age, magazines have played a pivotal role in the popular culture of parenthood. They not only help to define the pressing family concerns of a given era, but they also commercialize those concerns—especially through catchy cultural messaging displayed on magazine covers. In this study, we interrogate how work–family issues are constructed, marketed, and gendered on Parents Magazine covers (n=1,041) over nearly a century (1926–2021). After applying descriptive codes to all cover headlines, we performed a “directed” analysis of all work-related content to track and interpret the development of key work–family issues and terms over time. Although Parents Magazine did not meaningfully feature paid work on covers for the first five decades of publication, we identified two notable shifts in themes about the interrelation of work and family life. Beginning in the 1970s, paid work was constructed as a new, valued identity for mothers, with advice oriented toward finding “success,” “balance,” and “happiness.” Then, in the 1990s and beyond, we find a sharp reduction in work discourse, with tips for “quitting” your job, transitioning to “at-home” work, and dealing with work stress. We also note that men's employment is strongly taken-for-granted since work-related headlines focus almost entirely on whether and how women should manage paid work. We juxtapose these findings against historical waves of feminism to explain a discursive shift from “having it all” to “opting out.” We conclude by discussing socio-cultural implications of this gendered marketing in a leading family publication.

Synergistic or Siloed? The Communicative Practices Involved in Dual-Earner Coupled Parents’ Relational Boundary Navigation and the Implications for Gendered Work-Family Experiences.  Jasmine Kelland, University of Plymouth; Laura Radcliffe, University of Liverpool; Grace Williams, University of Liverpool; and Joanna Gregory-Chialton, University of Liverpool

It is well established that in contemporary Western society work and family (WF) are often navigated by both members of a parenting couple. However, existing understandings regarding the communicative processes by which both parents navigate, and relationally co-construct WF boundaries together remain somewhat of a theoretical blind spot. This study provides insights into the relational communicative practices that coupled, heterosexual parents engage in when navigating WF boundaries. Our couple-level data collected during the UK COVID-19 lockdown period, in which parents simultaneously experienced boundary disruption, explores the communicative practices engaged in relationally navigating boundaries. Utilising a multi-method, qualitative approach constituting initial qualitative surveys (n=134) in-depth interviews (n=56), and daily diaries (n=26) with employed parents in dual-earner couples we make two novel contributions to WF literature. Firstly, we introduce two distinct relational communicative boundary navigation modes; conceptualised as ‘synergistic’ and ‘siloed’, to explain the different ways in which couples communicate to relationally navigate boundaries, moving away from pre-existing non-relational conceptualisations s of individual ‘communicative tactics’. Secondly, we demonstrate a gendered dimension to these relational communicative practices, revealing how this can impact upon prevailing gender inequality between parents. We conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for both society and organisations.

Exploring the Interplay Among Gender Roles, Well-Being, and Work-Family Conflict Among Female Employees: The African Perspective..  Abigail Opoku Mensah, University of Professional Studies; Joan-Ark Manu Agyapong, University of Cape Coast; Ummu Markwei, University of Professional Studies; and Erika Osae, University of Professional Studies

Abstract Purpose: This study investigates the intricate interplay among gender roles, well-being, and work-family conflict within the Ghanaian context. The study focused on 15 female medical doctors and 15 female junior administrators working in a Ghanaian hospital. The study examines the challenges and coping strategies employed by these women as they navigate the complexities of their roles. Design/Methodology/Approach: A qualitative phenomenological approach was used. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Findings: The findings of the study revealed the following key areas: Participants described how standard ideas about gender roles affected their choices about careers and family duties. Work-family conflict was a common challenge, which was because of pressures of their jobs and family expectations. Limitations: This includes the small sample size used and the focus on only female medical doctors and junior administrators. This implies that, it will be difficult to generalize the findings of the study. Implications: The findings reveal the need for policy changes, a look at the accepted cultural values and norms on gender roles, provision of support system both at work and home to empower women in Ghana to balance their gender roles more effectively. Originality/Value: The findings of the study, contributes to the existing literature by offering insights into the complex interplay of the variables from an African perspective. The ways of coping that were found and the experiences of participants can help lawmakers and organisations work towards gender equality and well-being. Keywords: Gender Roles, and Work-Family Conflict, female employees and Africa.

Paper Session

Gendered Realities of Employment


Painful Leadership Evaluations: The Impact of Endometriosis on Women Leaders.  Marlee Mercer, York University; and Tina Sharifi, York University

Endometriosis, characterized by painful periods, infertility risks, and quality of life disruptions, affects approximately ten percent of women of reproductive age. This disease requires attention due to its gendered nature conflicting with organizations’ male-oriented values. These organizational-based barriers paint women as emotional and hysterical. Women with endometriosis are often forced into silence, leading to disparities in performance and perceptions of their effectiveness. However, limited research explores the long-term impact of endometriosis on women’s careers, particularly women in leadership roles. Expectations surrounding leadership, rooted in the patriarchal image of unwavering devotion to the workplace, challenge women leaders with endometriosis who experience daily pain. These experiences can hinder their ability to demonstrate a constant commitment to the organization. This conceptual paper applies the Role Congruity Theory to propose that women leaders with endometriosis are perceived as less capable leaders, diminishing their leadership ratings. This relationship is proposed to be moderated by the women leaders’ access to and adoption of work-life flexibility policies. Gender stereotypes suggest male leaders prioritize work over family. Under pressure to emulate male counterparts, women leaders may neglect these valuable resources. Additionally, this paper introduces social participation as a moderator. Endometriosis negatively impacts women leaders’ social participation due to depression and anxiety symptoms and an inability to attend work events. This isolation may lead women leaders to face backlash for role-incongruent characteristics. Accordingly, this paper highlights the role of endometriosis as an intersecting component within women leaders’ work and family domains. These findings and implications are discussed.

“There’s no Hiding It”: How Legal Obligations to Accommodate Pregnancy Contribute to Discriminatory Job Loss.  Emma Graham, Australian National University

In Australian workplaces, maternity discrimination is pervasive, with at least one in five mothers experiencing job loss during pregnancy, while on parental leave or upon their return to work. Although there is a rich literature in Australia that identifies the limitations of labour laws both to provide redress for discrimination that has occurred and to advance substantive workforce gender equality, there has been very limited empirical analysis of the causes of discrimination resulting in job loss and the possible contributory role of the law. With a particular focus on pregnancy, this presentation considers the effectiveness of the ‘accommodation’ based approach to addressing the intersection of work and care, found in the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth). This research is informed by feminist legal theory and draws on original analysis of 38 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Australian mothers who have experienced discriminatory job loss. The following findings will be discussed: • Pregnant women risk deviating from masculine workplace norms when they seek accommodations, to which they are legally entitled, such as transfer to a safe job, time off for pregnancy-related illness or requesting parental leave. • The accommodation-based approach reinforces masculine workplace norms by positioning mothers as ‘others’. • For many of the research participants, it was the need to be ‘accommodated’ that resulted in their job loss. These findings problematise calls for law reform that seek to strengthen the scope and enforcement of accommodation obligations under Australian labour laws. The author will argue that any policies seeking to address the prevalence of discriminatory job loss experienced by pregnant women and mothers will also need to challenge the organisation of work around male norms of availability, the cultural schemas of work devotion and compliance, and the gendered nature of parenting and care provision.

“This is Art of Balance”. Gendered Realities of Academics in Iceland and Canada..  Andrea Hjálmsdóttir, University of Akureyri; Laura Landertinger, Ontario Ministry of Education, Canada; Helga Kristín Hallgrímsdóttir, University of Victoria; and Þorgerður Einarsdóttir, University of Iceland

All labour markets are affected by complex systems of gender and gendered relations, the higher education institutions being no exception, and much of social inequality is created and reproduces in organizations. Academia has often been described as a masculine organization steeped in male privilege, exemplified by the underrepresentation of women in academic leadership positions, and among the ranks as full professors. In this presentation we take a closer look at gendered career paths among academics in Iceland and western Canada. The two countries are interesting cases for a comparative discussion because of their similarities and divergences. Iceland is categorized among the Nordic social democratic welfare states and Canada among the liberal countries. The study draws on interviews with academics in the two countries, 13 women and 13 men in heteronormative relationships. The data speaks to struggles -especially among the women- around work-life balance, competing responsibilities between research, teaching, and family commitments, gendered patterns in care and housework, and how these trends emerge and manifest in the lived experiences of the participants in the research. While welfare models and policies differ between the two countries, Iceland has increasingly adopted a traditional Anglo-Saxon career model in higher education, likening it to the Canadian one. The findings contribute to our knowledge of how different welfare policies shape and intersect with higher educational institutional cultures in the two countries and how academics describe their daily lives, career paths, and decision making around family and work in pursuit for work-life balance.

Gender and Work-Family Conflicts: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.  Shubhra Kriti, International Institute for Population Sciences; and Srinivas Goli, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

Gender norms or ideologies are key drivers of work-family interfaces and related conflicts. In this systematic review and meta analyses, we have two-fold objectives: (1) to assess the prevailing heterogeneity in family-work interfaces (Family-Work-Conflict: FWC) and work-family interfaces (Work-family-conflict: WFC) across the globe using uniform measure; (2) to assess the heterogeneity in reporting of work-family conflict across the gender and their underlying facets. The study systematically selects 19 studies out 4364 articles appeared in search across three databases (i.e. Jstor, Google Scholars and family study journal) for its meta analyses. Results advance that globally female report disproportionately higher FWC and WFC compared to their male counterparts with average score varying between 2.3 to 2.5 in a scale of 0 to 5. The Meta analyses of findings reported in 16 studies reveal that the FWC and WFC is highly heterogeneous (I2=100%) across the globe with women reporting higher work-family conflict than men, ranging from 5% to 108% across the different parts of the globe. This huge gender disparity in the reporting of work family conflicts can be understood as the complex interplay of the socio-cultural, economic and political determinants. In conclusion, we advance that this systematic review and meta analyses of FWC and WFC is a timely effort to understand and summarize their reporting pattern by gender. From a policy and practical perspective, the study advances that gender-egalitarian work-family conciliation policies and the improvement in labour market environments for females are critical to reduce both WFC and FWC across the countries.

Paper Session

Health and Well-Being in the Work-Family Context


"Betwixt and Between": How Liminal Experience Facilitates Work Recovery and Well-Being.  Soo Min Toh, University of Toronto - Rotman School; and Xue Xiang, University of Toronto - Rotman School

The trend toward remote work raises critical questions for work and family researchers. As the boundaries between work and personal life blur, the role of liminal activities comes into the spotlight. With its roots in anthropology, the construct of liminality refers to the suspension of "ordinary social structures" (Johnsen & Sorensen, 2015, p. 321), such as the social roles individuals perform in their work and family lives. Individuals can enter this state of liminality by performing liminal activities that are not part of their social role requirements (e.g., exercising, commuting) to facilitate psychological role transitioning and recovery from work (e.g., McAlpine & Piszczek, 2022). Building on resource theories (Hobfoll, 1998), our ongoing empirical study identifies mechanisms that may hinder individuals from entering this liminal state and reaping associated recovery benefits. Central to our investigation is the role of reflection in liminal experiences (Beech, 2011). We posit that while positive self-reflection can amplify the benefits of liminality, rumination might serve as a deterrent. Additionally, we posit that individuals’ positive and negative affect play a key role in the liminal experience such that entering into the liminal space with high negative affect prevents individuals from realizing the benefits of liminality. Furthermore, we investigate the roles of conformity and varying levels of collectivism in the experience of liminality, determining if they serve as facilitators or barriers. This research advances our understanding of evolving work-life dynamics and resource recovery strategies and has implications for managing work boundaries, especially in the digital age.

Divorce and Mental Health: Analysis at the Intersection of Age, Gender, and Income.  Stefania Molina, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin / Humboldt University of Berli; Enrique Alonso-Perez, Charité Berlin; and Michaela Kreyenfeld, Hertie School

This paper examines how divorce relates to mental health, and how this association is stratified by gender, age, and individual income. Data is drawn from German register data, which includes marital histories of divorcees and diagnosed health outcomes. The analytical sample includes persons aged 30-59 in 2015 (n=23,426,639). We employ a Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy (MAIHDA), a method considered to operationalize intersectionality in quantitative research, to compare the patterns of the newly divorced (divorced for less than four years) to the patterns of the never divorced. The outcome variable is the annual incidence of mental disease diagnosis. With this approach, we aim to identify high-risk populations along the age-gender-income spectrum. Findings: - Compared to the never divorced, we find a very strong age gradient among newly divorced women. - While age seems to be a general risk factor, the small group of women with a very high income face a relatively low risk of receiving a mental disease diagnosis. - Among men, older and low-income males are at particularly high risk of being diagnosed with a mental disease. Divorced low-income men ages 40-59 are an explicitly high-risk group. This group deserves more attention in the analysis of the effects of divorce, given their highly elevated risk profile. Moreover, the findings may suggest that the negative effects of gray divorce on women's mental health may be mitigated as women become more integrated into the labor market.

The influence of demands and resources in work and domestic domains on return to work.  Maaike de Jong, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen / UMCG; Tialda Hoekstra, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen/UMCG; Nicole Snippen, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen / UMCG; Haitze de Vries, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen / UMCG; Jolanda Schreuder, Schreuderarbo; Sandra Brouwer, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen / UMCG; and Corné Roelen, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen / UMCG / Arbo Unie

Overarching questions/concerns Due to changes in both work and domestic environment within the past decades, employees find themselves struggling to balance the competing demands of work and domestic life more and more. This struggle had adverse effect on workrelated outcomes, such as sickness absence and return to work. To date, research in the field of occupational health mainly focuses on the influence of work demands and resources on work outcomes, showing that higher demanding jobs and lack of social support are associated with unfavorable work outcomes. The influence of domestic demands and resources, (i.e. household tasks and care for elderly) on work outcomes has hardly been investigated. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between demands and resources in both the work and domestic domain on return to work. Statement on methods This prospective study with 2-year follow-up used survey and sick-leave registry data from a longitudinal cohort study among sick-listed employees of a large occupational health service in the Netherlands. Participants were asked to fill in the questionnaire in the first 6 weeks of their medical sick leave. A 2-year follow-up was used, because in the Netherlands employers are responsible for return to work for 2 years after an employee reports sick. During this 2 year period employers and employees are advised by an occupational physician. The outcome measure of this study was return to work after 2 years. The validated Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) was used to measure work demands and resources. Work demands were measured by three scales: quantitative demands, emotional demands and cognitive demands. Work resources were measured by two scales: social support at work and influence at work. As no validated questionnaire is available to measure domestic demands and resources, the COPSOQ scales were adjusted to conceptually mirror the original questionnaire to fit the domestic domain. Statistical analyses were conducted by logistic regression analysis. Important findings • A total of 120 employees were included (44% female, mean age 52.4 (SD 10.8)). • Stratified by self-reported diagnosis, 66 participants called in sick because of a somatic cause, 26 participants had a mental cause and 25 participants had a mixed (both somatic and mental) sickness absence cause. • Work resources were significantly associated with return to work, but only in sickness absence due to mental causes. In this group, participants with higher perceives scores for work resources, were less likely to return to work (OR 0.904 [0.831-0.982], p=0.017). • No significant associations were found between work demands, domestic demands and domestic resources and return to work. Implications for research, policy and/or practice In this study, it was shown that work resources negatively influence return to work in participants on sick leave for mental reasons. No other significant findings were found, which might be due to the limited study sample. More research is needed to examine the relationship of demands and resources in the work and domestic domains and work outcomes in larger samples and with validated instruments. In further research it might also be interesting to focus on more longitudinal data, as demands and resources in the work and domestic domain might change over time.

Connecting After Hours: A Multilevel Analysis of How Off-Clock Work Affects Psychological Detachment and Emotional Exhaustion.  Kristine Lescoeur, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University; Vilde Hoff Bernstrøm, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University; Jan Malte Runge, Oslo Metropolitan University; and Wendy Nilsen, Work Research Institute OsloMet

This study examines the role of psychological detachment in explaining the relationship between staying connected to work during nonwork time and emotional exhaustion, using a longitudinal approach. Drawing on the stressor-detachment model, we test a mediation model in which after-hour connectivity is positively related to emotional exhaustion via psychological detachment, both within and between persons. We used longitudinal data from an online panel survey with four measurements, separated by six months, between 2021 and 2022. Our analytical sample included 3192 Norwegian employees (49% female, mean age=47 (SD=11.2)). Overall, the results from multilevel analyses supported our hypothesized model. Our findings showed that: • After-hour connectivity was positively related to emotional exhaustion via psychological detachment. • Within persons, periods of higher after-hour connectivity were related to lower psychological detachment and higher emotional exhaustion. • Between persons, respondents who were generally more connected after workhours, had lower psychological detachment and in turn higher emotional exhaustion. • Analyses of emergent effects revealed that the strength of the paths in the model were stronger between persons than within persons. Expanding on previous research, our findings show the importance of detaching from work during nonwork time for employees’ wellbeing. The implications of these findings suggest that employees can benefit from disconnecting at times when it is not strictly necessary to be working after workhours.

Communion Job Demands/Resources and Well-being: Unpacking the Mediating Role of Work-Family Conflict Across the Lifespan.  Miriam Dishon-Berkovits, Ono Academic College; Egidio Riva, University of Milano-Bicocca; and Mario Lucchini, University of Milano-Bicocca

In this study, we delve into the fundamental human desire for interpersonal closeness and connection in the workplace, exploring its potential impact on reducing work-family conflict (WFC) and subsequently enhancing overall well-being. Drawing on job demands-resources (J-DR) and self-determination (SDT) theories, we investigate how the influence of communion job resources (specifically, employee involvement and supportive leadership) and job hindrance demands (particularly, surface acting) varies across different stages of the life course. Our focus lies on three critical dimensions of employee well-being: mental health, sleep quality, and work engagement. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to analyze data from the 6th European Working Conditions Survey encompassing 35,377 employees across 35 countries, we uncover noteworthy findings. Communion job resources were found to be linked with reduced WFC, which, in turn, correlates with improved overall well-being. Conversely, communion job hindrance demands are associated with heightened WFC, subsequently leading to diminished well-being outcomes. Notably, these findings hold significance for both men and women across various age groups, with a more pronounced effect observed among women aged 50 and above. The implications of these findings shed light on the importance of fostering interpersonal connections and support in the workplace, not only for reducing work-family conflict but also for promoting employee well-being. This study provides valuable insights for organizations and policymakers seeking to create healthier and more fulfilling work environments for their diverse workforce.

Paper Session

Health Determinants and Outcomes Across Varied Work-Family Arrangements


Performance at Work and at Home: An Exploratory Analysis of the Role of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in the Diets of Working Parents.  Soo Min Toh, University of Toronto - Rotman School; Julie McCarthy, University of Toronto; Cilia Mejia-Lancheros, Institue for Better Health; Jess Haines, University of Guelph; and David Ma, University of Guelph

As the world grapples with a cost-of-living crisis and the threat of food insecurity, understanding how workers’ diet affects their health and engagement at work and homes is paramount. Food can be beneficial in promoting well-being and role performance at work and at home. Among dietary nutrients, omega-3 fatty acids (FA) have been shown to reduce depression, anxiety, and stress. The role of omega-3 FA, commonly found in seafood and supplements, in replenishing and building mental and physical resources necessary to engage with work and home responsibilities is poorly understood. This exploratory study examined associations between omega-3 FA in working parents’ diets and their performance, ability to fulfill responsibilities and duties in the workplace and at home, and the mediating role of their mental health status. We examined the 3-day diet records, depressive symptoms, and performance of 146 parents of 82 one- or two-parent families from the Guelph Family Health Study. Pathway analysis was performed using Mplus. Results showed an indirect and positive role of omega-3 FA intake on parents’ working and family performance through diet’s influence on depressive symptoms. Furthermore, this association varied by biological sex and females with greater omega-3 FA intake had lower depressive symptoms. These findings advance work-family research highlighting diet as a potential influence on role performance. Specifically, it highlights the need for adequate omega-3 FA intake so that working parents are equipped to function successfully at home and at work.

Precarious Lives, Precarious Work: Social Determinants of Racialized Immigrant Men’s Mental Health.  Salmaan Khan, Toronto Metropolitan University

A pilot study sought to shed light on the impacts of precarious working conditions (unpredictable work schedules, long hours, low-wages, and unsteady contract work) on the mental health of racialized immigrant men. Interviews and focus groups with a sample of racialized men working in precarious jobs, unearthed the intersectional nexus of social forces related to race and gender roles, in addition to their work arrangement, that negatively impacted their sense of wellbeing and mental health. Many of the men dealt with work related stress through substance use issues which in turn had consequences for their relationships with their spouse and children. The men we spoke with lamented the lack of a relationship they have with their children because of their work situation, but also showed an awareness of dominant notions of masculinity and gender roles that only further exacerbated the situation and which equally contributed to shaping how they dealt with work stress and uncertainty. This study is significant in drawing attention to underlying systemic social and economic issues that need to be addressed when considering policies and practices aimed at fostering more healthy parent-child relationships as well spousal relationships. As it stands these topics, with respect to members from racialized communities, have tended to be discussed and addressed in predominantly culturalist terms; in terms of identifying limitations in existing cultural practices or norms.

Change and Heterogeneity in Women’s and Men’s Experienced Well-Being.  Liana Sayer, University of Maryland, College Park; Kelsey Drotning, U.S. Census Bureau; and Sarah Flood, University of Minnesota

The pandemic has caused sharp disruptions in work and family patterns and exacerbated chronic and life stressors for individuals and families. Women have also experienced greater care burdens and impacts on employment compared with men. How the pandemic has affected women’s and men’s experienced well-being (EWB) during daily activities is unclear, however. This is a critical gap because of the robust influences of EWB across the life course on health. The uneven experience of pandemic-related stress and strain across population sub-groups may be exacerbating pre-pandemic inequities in EWB. We use the 2010-2013 and 2021 American Time Use Survey and Well-Being Module data to investigate how EWB changed during the Pandemic and how change varies by gender, employment, and family status. We assess change in EWB averaged across activities and experienced during episodes of paid work, household and care work, and leisure activities. Our results show that women and men report more fatigue and less meaning in 2021 whereas stress, pain, sadness, and happiness are similar before and during the Pandemic. Employed women report higher fatigue and less happiness and meaning compared with men and unemployed women. Documenting changing patterns of gender differences in EWB across daily activities for employed and not-employed adults contributes by providing richer and more nuanced evidence about the extent and nature of gender inequality in well-being during the pandemic.

Caring for Autism: Exploring the Work-Life Balance of Employed Caregivers.  Esther Canonico, Imperial College London; and Daniela Lup, ECSP Business School

Issues surrounding autism in the workplace affect not only individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) but also their carers. Grounded in the work-life interface literature, this qualitative study aims to examine the impact of caring for individuals with ASD on the work domain. While there are some existing studies that have explored the repercussions of caring for individuals with disabilities on work-life balance (Brown & Clark, 2017; Hodgetts et al., 2014), the available research is limited. Prior research has provided evidence of the substantial costs borne by caregivers of individuals with autism, encompassing diminished productivity, missed career opportunities, and reduced income (e.g., Montes & Halterman, 2008; Ganz, 2007). However, little is known about how caring for someone with ASD can affect caregivers' experience at work, their work-life balance, and associated work-related attitudes, such as job engagement, job satisfaction, organizational citizenship behavior, and organizational commitment (Hurley-Hanson et al., 2020). To address this limitation, we conduct in-depth interviews with working carers, including parents and spouses, of individuals with ASD. The insights gained from this study will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by caregivers of individuals with ASD and the impact on their professional lives.

Paper Session

Impact of Workplace Policies on Domestic Labour, Jobs, and Careers


How Retail Work Scheduling Practices Reproduce Racial Inequities.  Erin Carreon, University of Chicago; Susan Lambert, University of Chicago; and Resha Swanson, University of Chicago

This study draws from Victor Ray’s theory of racialized organizations to reveal mechanisms through which scheduling practices reproduce racial inequities among young adult part-time apparel retail workers. We analyze posted work schedules, timeclock data, and employee surveys from a total of 1326 part-time employees working in 30 stores of a major apparel retailer. Our findings provide evidence of how colorblind scheduling policies and the decoupling of scheduling practices from these policies serve to reproduce racial inequities in the scheduling process. White part-timers reported greater schedule input and had more predictable hours (smaller difference between scheduled and worked hours) when compared to their coworkers of color in the same stores. Moreover, the ramifications of scheduling practices varied by worker race. A larger proportion of Black and Hispanic workers than white workers reported material hardship and weighty financial responsibilities as well as wanting to work more hours to earn more. On average, workers of color reported they had to ask their manager or coworkers for additional hours more frequently than white workers, whereas white workers reported their managers asked them to work additional hours more frequently than workers of color. We discuss how what may appear to be colorblind practices in distributing work hours on formal work schedules can legitimize and conceal racial inequities in the consequences of scheduling practices (including imbalanced schedule input and last-minute changes) for workers and their families.

Can Love Power Explain the Lack of Gender Diversity in Business Leadership?.  Gudbjörg Linda Rafnsdottir, University of Iceland; and Ólöf Júlíusdóttir, The Social Science Research Institute

Iceland is considered the leader in gender equality, as per the Gender Gap Index. The country has held the top spot since 2009 and is often portrayed as a women's paradise. However, there is still a long way to go. Women are not adequately represented in top executive positions, and men tend to have the upper hand regarding their work-life balance and time management. While both men and women in leadership positions face unique challenges in balancing their work and domestic lives, men seem to find it easier to relax and unwind at home. To understand why gender diversity in business leadership is progressing slowly in Iceland, we interviewed 67 top business leaders, thereof 30 CEOs. We analyzed the interaction between parenthood and career advancement using theories of love power in everyday life. Our research suggests that although the law on parental leave provides both mothers and fathers equal rights to leave (four months of non-transferable leave for the father, four months for the mother, and four months they can share), male CEOs often decline their right to parental leave and instead rely on the love power of their partners. This is not the case for their female counterparts. Our data led us to conclude that how intimate relationships are conducted is equally vital for gender equality in business leadership as family policies.

Irregular Work Schedules and Gender Divisions of Domestic Labour.  Sylvia Fuller, University of British Columbia; Manlin Cai, University of British Columbia; Andrea Doucet, Brock University; Anna Kurowska, University of Warsaw; Richard Petts, Ball State University; Thordis Reimer, University of Hamburg; and Donna Lero, University of Guelph

Irregular work schedules dictated by employers can make it difficult for parents to access childcare services and meet family commitments. With inconsistent and unpredictable time availability, divisions of housework and caregiving may also become more fluid within couples, potentially disrupting traditional gendered divisions of labour. Drawing on 2021 cross-national survey data from six countries (Canada, the United States, Poland, Germany, Sweden, and Italy), we compare the association between different configurations of parental work schedules and gender divisions of childcare and housework to better assess whether and how unpredictability at work relates to how parents divide tasks and responsibilities at home. We show that it is not simply one person’s unpredictable schedule that is relevant for family outcomes; instead, the configuration of mothers’ and fathers’ schedules (mother only, father only, or both unpredictable) matters. One partner’s unpredictable schedule tends to shift the work of caring for children (but not housework) towards the partner with a predictable schedule, highlighting the difficulties unpredictability at work poses for meeting children’s needs. When both partners have unpredictable schedules, divisions of both housework and childcare tend to become more even, but only when attitudes about gender and caregiving are egalitarian. Our findings thus highlight the need to expand theoretical understanding of “time availability” in research on domestic labour beyond a simple quantitative assessment of total work hours to other temporal dimensions salient in contemporary workplaces, and to consider the relationship between work time and divisions of domestic labour alongside gender attitudes.

Paper Session

Individual Characteristics and Family/Social Structure Across the Life Course


Dual Parent-Professional Role: The Tensions Associated with Family-Work for Foster Carers.  Claire Lillian Catherine Paterson-Young, University of Northampton; and Michael Maher, University of Northampton

Overview: Foster care combines the role of family and work, commonly examined as two different spheres, creating challenges in identifying clearly defined roles and boundaries. Foster carer is a ‘professional’ role in which foster carers are encouraged to perform a ‘parent’ role by creating a supportive ‘family’ environment to facilitate attachment and belonging in children. Although this ‘parent’ role has endured, the demographic changes in children entering foster care have resulted in a shift from a ‘parental’ role to a ‘professional’ role for foster carers in the United Kingdom. Foster care is founded on the principle of finding a home for a child that is loving and lasting which provides the foundation for a good life and helps children excel in education and work and have good overall mental and physical health (MacAlister, 2022).Understanding the work-family dynamic in foster care is complex, with research (Schofield et al., 2013) identifying challenges for foster carers in balancing the dual ‘professional’ and ‘parent’ role in supporting children. This paper seeks to understand the role of therapeutic support in supporting foster carers to manage the dual ‘professional’ and ‘parent’. It draws on Social Identity Theory and the Job Demands and Resources model to understand the dual role of the foster carer. It seeks to understand the use of resources, in this care funding therapeutic support, in influencing foster carer identity and the impact of this in supporting children in care. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted between August 2021 and May 2022 with a total of 17 participants including foster carers (n=6), and staff members (n=15). The interviews were designed to facilitate an in-depth exploration of the implementation and impact of therapeutic interventions, offering insights into the entire process, from initial development through project execution to final delivery. Semi-structured interviews were chosen due to their inherent flexibility, allowing the researchers to engage with participants in a manner that encouraged open discussion and the sharing of personal experiences (Cohen et al., 2011). A purposeful sampling approach was employed to ensure that participants represented those receiving therapeutic support through Children's Services (Bryman, 2012). Interviews were organised using NVivo 11.4.0 and analysed through a six-phase thematic analysis approach, as outlined by Braun and Clarke. . Through the analytical process, emergent themes were identified including ‘Complex needs and trauma for children in foster care’, ‘Creating space for therapeutic support’, ‘Strengthening foster carer resilience and skills development to overcoming Barriers’. These themes collectively encapsulate the central areas of focus in this study, offering insights into the dynamics and challenges of therapeutic interventions within the context of children's social care. Key findings: • Children and young people entering care have evolving needs and the disruptions they might face in service provision can impact on long-term outcomes. The separation from their families, even when necessary for their safety, can further exacerbate the trauma these children endure, necessitating sensitive and effective therapeutic interventions to help them heal and build resilience. Overcoming the problems created by separation from families, requires foster carers to act as “professionals” in building bridges between families and children. • Transitioning between foster carers can be distressing for children, contributing to feelings of uncertainty and instability. Supportive environment, with minimal placement disruption, are required for effective therapeutic interventions. • Support for building independence and emotional regulation should be an integral part of transition planning, involving both the child and the foster carers. Incorporating this support requires foster carers to balance the professional, defined by specific traits such as specialised skills, formal training, licensing, and recognised qualifications (Wilensky, 1964), and parental aspects of their role. • Foster carers are hesitant to view themselves strictly as professionals, instead adopting for a dual professional-parent identity. Therapeutic support is a more explicit move toward the caring role and was received positively by foster carers. • Accessing support can be difficult for the foster carer, with expectations that the foster carer has “has” the training for the “job”. This can result in role strain and burnout. • Findings collectively encapsulate the central areas of focus in this study, offering insights into the dynamics and challenges of therapeutic interventions within the context of children's social care. • Improving support for foster carers and children can improve levels of foster carer retention, improve placement stability, reduce the number of children in residential due to placement breakdown, and reducing requests for ‘crisis’ support Implications for research, policy and/or practice: Finding a balance between the professional, defined by specific traits such as specialised skills, formal training, licensing, and recognised qualifications (Wilensky, 1964), and parental aspects of foster care is crucial. This research illustrated that foster carers are hesitant to view themselves strictly as professionals, instead adopting for a dual professional-parent identity. The idea of a "dual role" has been recognised in literature (Blythe, Wilkes, and Halcomb, 2014; Farmer and Lippold, 2016), with this research adding to this body of work by illustrating the role of therapeutic care in supporting this “dual role”. This paper is the first of its kind in the UK to investigate the role of therapeutic support in helping foster carers balance dual roles to create secure and stable placements for children. It makes recommendation for developing cohesive approaches to supporting foster carers (and children).

Emotion Regulation as an Individual Resource: Work-Family-Personal Life Conflict and Psychological Well-Being.  Doruk Uysal Irak, Mount Allison University; Elif Colakoglu Kaya, Freelance; and Gamze Ozden, Psikethica Istanbul

It is important to support employees while juggling work and family roles. Not only conflict between work and family roles, but also employees may experience conflict between their work-family roles and personal lives. The current study investigated the role of emotion regulation difficulties on work-family-personal life conflict (WFPC) and psychological well-being (stress and emotional exhaustion at home and work) among employed parents in Turkey. Work-family conflict (WFC) was defined as an inter-role conflict concluded with the pressure between work and family (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985). Aycan et al. (2007) developed the Work-Family-Personal Life Conflict (WFPC) concept. They discussed how work and family are interrelated and how personal life should be evaluated as one part of that picture. Personal life is described in this study with the “personal benefit activities” (Allis & O’Driscoll,2008) such as reading books, watching television, activities such as hobbies, attending religious meetings, and engaging in personal development. According to the Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, WFC leads to loss of resources such as time and energy, which have a negative influence on PWB (psychological well-being); it also creates difficulty in dealing with the demands of work and family and induces more WFC (Hobfoll, 1989; 2001). In this study, in addition to work and family needs, we also measure life-related needs and how they conflict and predict psychological well-being. How people experience conflict, such as emotional experiences and regulating emotions, would be important when dealing with WFC. Gross (1998) described emotion regulation as “the processes by which individuals influence which emotions they have, when they have them, and how they experience and express these emotions” (p.275). Using different emotion regulation strategies or experiencing emotion regulation difficulties would be related to whether one will be better at handling negative emotional reactions and stressful work demands and can protect their positive affect at the workplace (Matta et al, 2014). Moreover, emotion regulation is important for conducting the roles at home (Erickson, 2005), and it is significant for work and family life. In this study, data was collected from 362 full-time employees (Women N = 175, Men N =187) working in Turkey with at least one child. The mean age of the participants was 39.6. To test the proposed model a path analysis using AMOS 28.0 was used. Model fit was assessed using several fit indices, as Bentler (1990) and Kline (1998) suggested. In the model, emotion regulation was tested as a predictor of work interference with family, family interference with work, work interference with personal life and family interference with personal life. Composite scores for each variable were used in the model. The goodness of fit indices suggested that the data fits the tested model well; χ² was 18.84, χ²/df was 3.14, p was .004, TLI was .95, CFI was .98, and RMSEA was .08. Results of the present study revealed that emotion regulation predicts higher work-family conflict and family-work conflict. It also predicts conflict between work-personal life and family-personal life. Moreover, employees who experience higher conflict with their personal life and work-family demands also reported higher emotional exhaustion at home and family. It is a novel study that examines the impact of emotional regulation on work-family and personal life conflict and the psychological well-being of employees. This study's findings have significant implications for professionals in the field. By understanding the role of individual resources, such as emotion regulation, when people experience work-family conflict, professionals can develop targeted interventions to support employees in managing these conflicts. This not only enhances their well-being but also their productivity, making this research highly relevant and applicable in real-world settings.

Associations Between Parents’ Job Quality, Parenting, and Adolescent Academic Outcomes.  Kate McCredie, La Trobe University; Stacey Hokke, La Trobe University; Liana Leach, Australian National University; and Amanda Cooklin, La Trobe University

Overarching questions/concerns: Recent research has shown that parents’ poor job quality and work-family conflict (WFC) are adversely associated with children’s mental health and socio-emotional wellbeing. However, much less is known about possible impacts on adolescents’ academic outcomes– a family stage heretofore missing from much of the work-family interface literature. We aim to address these gaps by exploring the link between parents’ jobs and academic outcomes for adolescents across two studies. The first study examines concurrent associations between parents’ job quality and their adolescents’ academic achievement at two time points in high school while the second study examines longitudinal associations between parents’ job characteristics, WFC, parenting and academic outcomes. Statement on methods: Both studies used data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, a nationally representative cohort study exploring family context and children’s health and development over the life course. First, cross-sectional analyses examined associations between parents’ job quality and academic outcomes in early and middle high school (12-13 and 14-15 years), which flexibility, job security, autonomy, and access to paid family leave used as indicators of job quality. In the second study we then tested a longitudinal model linking parents’ work characteristics, WFC, and parenting warmth and irritability in early high school, and adolescents’ academic achievement in middle high school. In both studies, separate models were run for mothers and fathers and controlled for household income, parent education level, and prior academic achievement. In the second study, parents’ job characteristics included work hours, flexibility, security, and autonomy. Standardized achievement scores were used to measure academic outcomes. Additional models were also run to assess the moderating role of income. Important findings: • Father’s flexibility is protective of adolescent academic achievement in early high school, particularly for low-income families • Mothers’ job security and autonomy were unexpectedly associated with poorer outcomes, possibly driven by other features of the job – low-income secure jobs can be demanding and stressful (e.g., care work) • Parents’ WFC in early high school is associated with increased irritability in the home and in turn leads to poorer academic outcomes for adolescents in middle high school • Household type (e.g., dual income, breadwinner, or single parent) shapes associations between both work hours and academic outcomes, as well as WFC and academic outcomes, likely because trade-offs between income and time are negotiated differently in different household types Implications for research, policy and/or practice: This study is among the first to establish a relationship between parents’ WFC and adolescents’ academic performance and highlights the importance of parents’ job resources in supporting adolescent academic outcomes. We found that the role of income in these relationships is somewhat differentiated depending on household structure and suggest that further research explore the effects of both parents’ WFC on academic outcomes in couple families, and examine separate models for single parent and single earner households to better understand the moderating role of income in each of these cases. Despite such complexities, our results nevertheless suggest that fathers’ flexibility may play a valuable role in minimizing the socio-economic achievement gap in early high school, a key transition point for Australian adolescents.

Former Foster Youth and Post-Secondary Vocational Education: Potential Paths to Stable Employment and Family Life.  Mary Collins, Boston University

Questions/concerns: Work-family research has generally not considered the experiences of transition-age youth who had involvement with state service systems. Yet, concepts of “work” and “family” are particularly salient to this population. They have often struggled to attain sustainable and productive work lives as well as positive family experiences. This presentation focuses on the work and family experiences of young adults with service system experiences who are pursuing vocational education. In some U.S. jurisdictions, young adults with experience in foster care and other state systems can get government assistance to achieve educational and vocational goals. Most research has, however, focused on college attainment. The emphasis on college disregards the circumstances of many young people, including their preference for work rather than college; their struggles with academic, social, and financial demands of college; and the possibility of incurring student loan debt but not receiving a degree. Post-secondary vocational education (PSVE) offers a viable educational path that may lead to employment more quickly (which is often desired by these young people) and the associated positive outcomes of stable employment (which can include supports for family life). There are many reasons to believe that young people might prefer PSVE, and its linkage to employment, but the research is scant on this topic. Methods: This study involved qualitative interviews with 16 young adults who chose a primarily vocational education pathway. Interviews (via Zoom) were conducted with Massachusetts young adults with experience in child welfare, juvenile justice, and/or mental health systems who were currently involved in PSVE. Interviews focused on the reasons for their choice, supports and barriers, and their career goals. Two Likert scales were included in the interview (reasons for choosing the educational program, sources of support). A Qualtrics survey was used to collect demographic data and service system history. This presentation will specifically highlight respondents’ stories of how their educational choices intersected with work and family life. Respondents were interviewed twice, approximately three months apart, to assess any changes in their journey. Additionally, this presentation will provide a brief review of the global scholarly literature regarding this issue in other countries. This review provides information about employment prospects and career pathways in various cultural and policy contexts. Findings: Findings indicated that for many the “career pathways” are often non-linear, interrupted, concurrent, and complex requiring adaptability in supporting these pathways. Family issues were identified when discussing career pathways. Most respondents had little or conflicted support from their family of origin. Some were on their own, some were discouraged from their pathways, and some received emotional support for their goals but family members lacked the experience to help them attain them. Respondents who were mothers reported on how child care impacted, usually through delay, their educational trajectory. Once young children were in school, mothers were able to begin or continue an educational/career path. The importance of work either solely or in combination with post-secondary education program was a common theme. Getting a good job and avoiding debt were primary reasons for choosing their educational pathway. Implications for research, policy and practice: The central implication for research is for greater inclusion of the transition-age population in work-family research. This age group is aiming for success in both domains of work and family (and the integration of the two). Those with experience in state systems have specific challenges to address. Regarding policy, the data speak to the recognition of pathways that “stop and start” or that might be more circuitous than straightforward. This also speaks to the important role that community colleges play in helping people attain their educational goals regardless of their life stage. Thus, an implication of the study is the need to support community colleges which provide a vital educational lifeline to people who have had challenges in starting and completing educational programs. A second implication is related to the role of college affordability, concerns of young adults about financial debt, and the importance of job security and economic stability for this population. Free community college would be an important policy support. Given the continuing impact of child-bearing on delaying career paths, robust child care support is warranted. A final implication for policy and practice is to develop and strengthen a variety of supports for educational and career goals within secondary schools, community colleges and the range of community settings.

Paper Session

Inequality in the Contemporary Labor Market


Can the Gendered Sorting of Occupations Explain Wage Differentials Across Educational Levels in the US?.  Alicia Adserà, Princeton University; Federica Querin, University of Bologna; and Varun Satish, Princeton University

The persistence of gender earnings gaps, despite women having higher levels of education, runs in contrast to predictions from models of human capital accumulation. To address this, we ask whether men and women occupy different types of jobs even with the same education. This may account for gender differentials if women either sort or are discouraged from occupying jobs with characteristics that make them high paying. We are primarily interested in understanding the role of educational attainment in determining gendered occupational sorting. Recent studies highlight the importance of occupation and sector in perpetuating the gender wage gap, but their focus is mostly on the highly educated workers. Using data from the American Community Survey (ACS) along with O*NET occupation information, we focus on five dimensions of occupational characteristics that may reflect sorting by gender and education: contact with others, autonomy, leadership, machine-dependency, and time pressure. Preliminary results confirm gendered prevalence in these occupational characteristics, with women performing jobs with higher contact with others and less machine use. We document educational gradients in the wage returns to these characteristics. Results from Oaxaca-Binder decompositions highlight how our models explain gender differentials more for highly educated workers than for those with less education, underscoring the importance of further research specifically on workers who do not have a college degree.

Can Hybrid Work Help Close the Labor Market Gender Gaps?.  Agnieszka Postepska, University of Groningen; and Anastasiia Voloshyna, University of Groningen

In this project, we will explore a novel pathway toward an equal labor market. Gender inequality remains a hot topic in social sciences and an important item on policy agendas. Even though women have entered all areas of economic activities and face few legal barriers in the labor market, gender inequality in labor market outcomes persists, and new gaps emerge, as highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond the wage gap, women work fewer hours and do not progress as far in their careers as men, and occupations remain segregated. The vast literature investigating gender inequality in the labor market paints a rather pessimistic picture. In light of the limited effects that existing policies have on closing the remaining gender gaps in the labor market, Claudia Goldin suggested we have exhausted what could be changed through existing policies. To close the remaining gender gaps, the workplace needs to change (Goldin, 2014). Goldin shows that many jobs are “greedy,” paying disproportionately more for long and demanding hours. The path forward involves enhancing the productivity of flexible job arrangements and reducing the prominence of “greedy jobs” that demand 24/7 availability, for example, by encouraging shared responsibilities and making childcare more affordable. The work-from-home experiment, brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the innovation it forced onto the labor market regarding the facilitation of hybrid work creates a natural experiment setting to test this hypothesis. Using the Dutch administrative data, we will empirically test the hypothesis laid out by Goldin (2014) and investigate whether the changes in the workplace brought about by the remote work experience during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a more equal labor market in terms of weekly hours and wages among men and women in the Netherlands.

From Job Descriptions to Occupations: New Natural Language Processing Models for Automated Coding.  Lynda Laughlin, U.S. Census Bureau; Xi Song, University of Pennsylvania; Megan Wisniewski, University of Pennsylvania; and Jiahui Xu, Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)

Occupation is a fundamental concept in social and policy research, but classifying job descriptions into occupational categories can be challenging and susceptible to errors. Traditionally, this involved expert manual coding, translating detailed, often ambiguous job descriptions to standardized categories, a process both laborious and costly. However, recent advances in computational techniques offer efficient automated coding alternatives. Existing autocoding tools, including the O*NET-SOC AutoCoder, the NIOCCS AutoCoder, and the SOCcer AutoCoder, rely on supervised machine learning methods and string matching algorithms. Yet these autocoders are not designed to understand semantic meanings in occupational write-in text. We develop a new autocoder based on Google’s Text-to-Text Transfer Transformer (T5) architecture. Like GPT and other large language models, T5 is pretrained on vast amounts of text data. We develop a T5-OCC model with fine-tuned model parameters and training data from occupation write-ins from the 2019 American Community Survey. By comparing our T5-OCC with existing methods, we show that the autocoding accuracy rate increases from 68.2% to 71.1%. Considering the rapid change in neural language models, we conclude by offering suggestions on how to adapt our method for the development of occupational autocoding models in future research.

Pathways to Parity: Institutional Factors Advancing the Career Trajectories of Women to Leadership in Europe Using QCA.  Paul Sinzig, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt am Mai

Overarching questions/concerns Women are underrepresented in leadership and management, but this proportion varies vastly among countries in Europe. Diverse social and policy contexts influence life paths and careers, challenging explanations for the underrepresentation obtained through isolated mechanisms. This paper examines cultural and institutional barriers and facilitators that influence women’s and mothers’ career advancement by looking at the interwovenness of cultural, legal, institutional and policy forces in a comparative and innovative way. I ask, under which conditions is gender parity in leadership strongest in Europe? Statement on methods By deploying a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fs-QCA), I translate complex societal contexts into conjunctions of conditions that can account for equifinal configurations, which means that multiple pathways of interwoven conditions can lead to the same outcome. This method enables the conditions to consider all kinds of opportunity structures in women’s family and career trajectories including educational advancement, national industrial and occupational structures, work and family alignment options, legal quotas, and national gender cultures. I account for historical change by calibrating the conditions to consider temporal processes and delayed impacts. The method is accompanied by results of a hierarchical cluster analysis to give a descriptive account for familiar patterns across Europe. Important findings (bulleted list) I compare two methods for assessing gender parity mechanisms. Hierarchical clustering is useful to get a overview over the familiar patterns of isolated factors e.g. the nordic countries in the EU having higher gender parity in leadership. QCA gives various solution terms with the necessary and sufficient configurations of four broad conditions: gender culture, feminisation of institution, generosity of family policies, and leadership quotas, and show the exact causal pathways that clustering and other methods are not able to tease out. Specific results for the QCA analysis will be presented at the conference. Implications for research, policy and/or practice This research aims to demonstrate how and which combination of social policies can effectively foster gender parity in leadership positions; in other words, to show which solutions for advancing equity and social justice work best.

Paper Session

Innovations in Conceptualizing and Measuring Work and Care


Work and Place: Dynamic Relations of Meaning.  Angele Alook, York University; Sara Dorow, University of Alberta; and Karen Foster, Dalhousie University

There are vast literatures on the meanings of place and the meanings of work, but rarely do they explicitly intersect, despite the fact that work always happens in and across places, and most places are sites or products of some kind of work. In this paper, we bring together critical and social constructionist perspectives on place (as “locations with meaning” (Cresswell, 2008)) and work (as an activity with a multitude of meanings and degrees of ‘meaningfulness’), and apply them to an analysis of over 50 multimedia work-life narratives from a diverse range of working people across Canada. They include Indigenous and settler workers (racialized, people of colour, white, new, and multigenerational migrants) who are participating in the five-year study Work-Life in Canada. Our objective is to explore, and seed further discussion around, the question of how meanings of place and meanings of work intersect in the lives of different people in different jobs and locations. For example, in some narratives, work is depicted as an instrumental means of staying in (or returning to) the place to which the narrator is attached by kin, identity, memory and culture, while in others, work is interpreted as a good act that is done for the continuity of a particular, place-based community. Sometimes, these two narratives overlap. On the basis of patterns and tensions in our data, we present a typology of work:place intersections.

Advancing Research on Time Use in the Family Context Using Wearable Devices?.  Alena Klenke, University of Oldenburg; Maximiliane Reifenscheid, University of Kassel; Bettina Langfeldt, University of Kassel; and Sebastian Schnettler, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg

Time use studies are usually based on survey-based time diaries. They have shown a) large differences between men and women living as heterosexual couples together with children concerning the participation in household tasks (Schulz 2021), and b) potential gender-specific over- and under-reporting of household activities (Bonke 2005). In the future, technological advances such as wearables will allow researchers to gain more valid information of the division of tasks, daily routines, and interaction between household members by using devices that automatically record (inter)action. Also, for better understanding the challenges of working from home, wearables are a possible next step in advancing family research, but, different than in health research, little is known to date about the acceptability of using such technology for research on behavior in family life. Overarching questions In our study, we explore the acceptance of wearables for research purposes in households with young children. Methods We apply a mixed-methods design, combining both parallel and sequential elements. First, to better understand the barriers to the adoption of wearables in home environments, we conducted tests with RFID-tags in a sample flat. Equipping homes with these devices necessitate a thorough understanding of the optimal placement of household items. Simultaneously alpha testing of the acceptance and interest in RFID tags has been implemented. Second, to broaden the understanding of the impact on acceptance of the specific sensor used for data collection, we implemented focus groups discussing various collection methods including a combination of several tools for data collection. Third, results from the focus groups will used for a factorial survey which shall be used to draw conclusions about the acceptance of sensor-based data collections in families in general and which aspects improve or decrease willingness in participating in such a study. Preliminary findings - Parents of (young) children appear to be willing to participate in scientific research that brings wearables into their homes. - Challenges arise particularly in certain everyday situations where the devices are perceived as disruptive. The younger the children are, the greater the concern that the devices will be worn as expected. -The willingness to use these devices is influenced by the range of technical possibilities they offer. - Interest in RFID tags (compared to other devices) is particularly high - there seems to be less interest in the use of GPS; participants are divided between those who prefer to use their own device (mobile phone) or have an additional device - interest in smartphone apps is low, but data protection issues are not an issue - a combination of tools is perceived as less attractive - participants are very interested in learning how care work is divided between adults in their own household; providing results could be an important incentive - due to the great interest in the data and thus in the accuracy of measurement, participants have clear time expectations: data collection should take longer to avoid bias in the data Sponsor effect: scientific research, trust in data protection; less willingness to participate if from industry Implications for research There appears to be acceptance of the use of wearables in private households. So far, no reservations have been identified that would indicate a fundamental, high level of aversion of parents with younger children against data collection with wearable devices. Similar to other designs, the willingness to participate is primarily influenced by time availability. Positive feedback and curiosity, particularly regarding the use of RFID tags, speak in favour of examining further points regarding the use of RFID tags. To this end, the results from the focus groups must be tested to see to what extent they can be found in the general population, as it can be assumed that a positive selection bias effect among the participants in the focus groups plays a role. This will be done using an experimental survey. In addition to incentivisation through the provision of individual results, further options that influence the willingness of families to participate must be tested. Sources: Schulz, F. (2021). Mothers, Fathers and Siblings; Housework Time Within Family Households. Journal of Marriage and Family, 83(3), 803-819. Bonke (2005). Paid Work and Unpaid Work: Diary Information Versus Questionnaire Information. Social Indicators Research, 70, 349–368

What Care, Work, and Equality Concepts Are We Using in Research on Gender Divisions and Relations of Household Labour.  Andrea Doucet, Brock University; Kim de Laat, University of Waterloo; Karen Foster, Dalhousie University; Margaret Gibson, University of Waterloo; Eva Jewell, Toronto Metropolitan University; Umay Kadar, University of British Columbia; Janna Klostermann, University of Calgary; and bridget livingstone, University of Waterloo

Studies on gender divisions of domestic labour constitute a major cross-disciplinary and international field that has burgeoned since the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns of 2020. This paper begins with the argument that greater attention still needs to be given to how we conceptualize concepts of care, work, and gender equality and how we methodologically operationalize these in our research on gender divisions of household work and care. In this paper, we share one example of an innovative relational method for research on gender divisions and relations of care/work. The Care/Work Portrait is a qualitative, participatory, visual, creative, and flexible method and digital app that engages couples (and individuals) in mapping and discussing their care/work lives, including household and care tasks and responsibilities, and the contexts, constraints, supports, and structuring conditions of paid and unpaid work (see Doucet and Klostermann, 2023). Informed by feminist care ethics, care economies, and intersectionality theories, the Care/Work Portrait highlights the need to attend to a wider array of interconnections between care and work and to diversity and complexity within and between particular care tasks and responsibilities. This paper details how a diverse team of researchers developed and used the Care/Work Portrait in a study of 88 Canadian households (including First Nations, rural, new immigrant, LGBTQ+, low income, and families with disabilities). We reflect on key methodological and theoretical innovations of this method, share our plans for revision and adaption for international contexts, and we seek critical input from other WFRN researchers.

Integrating Tönnies in the Work-Family Balance Field: Four Historical Work-Family Transitions.  Marc Grau Grau, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

This article aims to connect and integrate Tönnies and his core concepts with the work-family field. Due to crucial social changes in the economy, demography, and technology in the last decades, research on the work-family interface has exploded, providing an interesting corpus of theories, concepts and empirical studies which help us to understand better how we combine our work and family responsibilities, as well as its barriers and facilitators. However, this relatively new literature has ignored the classic concepts elaborated by Tönnies, which could be used as a solid starting point on which to build the newly emerging theories. His conceptualization of two “ideal types” of society is influenced by Plato and Aristotle’s ideal community, integrates the Spinozian metaphysics and the concept of will elaborated by Schopenhauer, and is influenced by Hobbes's contractualism in modern society. Such conceptualization became a cornerstone of social thought, which contemporary scholars, especially those interested in work and family, should not dismiss its enduring significance. This article will present a line of research in the work-family arena (boundary management), which could be relevant for experts and specialists in Tönnies who aim to keep applying their thoughts in our days. Finally, this article presents four general hypotheses, each presenting significant transitions in how people navigate and construct mental fences between work and family over the last centuries.

Paper Session

Issues Facing GenZ and Millennial Workers


Family-Related and Community-Related Psychosocial Factors Affecting the Intention of Young Job Seekers and Employees to Stay in Nonmetropolitan Areas.  Karen Kramer, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaig; and Ha Young Choi, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaig

Many nonmetropolitan communities across the United States have experienced a decline in population (Sangeman, 2022) which is particularly notable among young people who have left their communities in search of job opportunities (Johnson & Lichter, 2019). As a result, there has been a significant loss of potential labor force for local employers, and individuals may have faced the costs of out-migration along with the challenging decision to move away from their families (Lyon-Hill et al., 2019; Walzer & Harger, 2016). The aim of this study is to analyze the psychosocial factors related to the community and family that influence the intention of young job seekers and employees to stay in nonmetropolitan areas. Drawing upon the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991) and the job embeddedness theory (Mitchell et al., 2001), we test our model using a sample of 522 survey respondents aged between 18 and 35 who reside in suburban or rural areas. We utilized latent profile analysis to identify four community perception profiles based on nine aspects of the community. We find that profiles with more positive perceptions of family life-related and social activity-related aspects of community showed a higher intention to pursue or remain in a job within the community, which was mediated by higher levels of community embeddedness and a higher expected or experienced organizational embeddedness. We provide theoretical and policy implications on how to enhance the appeal of nonmetropolitan and rural areas to young populations, both in terms of communities and workplaces.

Decoding Gen Z: Strategic HR Insights for the German Labor Market.  Mark Ayoub, IU International University of Applied Sciences; Paul Martin, A Better Balance; and Lilly Maas, ILAC Consulting

In the dynamic landscape of the German labor market, attracting and retaining Generation Z (Gen Z) employees poses unique challenges. This study delves into the prevalent myths surrounding Gen Z and unveils essential insights for strategic HR management. Employing a mixed-method approach, we conducted in-depth interviews with 50 Gen Z representatives, formulated hypotheses, and rigorously tested them through a survey with 650 participants. Further validation came from expert interviews with 20 HR professionals. Our findings underscored Gen Z's fundamental need for security and recognition amidst global uncertainties. Notably, intrinsic motivation often stems from environmental concerns, making sustainability-focused organizations more appealing. Additionally, factors like competitive salaries, flexible work hours, positive corporate culture, and regular feedback mechanisms significantly influence Gen Z's choice of employer. Drawing from motivational theories, our study advocates for authentic employer branding grounded in genuine employer identity. We emphasize a people-centered approach, urging organizations to consciously shape their cultures, leadership styles, employee experiences, and overall organizational identity. In conclusion, this research dispels Gen Z myths and offers practical HR insights for the German labor market. By aligning their strategies with Gen Z's intrinsic motivations and prioritizing genuine employer identity, companies can effectively navigate the challenges, ensuring a successful integration of Gen Z talent into their workforce.

The Impact of Millennials' Experiences on Their Decisions to Stay In or Leave a Job.  Isabelle Létourneau, Université de Sherbrooke; and Etienne Fouquet, Université de Sherbrooke

Over the past fifteen years, the way we work has been turned upside down by the arrival of millennials in the workplace, whose turnover rate exceeds that of previous generations. Without understanding the characteristics of this generation, it's not easy for organizations to implement effective retention measures. Dominant models of voluntary turnover, which generally take a distant view and use statistical methods, do not provide a sufficient theoretical framework to address this issue. To fill this gap, this research adopts an inductive method to understand how millennials' professional experiences influence their retention and voluntary turnover behaviors, and proposes a theoretical model from which it is possible to highlight four major findings. The first finding is that identity safety is central to millennials' work experience and a key determinant of their behavior. Secondly, their level of identity safety seems to be assessed on the basis of information transmitted through affects. The third conclusion proposes that the decision to stay or leave a job is a function of the strategies (commitment, adaptation or withdrawal) adopted to protect one's identity. The fourth implies that the process of evaluating the level of identity safety is cyclical and that its mechanism is retroactive. Our research tells us that, for millennials, identity safety is at the heart of the decision-making process, and that the object of loyalty is the individual himself, who evaluates his level of well-being through the valence of his affects and through the conception of his identity across his life domains (work-family-friendships).

Paper Session

Labor Market Policies and Effects


Is There a “Fatherhood Bonus” in Spain? The Impact of Children on Wages According to Occupational Characteristics, Family Structure and the Use of Longer-Term Care Leaves.  Marta Dominguez-Folgueras, Sciences Po; M. José González, Universitat Pompeu Fabra; and Irene Lapuerta, Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA)

This paper examines the impact of fatherhood on earnings in Spain, using panel data from 2006 to 2021. While there is extensive research on the negative effects of motherhood on earnings, our understanding of the effects of fatherhood, particularly in the Spanish context, remains limited. In some countries with available data, fathers tend to experience a financial advantage, commonly referred to as the "fatherhood bonus". This phenomenon has been attributed mainly to gender role specialisation, with women taking on caring responsibilities while men are in paid employment, employers' preferences for male employees and self-selection into parenthood, as those more established in the labour market may also be more likely to become fathers. This paper seeks to assess the impact of fatherhood on men's earnings and to explore its underlying factors by focusing on three understudied dimensions: the wage advantage of fathers' occupational categories, family structures (men living in heterosexual partnerships, same-sex partnerships or single-parent households) and the use of extended care leave to care for young children after an initial period of maternity and paternity leave. The study is based on the Continuous Sample of Working Lives, a survey of individuals who have made contributions to, or received benefits from, the Spanish social security system during the reference years. To estimate the expected earnings of men with and without children, we use unconditional quantile regression on longitudinal data. In addition, we integrate quantile regression with fixed effects techniques to account for self-selection into fatherhood.

Scheduling Standards in Union Contracts and in Public Policy—Substitutes or Complements?.  Peter Fugiel, Rutgers University

Unpredictable schedules can wreak havoc in the lives of workers and their families. To address this problem, policy makers, advocates, union leaders, and other practitioners have developed novel scheduling standards, most notably in the United States and Canada. While the provisions vary across industries and jurisdictions, they include limits on employer discretion in assigning shifts, a minimum length of advance notice, premium pay for unsociable shifts, and compensation for schedule changes. To date the most ambitious and consequential scheduling standards take the form of union contracts or subnational (i.e. state or local) legislation. Research and media reports on scheduling standards mostly focus on legislation, framing it as a substitute for the protections of a union contract, particularly in fast food restaurants and other industries where union density is low. However, comparative research shows that public policy and union contracts can complement each other, resulting in broader coverage and stronger enforcement than either achieves in isolation. Drawing on case studies of scheduling standards and stakeholder interviews in Seattle, New York City, Chicago, and Philadelphia, this paper identifies institutional conditions, organizational practices, and discursive frames that promote complementarity between scheduling legislation and collective agreements, rather than substitution of one for the other. I argue that complementary standards hold considerable promise for proponents of fair scheduling, but they demand broader solidarity and strategic coordination to realize this promise.

What Ever Happened to Employment Activation?.  Madeline Robbenhaar, University of Alberta; and Rhonda Breitkreuz, University of Alberta

Between 1995-2010 prolific research was conducted on income support programs in Canada, with scholars critiquing the ‘welfare-to-work’ model of income support and challenging the liberal-welfare assertion that income support programs should focus on ‘activating’ the employment potential of recipients. Much research during this time focused on lone mothers, a vulnerable demographic of income support recipients that struggled to meet welfare-to-work requirements and complete necessary unpaid family labour. Although over the last 14 years research with lone mothers in welfare-to-work programs in Canada has slowed, the precarious economic context of lone mothers has not. Seeking to re-contextualize lone mother’s experiences balancing unpaid family labour and welfare-to-work requirements in Alberta, we employed a critical human ecological approach to review the literature related to the macro-level of the Canadian welfare state and Albertan income support policies, the micro-level of lone mother families in Canada and unpaid reproductive work, and the meso-level of lone mother’s experiences balancing welfare-to-work requirements and family labour. This paper highlights the connections between income support policies and the precarious economic context of lone mother families in Alberta, as they struggle to raise children with limited financial resources, shoulder unpaid family labour, and try to meet the welfare-to-work requirements of income support policies. Policy recommendations regarding provincial income support and lone mothers are also discussed.

Adaptation: A Boundary Management Framework.  Christina Dreger-Smylie, Carleton University; and Linda Duxbury, Carleton University

In an increasingly volatile world, the capacity to effectively meet the demands of a new environment, known as adaptation, is critical to maintain a good quality of life. As such, adaptation has remained a topic of interest among work-life scholars (Park & Park, 2019). Despite a growing body of evidence that the environment plays an important role in adaptation (Jundt et al., 2014) scholarly work has continued to focus on personal factors (cognitive, behavioural) as the most important determinants of adaptation. As a consequence, existing theory is not adequate to address emerging work-life challenges (Mithani et al., 2020). Drawing from the literature on boundary management, we advance a framework describing how adaptation unfolds that considers both the person and the environment. 17-individuals from a science-based government department provided panel data during the transition to forced remote work in response to COVID-19. Self-report scales were used to create profiles of individuals based on cognitive and behavioural factors. Data on work and life environments was collected from external sources (COVID-19 events), organizational communications (emails, policies, practices), and from participants (childcare and eldercare responsibilities). Interviews conducted at six-month intervals (March 2020-March 2022) assessed work-life boundary preferences (integrating vs. segmenting), adaptation challenges, mitigation strategies, and outcomes (performance, productivity, dominant emotions, mental health). We contribute a richer understanding of adaptation and meaningful insights for researchers and practitioners.

The Role of Occupation, Gender, and Work Hours in the Gender Wage Gap.  Minjin Chae, Harvard University

Overarching questions/concerns Recent literature has focused on the role of long work hours and inflexible work schedules in shaping the persistent gender wage gap. However, it has paid less attention on what leads to the increased pay for such hours and schedules which disproportionately benefit men. Previous studies have highlighted technical and normative characteristics of occupations but has not provided direct empirical evidence. Statement on methods Drawing on Current Population Survey (CPS) data, this study examined how returns to long work hours by occupational groups are associated with various occupational characteristics. I also employed Coarsened Exact Matching to identify the role of gender within occupations, adjusting for the selection into long work hours. Important findings Returns to long work hours vary significantly by occupation, but previously proposed occupational characteristics do not fully explain these variations. Returns to long work hours also vary by gender, with these patterns varying by occupations and worker’ positions within the occupation. Implications for research, policy and/or practice The findings suggest that between-occupation variations are important in explaining why long work hours lead to disproportionately high pay. At the same time, the substantial within-occupation heterogeneity in long work hour premiums indicates that not only the nature of occupational tasks but also the context of where and who performs the work affects the concentrated compensation for long work hours.

Paper Session

Life Course and Aging


University Family-Friendliness at the University of Manitoba: Perspectives of Those Providing Eldercare.  Stephanie Chesser, University of Manitoba

In recent years, many Canadian universities have made changes to policies and campus resources to address some family-related care needs. Such initiatives (e.g., campus daycare, breastfeeding spaces, stopping of tenure clock for new parents) have, arguably, placed a strong emphasis on supporting parents, potentially overlooking the needs of those within the university community caring for older people. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively examine the perspectives of University of Manitoba student, staff, and faculty caregivers about university family-friendliness and how the institution could best support those providing care to others. One of its research objectives included identifying what types of caregiving (including eldercare) the university should recognize and support. This presentation will specifically spotlight eight, in-depth interviews completed between February-April 2022 with University of Manitoba-affiliated caregivers about their experiences providing eldercare. Inductive thematic analysis was used in the coding of interview data. Findings demonstrated a variety of eldercare contexts within the University community (e.g., caring for older parents, extended family members, grandparents), as well as recognition amongst participants that one’s role within the university (e.g., student versus staff versus faculty) could impact the caregiver supports available. Also of note were concerns expressed by several participants about eldercare being less recognized by University supervisors and administrators. Overall, these findings suggest that University of Manitoba should reexamine and diversify its caregiver policies and/or supports to ensure that they meet the needs of a greater range of caregivers, particularly those providing eldercare.

Navigating Life Under a Four-Day Workweek: A Multimethod, Gendered Life Stage Examination of Employees’ Temporal Strategies in Three North American Organizations.  Phyllis Moen, University of Minnesota; Youngmin Chu, University of Minnesota; Wen Fan, Boston College; Juliet Schor, Boston College; Guolin Gu, Boston College; and Ami Campbell, Boston College

The combination of both technological and organizational policy changes is upending work at a pace not seen since the industrial revolution. We examine the effects on the work-life interface of an increasingly popular innovation, the four-day workweek. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data on employees (N=109) in three small organizations in the U.S and Canada in manufacturing, information technology, and non-profit sectors, we examine four-day week workers’ shifting time-work strategies possibly producing changes in their sense of agency, work-life conflict, and satisfaction with time use, theorizing more salutary impacts for women caring for young children and older workers, regardless of gender. Looking at before and after four-day trial surveys six months apart, we find work-family conflict decreases significantly among workers under 40 and women with children at home. Additionally, women with children report finding it easier to balance paid work with their care responsibilities. In in-depth interviews, respondents describe a significant degree of focus on how they spend their time, both on and off the job, as they strategize to obtain greater congruence between their time-use preferences/needs and the actual ways they spend their time in the context of their new four-day workweek arrangement. The four-day workweek is changing the clockworks at work and at home, but also raising employees' subjective awareness of time and how they are “spending” it. While work is transforming, reduced hours are triggering changes employees' sense of agency, constraint, and opportunity around the work-life interface, including the temporal organization of life outside work.

The Longevity Economy: Employer Adoption of Age-Inclusive Management Strategies.  Brian Kaskie, University of Iowa

The workforce continues to grow older. Between now and 2030, the number of employees over 50 will grow at three times the rate of those under the age of 50, and the annual increase in employees over the age of 65 will reach nearly 5.0%. That being said, only two thirds of older adults believe they have saved enough for retirement, and more than half expected to continue working in retirement. With so many entering their retirement years with insufficient savings and the potential of living to 100, today’s older adults need to extend their working lives, especially those who have experienced setbacks during the COVID pandemic. While much of the existing research concerning aging and workplace issues focuses on the individual as the program target or unit of analysis, our project’s primary innovation is shifting focus onto the role of employers. Indeed, for older adults, there is a strong link between continued employment, physical and mental health, financial well-being, and self-directed retirement. Building on the achievements of the Colorado Above Fifty Employment Strategies (CAFES) project and using the expertly designed and pilot tested AIMS web-based platform, we discuss our efforts to (a) broadly disseminate education and information about older workers, (b) support employers’ efforts to implement age-inclusive strategies, and (c) evaluate facilitators and barriers associated with the organizational adoption of an age-inclusive strategy. This work is important for illuminating an understudied population and identifying mechanisms associated with innovators and early adopters of age inclusive management strategies. :

Exploring the Life Course Patterns and Family Justice Experience of Young Mothers Involved in Recurrent Care Proceedings in England.  Mariam Abouelenin, King`s College, Londo

Overarching questions/concerns Research has shown that teenage mothers frequently become involved in family courts and are at the highest risk of experiencing repeat involvement in care proceedings. However, little is known about their family court involvement over the course of their lives, including when they first appear in court and how often they return, if at all. To address this research gap, this study examines the life course trajectories of young mothers' involvement in family court proceedings from age 14 to age 30 and identifies potential predictors of trajectory group membership. Statement on methods Group-based multi-trajectory modeling was used to identify distinct subgroups of mothers following similar family court trajectories and multinomial logistic regression identified factors associated with group membership. Important findings - Four distinct family court trajectories were identified: o Early adolescence – multiple returns o Late adolescence – no return o Late adolescence – single return o Mid-adolescence – multiple returns - Significant predictors of group membership included women’s age at first birth, legal order outcomes at the first set of family court proceedings, and region. Implications for research, policy and/or practice The distinct trajectories identified call for the creation of tailored support services that address the specific needs of mothers in each group, and highlight the importance of equipping professionals working with young mothers with the knowledge and skills to recognize the risk factors for repeated court involvement.

Paper Session

Life Course Transitions: Aging and Retirement 1


Post-Retirement Work, Life Satisfaction and Emotional Well-Being Among Older Adults in Israel.  Alisa Lewin, University of Haifa; and Haya Stier, Tel Aviv University

Although retirement is often perceived as withdrawal from employment, retirement, in effect, takes many forms. Some workers depart completely from the work-force while others retain some form of employment, ranging from full-time work to full-time retirement. Moreover, post-retirement work has both financial and intrinsic incentives. People have financial incentives to work post-retirement, especially if they have not accumulated sufficient pension savings, and they respond to non-financial incentives as well because work provides opportunities for social engagement and other psychological benefits. This study examines motivations for post-retirement work and its effects on older adults' life satisfaction and emotional well-being. Using Social Survey data collected by Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics for the years 2017-2020, this study selected individuals post retirement age (62 + for women, 67 + for men), and investigated factors associated with post-retirement work and its effects on emotional well-being. The findings reveal gender differences, whereby economic needs motivate men to seek full-time employment, and good prospects in the labor market channel women toward full-time employment. Part-time employment is as good as full-time employment in contributing to men’s satisfaction and emotional well-being, whereas post-retirement work increases women's life satisfaction only if it is full-time, and has no effect on emotional well-being. This study has policy implications: Post-retirement part-time work may help promote healthy ageing and may facilitate the transition out of employment and into retirement. Recruiting older adults may diversify the workplace and perhaps contribute to older workers' life satisfaction and emotional well-being.

Grandparent Childcare by Gender and Generation.  Lyn Craig, University of Melbourne; DongJu Lee, University of Melbourne; Myra Hamilton, University of Sydney; Elizabeth Adamson, University of New South Wales; and Virpi Timonen, University of Helsinki

Grandparents are an important source of childcare worldwide. This paper presents results from a mixed methods study, looking firstly at how cross-generational demographic characteristics factor into grandparent care provision considering the cultural assumptions and policy settings families live within, and secondly at the lived experiences of parent-grandparent dyads in negotiating work and care. Using the nationally representative Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey, we identify determinants of both the demand for, and supply of, grandparent childcare in Australia (4,266 grandparents, 9,822 parents). Quantitative results suggest that grandmothers and mothers, as much or more than fathers and mothers, balance their reciprocal participation in employment and childcare. Unlike in other countries, university-educated grandmothers are more likely to provide childcare and university-educated mothers are more likely to draw upon it. The qualitative interviews (n=45) reinforce that cross-generational care provision is primarily a negotiation between mothers and grandmothers, with a child’s mother and the mother’s mother tending to be most intensely involved, and that a major motivation for it was supporting mothers’ workforce participation. They provided detailed new insight into the complex organisation and inter-familial and cross-generational co-operation involved in managing and maintaining grandparent care relationships. From a policy perspective, the results suggest the caring labour of grandmothers is currently critical to the workforce participation of mothers. They point to inadequate public policy support for Australian working mothers to capitalize on their historically high educational attainment, and suggest that to compensate, grandmothers are stepping in as both ‘mother savers’ and ‘system savers’.

Care Provision Among Older Adults in Mexico: An Examination of Time Use Patterns and Subjective Wellbeing.  Lia Acosta Rueda, University of Toronto

How much time do Mexican older adults spend looking after their grandchildren and how does it matter for their quality of life? In this paper, I focus on examining the role of unpaid care provided by older adults in Mexico, where little research has been conducted on a potentially vulnerable population. Using the most recent (2019) Mexican National Time Use Survey (ENUT), this research investigates the relationship between grandparent's provision of care and their subjective wellbeing (happiness and life satisfaction). Additionally, it explores how unpaid care provision is allocated based on three social locations – by gender and socioeconomic status – and two social contexts (rural versus urban). My results point to the importance of childcare care provision that goes beyond the nuclear family and formal institutional provision. The study’s findings contribute to the literature by promoting a better understanding of childcare arrangements within contexts characterized by limited institutional childcare support and strong normative preferences for family-based care.

Intergenerational Tensions of Gender, Work and Care in the Labour Market: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Grandparent Childcare in Australian Policy Dialogue.  Elizabeth Adamson, University of New South Wales; Virpi Timonen, University of Helsinki; Myra Hamilton, University of Sydney; Alison Williams, University of Sydney - Business School; and Lyn Craig, University of Melbourne

Mothers and mature age workers are regularly identified in policy debate as important targets of boosting labour market participation. Two groups of women – mothers and older women – are being encouraged to participate in paid work. In Australia, this has been evidenced through election platforms, government strategies and new policies. Research shows that grandparents (especially grandmothers) play a central role in supporting the employment of their daughters and daughters-in-law, yet it is unclear how grandparents’ care and work responsibilities are represented in policy discourses. Drawing on submissions to four government-initiated public inquiries we analyse stakeholder discourses encouraging women to increase their labour market participation within a context of known barriers and challenges in the Australian childcare system. The texts offer an ideal corpus for examining the kinds of ‘model’ grandparents that feature in official discourses, and reactions to them by a range of actors in the Australian work and care policy environment. We interrogate the tensions and contradictions that arise when mothers and grandmothers become the targets for labour market policies, with a particular focus on the discursive portrayals of older women as both (potential) workers and childcare providers. The article contributes to knowledge about how different forms of work are construed across gender, age, and other sociodemographic characteristics. The findings point to opportunities for policy makers to more explicitly and consciously recognise and address the social and economic contributions made by grandparents.

Menopause at Work: Let's Talk.  Janet Mantler, Carleton University; Anne Bowker, Carleton University; Emma Bider, Carleton University; and Sandra Ogbuagu, Carleton University

Overarching concerns: Perimenopausal women (aged 45 to 55) are the fastest growing demographic for labour force participation (Brewis et al., 2017), yet menopause remains a taboo topic in the workplace. How does the menopausal transition affect women at work? Are they able to talk about menopause and menopausal symptoms at work? If so, who do they talk to? Method: As part of a larger study, we interviewed 60 Canadian women about their menopausal transition. For this talk, we focus on their menopause experience in the context of work, including who they talked to about menopause and whether they had asked for or received menopause-related accommodations. We used reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clark, 2022) to analyze the data. Important findings: - Key menopausal symptoms that affected the way women worked included disrupted sleep, loss of energy, heavy periods, intrusive vasomotor conditions, and brain fog. - Menopausal symptoms had varying and often unpredictable degrees of severity, affected women’s ability to concentrate, and resulted in taking sick days for pain or heavy periods. - Simple accommodations such as having desk fans or flexible work arrangements would have aided their ability to work successfully, yet almost none of our participants asked for accommodations. - Participants did not discuss menopause with supervisors, particularly men, because they felt it would make them uncomfortable, because menopause is still viewed as a “women’s issue.” - Perimenopause often occurs at the time that women move into senior leadership roles. Women in leadership were even more reluctant to say anything about menopause because they did not want to be perceived as weak and subsequently overlooked for opportunities. Implications for policy and practice: Menopause needs to be normalized; 50% of the workforce will experience this physical transition at some point during their working years. Women need only a few straightforward accommodations to ease symptom discomfort to be successful at work rather than thinking about whether to quit their jobs. Managers need to be trained to have direct conversations about how to accommodate women at work.

Paper Session

Life Course Transitions: Aging and Retirement 2


Does Access to Paid Sick Leave Facilitate the Employment of Older Workers?.  Meredith Slopen, CUNY - Graduate Center

As life expectancy has increased, there has been political pressure to raise the age for retirement benefit claims, even though many American workers detach from the labor market in their 50s and are no longer in paid full-time employment by their early 60s. By offering workers the flexibility to address health and caregiving needs, paid sick leave (PSL) may support older workers in maintaining employment intensity. However, despite anticipated higher need for PSL among older workers, little is known about the role of PSL access on older workers' employment and income. The study uses data from the 2010-2018 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), accessed via IPUMS. Stratified multivariate regression models controlling for demographic and employment characteristics are used to explore the association between access PSL and employment intensity among older workers. On average, access to PSL is associated with a 22% higher likelihood of working full-time (p<0.001) and an average of 4.25 hours more in the prior week (p<0.001). Stratified analyses indicate that as workers age, access to PSL is associated with higher intensity of work: PSL is associated with a higher and rising number of hours worked after age 62, when workers become eligible to collect Social Security, reaching over 7 hours among workers older than 67 years (p<0.001). PSL access is associated with greater employment intensity as workers age, with implications for economic security given the significant increase in hours worked per week. Public policy to require employers to provide PSL may support the employment of older workers.

Older Adults’ Digital Intergenerational Contact: Patterns, Predictors, and Associations with Subjective Well-Being Across Europe.  Yang Hu, Lancaster University

Contact with family is key to sustaining individuals’ subjective well-being, and such contact has become increasingly digitalized. In today’s “polymedia” environment, individuals are afforded diverse modes of digital contact, ranging from phone calls and text messaging (including via email and chat applications) to video calls. Distinct modes of digital contact create differential levels of sociality, which may have varying implications for subjective well-being. As the COVID-19 pandemic severely curtailed older adults’ in-person contact with family, digital contact, or its lack, has become particularly important for their subjective well-being. Analyzing data from the 2020 European Social Survey, this study provides new evidence of older adults’ digital intergenerational contact with non-residential children across Europe. First, it identifies four profiles of older Europeans’ digital contact across the modes of phone calls, text messaging, and video calls: low contact (across all modes), phone-only contact, non-visual contact (phone calls and text messaging), and high contact (across all modes). Then, it examines how older adults’ in-person contact, internet access, digital literacy, the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, and country-level internet coverage relate to the distinct profiles of digital contact and shape their associations with older adults’ subjective well-being. The findings provide new insights into the digitalization of older Europeans’ intergenerational contact with children, as well as the micro and macro social conditions shaping the link between their digital contact and subjective well-being.

Are Rural Areas Holdouts in the Second Demographic Transition? Evidence from Canada and the United States.  Shelley Clark, McGill University; Matthew Brooks, Florida State University; Ann-Marie Helou, McGill University; and Rachel Margolis, Western University

A central supposition of the first Demographic Transition is that demographic change would be slower in rural areas than in urban areas. Few studies, however, have investigated whether rural areas continue to be holdouts during the so-called Second Demographic Transition. To address this void, this study 1) examines trends in rural and urban families in Canada and the United States over the last 30 years, and 2) determines whether compositional differences in demographic, socioeconomic and religious factors explain current significant differences between rural and urban family behaviors. We find that rural Canadian women continue to have, on average, 0.6 more children than urban women. However, rural families do not trail behind urban families with respect to any other indicator of family change. In fact, rural women in both countries are more likely than urban women to cohabit and to have children outside of marriage. These differences are largely explained by lower levels of education and income among rural American women and fewer immigrants in rural Canada. Examining family change through a rural-urban lens fills important empirical gaps and yields novel insights into current debates on the fundamental causes of ongoing family change in high-income countries.

Older Women's Work from Home Experiences in Singapore Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic Through a Feminist and Life Course Lens.  Sam Yuan, Georgia Institute of Technology; Shun Yuan Yeo, Singapore University of Technology and Design; and Kristen Lee, SUNY - University at Buffalo

This research delves into the multifaceted experiences of older women in Singapore navigating the realm of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing a feminist framework and the life course perspective, the study seeks to unravel the intersectional challenges faced by this demographic group in adapting to the abrupt shift towards working from home, specifically the authors examine the “gendered space division” at home among older women in Singapore. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 40 older women in Singapore, this research captures the rationales for division of space at home among older women who are the main caregivers for their spouses and adult chidlren with full-time jobs. The feminist lens provides a critical framework to examine power dynamics, gender roles, and the impact of societal expectations on the experiences of these older women. Furthermore, the life course perspective allows for an exploration of how the socio-historical context and individual factors contributed to the division of space at home during the pandemic. Preliminary findings underscore the importance of recognizing the diverse realities within this specific demographic. The study contributes to a broader understanding of the gendered dimensions of remote work during a global crisis, emphasizing the need for targeted policies and support systems to address the unique challenges faced by older women.

The Economic-Adjusted Age Dependency Ratio in India: A New Measure for Understanding Economic Burden of Aging..  Varsha Rani, International Institute for Population Sciences; and Srinivas Goli, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

The rising share of the elderly working till late in their life span has several economic implications, including alterations in work force participation and economic growth. And this, in turn, has an implication for dependency ratios computed only based on age structure of population. Therefore, this study proposes to estimate the economic burden of ageing based on work-force participation of all adult and elderly population aged 15-64 years & >=65 years respectively. The newly proposed measures: Economic Adjusted Age Dependency Ratio (EADR) and Economic Adjusted Old Age Dependency Ratio (EAODR) estimates the financial burden of the older adults more correctly by adjusting to out of workforce population for all adult and elderly population. Our findings suggest that across the states, the discordance in the ranks of OADR and EADR in NCT of Delhi (OADR 0.13; EADR 1.06) with having the highest EADR but exhibit lowest OADR whereas, Himachal Pradesh (OADR 0.19; EADR 0.28) having the lowest EADR but accounts for the highest OADR. Similarly, the estimates of EAODR shows that majority of the states have a high OADR but relatively low EAODR. These instances imply that not all working age population are working, while all older population are not economically dependent. Therefore, EADR and EAODR are potential measures to estimate the actual economic burden of age dependency and helps in social safety net programmes, employment policies and to promote UN Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021–2030.

Paper Session

Life Course Transitions: School to Work


Occupational Concentration of a Major and Gendered Wage Trajectories Among College Graduates.  Eunjeong Paek, University of Hawaii

In this study, I explore the gender wage disparities among college graduates by focusing on the occupational concentration of a major— specifically, the proportion of graduates in the ten most common occupations. I investigate 1) whether the wage premium associated with the occupational concentration of a major varies across gender, and 2) how such variation can be explained by three gendered working conditions: working long hours, STEM occupations, and occupational sex composition. By combining multiple datasets, I used multilevel growth models. Preliminary findings indicate that men tend to receive a greater wage premium from a college degree with high occupational concentration than women, and this gender gap has widened over time. Adjusting for gendered working conditions significantly reduces the gender disparities in the wage premium of occupation-specific college degrees. These findings illuminate the mechanisms behind the gender wage disparities among college graduates.

Teen Time Use, Gender, and the COVID Pandemic.  Anne Winkler, University of Missouri, St. Louis; and Shirley Porterfield, University of Missouri, St. Louis

This study uses ATUS data to examine trends in teens’ time use over a nearly 20 year period, from 2003-2022, providing information on secular patterns (persistence and change) and also on those associated with the COVID shock (2020 – 2021). There has been considerable study of parents’ time use over COVID (Pabilonia & Vernon, 2023) but very little study on teens (Morrissey & Engle, 2022). Teen time use patterns matter because they have implications for future labor market, educational, and family outcomes. Prior to COVID, teen girls spent twice as much time on household caring activities than boys. Has this strongly gendered pattern persisted? Prior to COVID, boys spent a disproportionate time on video games. How did COVID (stay-at home orders, social distancing, online schooling) exacerbate this difference? Also, what types of reallocations in (reported) teen time use (from schooling to homework to non-schooling) do we see? Among the findings, both genders are equally likely to be employed, with similar hours per week. Teen girls still spend twice as much time in caring work than teen boys, though hours declined for both. During COVID, girls’ time in housework fell, while boys’ time increased, suggesting greater gender equality. Screen time, already higher for boys, increased disproportionately. As expected, over the COVID period, reported “school” hours fell while “homework” hours increased for teen boys and girls, but girls still spend more time on homework. The findings for girls are suggestive of improved future outcomes but findings for boys reinforce ongoing concerns.

Student Parents in Colleges: What Can Be Helpful?.  Jing Guo, University of Hawaii; and Meirong Liu, Howard University

This study focuses on a particular intersection of student parents and part-time workers. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research reports, student parents make up a substantial percentage of postsecondary students but often face enormous barriers to academic success. Student parents, especially for low-income, minority, and first-generation college students, often found it hard to navigate the academic setting and balance the school and family responsibilities, sometimes outside work responsibility. Over the past decades, women became more educated and women with children have increased their participation in the labor force considerably. Meanwhile, 23 percent of employed women worked part-time. The most common reasons people choose part time work are for school attendance, and family or personal obligations. The combination of attending college, maintaining a part-time work, and raising a family creates a transition period in a person’s life. The issues of student parents, including those who work part-time, have often been left to institutions of higher education to meet the needs of student parents. We want to examine the status of student parents, in terms of the interaction of school, family and work. We review the literatures on policies and practices at the local level that recognize the importance of supporting student parents. We hope to look at micro-level interventions as well, for example, how the University policies and practices can enhance the educational experiences for student parents, which affects their educational success and their family’s wellbeing. We will report findings from student parents’ interviews.

Paper Session

Motherhood Around the Globe


Women Returning to Workforce After Maternity Leave: Refamilisation Instead of Defamilisation?.  Moldir Kabylova, University of Nottingham

Women in Kazakhstan are more incentivised to enter and return to the labour market after maternity leave due to increasing inflation rate and gender egalitarian values. Family policy such as 12 months paid childcare leave, three years maternity leave with a right to keep workplace and state-subsidised childcare for children aged over three improve chances of women to have smooth transition from maternity leave to paid work and successfully reintegrate into the labour market. With more active support from welfare state to families to become two-income households, the role of informal support is anticipated to diminish. The aim of the research is to evaluate defamilisation level resulting from women becoming second or the main wage-earners in a household with decreased reliance on family support. The study applied focus group discussions method where 30 women from both urban and rural areas of Kazakhstan took part. The findings suggest that women in Kazakhstan, especially from lower-income households, experience refamilisation instead of defamilisation as there is an increased reliance on intergenerational help to provide free childcare due to accessibility issues to state-subsidised childcare and unaffordability of the private ones. The research makes an original contribution to work-family related studies in Post-communist Central Asian region applying theories of defamilisation, which is commonly used in Western world.

Working Mothers in Taiwan.  Grace Huang, St. Lawrence University

Overarching questions/concerns This paper examines the resources and constraints that Taiwanese working mothers face in balancing work and family responsibilities, with a focus on cultural influences. It investigates how factors, such as workplace and government policies, extended family, and hired help, can facilitate or hinder a mother’s ability to manage her professional and personal duties. By examining these resources and constraints through a cultural lens, the paper seeks to understand the choices working mothers make and the narratives and values they hold regarding their dual roles as professionals and caregivers. Furthermore, the paper highlights mothers as agents of change, recognizing their capacity to navigate and shape their own experiences to realize their ideal work-family balance within the Taiwanese cultural context. Statement on Methods From August 2023 to January 2024, I conducted a qualitative study on the experiences of Taiwanese working mothers. The research involved in-depth interviews with 27 working mothers, most of whom had at least one child under the age of 10. Each interview lasted between two to three hours, allowing for a wide-ranging exploration of the working mother’s experiences. I also interviewed several experts and scholars specializing in issues about employment, childcare, and fertility in order to gain additional insights into the broader context. I was supported by a US Senior Scholar grant, which allowed me to reside in Taiwan with my two children for the duration of the research project. This study is part of a larger comparative study of three democratic welfare regimes, which include the US (liberal democracy), Spain (social democracy), and Taiwan (hybrid democracy). Important Findings • Taiwan’s welfare regime type: Taiwan has a hybrid democratic regime that combines elements of liberal democracies, like the US, and social democracies, like Spain. While Taiwan’s work culture is more demanding than that of the US, it provides universal healthcare to its citizens similar to Spain. Regarding childcare, Taiwan falls between the fully privatized system of the US system and the comprehensive, affordable public childcare programs found in Spain. • The impact of Taiwan’s workplace culture on working mothers’ work-family balance: Taiwan’s workplace culture poses significant obstacles for working mothers trying to achieve work-family balance. They face some of the world’s longest working hours, which are further exacerbated by low wages and inflexible work schedules. This culture partially stems from Taiwan’s recent history of emphasizing manufacturing and societal demands for high-quality service and convenience. It also reflects a patriarchal system where the main burden of balancing work and family are put on the women. • The impact of Taiwan’s care culture on working mothers’ work-family balance: On balance, Taiwan’s care culture provides significant support for working mothers in several key areas: o Postpartum care for mothers: The cultural practice of “sitting the month” is notable in that care is focused on the mother rather than the child. New mothers are expected to rest between 30 to 40 days after delivering their baby. Family members or postpartum recovery centers prepare special, nutritious meals for the mother and care for the baby, allowing the mother to rest and recover. o Care of children: Working mothers can rely on extended family support, who operates with an implicit family social contract of mutual obligation and reciprocity, often involving financial compensation through the gift of red envelopes. Monthly government subsidies also help mothers hire nanny or enroll their children in daycare. o Care of household and family: Low wages and convenient services allow working mothers to hire help for cleaning and obtain nutritious food prepared outside the home without stigma. Taiwan also has a competent, affordable healthcare system, which subtracts one major worry for working mothers. However, Taiwan’s care culture falls short in two areas: o Partner support: Long working hours and short paternal leaves (seven days), often result in the husband being absent during the crucial period of learning to care for the child, making the working mother the default caregiver. Although Taiwan now grants six months of parental leave at 80% pay, few fathers take advantage of this. Changing gender expectations, however, are slowly encouraging fathers to contribute more to care and household tasks. o Declining community support: Taiwan’s low fertility rate has led to fewer children in communities, leading to a decrease in child-centered activities and support networks. While online networks provide some support, they are not the same as traditional community support.

Unravelling the Motherload: Amplifying the Voices of Low-Income Women in South Africa for Pathways Forward.  Ameeta Jaga, University of Cape Town; Jane Battersby, University of Cape Town; Fiona Ross, University of Cape Town; Wanga Zembe-Mkabile, South African Medical Research Council; Yanga Zembe, University of KwaZulu Nata; Sarah Chapman, University of Cape Town; Feranaaz Farista, University of Cape Town; Ruth Mathys, Grow Great; and Tristan Görgens, Western Cape Government

Overarching questions/concerns: The majority of mothers in South Africa are low-income and black. They perform care work in challenging conditions exacerbated by the country’s extreme income inequality, apartheid spatial planning, and neoliberal economic policies, hindering their economic security, safety and wellbeing. We sought to answer the following research questions: (a) What factors shape low-income mothers’ experiences regarding care work and economic participation? (b) What strategies can mitigate the negative consequences of caregiving burdens on maternal employment and wellbeing in this context? Statement on methods Using participatory action research with photovoice as a feminist decolonial methodology, we partnered with low-income mothers, the Western Cape Government (WCG), and Flourish (a women’s rights group). The mothers engaged in individual photograph analysis and collective cross-comparison analyses based on their interpretations for knowledge generation and action identification. We centred the mothers' voices in developing a call to action to recognize and reduce the motherload, communicating this call through a series of photovoice exhibitions with diverse stakeholders. Important findings (bulleted list) - The concept Motherload emerged from the mothers' analyses of caring in their social and material conditions, to describes the highly gendered, often-invisible, under-valued work individuals performing mothering undertake. - Its full complexity and multifaceted nature are inadequately recognised in policy. - Existing policies in healthcare, labour, safety, and sanitation exacerbate their caregiving roles, resulting in hidden costs, trauma, and debt. - Neglecting to address this perpetuates gender inequality and poses significant social, economic, and health risks. Implications for research, policy and/or practice - More research is needed to understand the plurality of the motherload in diverse contexts, especially using methods that center low-income mothers' voices. - Care policies treat mothers as a homogenous group, but race and socio-economic status shapes distinct lived experiences. Policy development can benefit from better reflecting care realities using an intersectional lens. - Approaches to policy making should involve a diverse range of stakeholders to recognize actual burdens and maximise impact of policy changes.

Breastfeeding Among Women Employed in Mexico’s Informal Sector: Strategies to Overcome Key Barriers.  Julia Goodman, OHSU-PSU School of Public Health; Vania Lara Mejía, Universidad Iberoamericana; Sonia Hernández Cordero, Universidad Iberoamericana; and Mireya Vilar Compte, Montclair State University

Background: In Mexico, more than half of women are in informal employment, meaning they lack many important protections, including those that may support breastfeeding. Methods: In-depth interviews with 15 key informants representing government agencies, NGOs, international organizations, and academia in Mexico. Interviews were conducted March-June 2023. To understand and describe barriers to breastfeeding among informally employed women in Mexico and current and potential policies to address these barriers, we conducted a qualitative thematic analysis. Results: Respondents described a range of barriers to breastfeeding that spanned the Socio-Ecological Model, from individual to policy levels. While many of these barriers apply to all women, particularly those in paid employment, the impact on women in informal employment was perceived to be more pronounced. Similarly, most current breastfeeding-related policies apply to all employed women, but respondents expressed concern that women in informal employment lack adequate protection. Conclusions: Women in Mexico’s informal sector face limited maternity protections. Few policies exist to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding among employed women, in general, but the economic vulnerability and challenging working conditions of women in informal employment exacerbates their situation. The lack of access to formal labor protections creates a significant barrier to breastfeeding for women in the informal sector. Recommendations include short-term policies to fill gaps in social protection for informally employed women, as well as longer-term solutions such as the development of universal social protection programs and supporting formalization.

Paper Session

Organizational Approaches to Work-Life Integration


Flexible Jobs Make Parents Happier: Evidence from Australia.  Agnieszka Postepska, University of Groningen; and Shuye Yu, University of Oxford

Recent studies have found that self-reported life satisfaction drops during the transition into parenthood. This decline is often attributed to a work-family conflict. This study investigates whether different forms of flexible employment can alleviate this drop in parental life satisfaction during this period. A fixed-effects analysis in an event study framework using Australian household survey data (HILDA) delivers convincing evidence that working flexibly indeed alleviates the drop in subjective well-being, suggesting that it relieves the stress related to work-family conflict. Moreover, we find substantial gender heterogeneity in the effects of different types of flexible employment on mothers' and fathers' life satisfaction. Mothers with short part-time jobs (0-20 hours per week) exhibit greater life satisfaction than mothers who work full-time, especially when their children are younger than four. Among fathers, self-scheduling and home-based work significantly increase perceived happiness compared to fixed employment terms. This is especially true for fathers of one- and two-year-olds. These results are consistent with parents' classical intra-household time allocation in Australia and typical labor market trajectories of each gender around childbirth.

HR Professionals Supporting Work-Life Balance: An Enablers-Barriers Approach.  Isabelle Létourneau, Université de Sherbrooke; Danaël Lambert, Université de Sherbrooke; Jessica Levasseur, Université de Sherbrooke; and Etienne Fouquet, Université de Sherbrooke

HR professionals play an important part in supporting work-life balance (WLB), even though in the scientific literature the spotlight is rarely put on their specific practices. HR professionals are essential to conducting WLB diagnosis, assessing the feasibility of new WLB initiatives, implementing WLB policies, promoting the use of WLB resources, raising stakeholders’ awareness of WLB issues, coaching managers to support WLB, and so on (Bond and Wise, 2003; Clutterbuck, 2003; Bailyn, 2011; Goudswaard et al., 2013; Létourneau, 2022). Yet very little is known about factors influencing the efficiency of those supportive practices. A qualitative study was designed to identify enablers and barriers influencing supportive WLB practices performed by HR professionals. Forty-five HR professionals (15 from SMEs, 15 from large organizations and 15 consultants), members of the Ordre des conseillers en gestion des ressources humaines agréés du Québec (CRHA), participated in semi-structured interviews. Results reveal a taxonomy of 110 enablers and 99 barriers regrouped in 38 categories and 8 broad themes. The discussion shows that enablers and barriers go far beyond the organizational realm, to which the scientific literature is mainly confined (e.g., organizational culture, business operations, etc.), to encompass extra-organizational, interorganizational, functional, personal, professional, individual, and interventional domains. Specific enablers and barriers are not necessarily opposed. This paper provides a first reference framework to further our understanding of the varied and complex conditions in which HR professionals support WLB in organizational setting.

Can A Workplace Assessment Drive Improvements in Employee and Employer Outcomes?.  Ellen Galinsky, Families and Work Institute; and Philip David Zelazo, University of Minnesota

The Thriving Workplace Index has its origins in ongoing nationally representative studies of employees (1992-2016) where we discovered that employee outcomes (health, wellbeing, job engagement, work-family conflict) were worsening and in ongoing nationally representative studies of employers (2005-2016) where we also discovered that employer outcomes (recruitment, retention) were worsening. In response, we created When Work Works with the Society for HR Management (SHRM), using a participatory project-design process (civic science). Between 2012-2016, we worked with several thousand small, midsized and large employers in all 50 states (US), implementing the “Effective Workplace Index” as an assessment and improvement tool. In 2020, we pivoted and created an “Inclusion Index” to assess outcomes for employees experiencing adverse pandemic-like life events (layoffs, job loss, serious illness). In both Indexes, we found relational factors like feeling a part of their workgroup and supported by others (caring connections) or being given autonomy and treated with respect (agency) were the most significant predictors of outcomes. We thus built on Self Determination Theory to assess relational factors (caring connections, agency, mastery, identity and purpose) in our new “Thriving Workplace Index,” again using a participatory design process and are piloting it with educational workplaces. Time 1 results indicate that relational factors are significantly linked with outcomes that benefit employees (employee health and wellbeing, work-family conflict) and employers (job engagement, retention). In this session, we’ll report on Time 2 findings, addressing whether a workplace assessment (that includes both organizational and individual change-experiments) can drive improvements in employee and employer outcomes.

Enabling – Enclosing Work-Life Policies: An Analysis of Telework, Flexible Work Schedule and Onsite Childcare’s Perceived Helpfulness and Likeliness of Use.  Sarah Bourdeau, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) - École des Sciences de la Gestion (ESG); Nathalie Houlfort, Université of du Québec à Montréal; and Léandre Chénard Poirier, HEC Montréal

Many organizations offer work-life policies to help their employees alleviate the conflicting demands stemming from multiple life roles (Kossek, et al., 2010). According to the enabling – enclosing theoretical conceptualisation of work-life policies, they can be perceived as control mechanisms that can fall on a continuum ranging from more enclosing to more enabling in nature (Bourdeau et al., 2019). This paper presentation focuses on three work-life policies, namely onsite child-care, telework and flexible work schedule, and presents two cross-sectional studies which aim to 1) empirically validate that the selected work-life policies can be positioned on the enabling – enclosing proposition, and 2) investigate how perceiving a policy as more or less enabling can influence the likeliness of using it if needed through the mediating role of the policy’s perceived helpfulness. Results in both studies (Study 1, N = 284; Study 2, N = 251) from repeated measure ANOVA confirm that onsite childcare is systematically perceived as the most enclosing policy, followed by telework and finally, flexible schedule is perceived as the most enabling policy. Furthermore, results from linear regressions confirm that the more a policy is seen as enabling, the more it is perceived as helpful, and the more likely it is to be used if needed. Implications for practice will be discussed.

Employee Assistance Programs: Factors Affecting Their Acceptance and Utilization.  Daniel Erler, pme Familienservice

In this case study from Germany, we explore the question how the design and implementation of Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) impacts their acceptance and utilization. For this purpose a quantitative survey among 1000 employees (n=618) and managers (n=382) was conducted, asking participants among other things: what they expect from EAP; how important such measures are compared to other benefits; whether they have already used EAP and whether such programs are important for their perception of and satisfaction with their employer. The quantitative survey was based on a representative sample of employees in Germany, from companies with more than 200 workers. In addition, 41 qualitative interviews with HR-managers were conducted. Placing the study results within the wider socio-economic context of Germany, this paper will explicate some of the key findings. We find, that more than 70% of respondents regard the provision of EAP by their employer as important because they consider such measures as a sign of appreciation and support by their employer. However, when asked to rank EAPs' relevance compared to other benefits, respondents placed wages and satisfaction with their job before work-life-balance and EAP measures. Asked about the reasons for not using EAP, 53% cited lack of time while 37% of respondents said that the measures provided where not relevant or attractive for them. Questioned about possible ways of rendering EAP offerings more attractive to them, 50% of all respondents cited a complete coverage of costs, while 41% said that time flexibility could significantly enhance EAPs' attractiveness. One of the more surprising findings in this research was the very substantial difference in perception and usage among employees and managers. When asked how satisfied they are overall with their employers' well-being and work-life policies, 70% of managers said they were satisfied, against 35% percent of employees. This may be one explanation for the large difference in EAP utilization. Whereas 87% of managers declared that they had already made use of such measures, only 50% of employees had already utilized EAP. Reducing the mismatch between employee and manager perceptions of EAPs' fit and utility may be one leverage factor to increase the overall utilization and acceptance of such programs in companies. Reducing possible financial disincentives, such as co-payment of measures, and increasing the flexibility to use such services could also help to remove utilization hurdles. Overall, the study indicates, that employee satisfaction is significantly higher in companies offering EAP (87%) than in companies with no EAP (61%). While EAP only constitutes one variable influencing employee satisfaction, EAP certainly seems to have the potential to improve the overall commitment and motivation of employees.

Paper Session

Paid Leave Policies and Perceptions


Parental Leave Policies Presentation in Media: A Comparative Analysis of Croatia and Montenegro.  Branko Bošković, University of Donja Gorica

Parental leave policies play an important role in child’s and parents’ well-being and there is an interest in their effects on fertility behavior. Different policy approaches may result in differing outcomes, but there is a lack of analysis of the perception of parental leave in the media. Media discourse may move from justifying and pro-natalist to more restrictive and protective. Research of the prospective impact it may have on welfare and inequality, especially related to women, is missing. The analysis will look at the leading portals in Croatia and Montenegro and it will focus on the major framing and understanding of parental leave. The two countries have different parental leave policies. Croatia is a European Union member state and Montenegro is a candidate country and it is important to see how leading media in these countries report on parental leave policies. Period from 2017 to 2023 will be covered so the major policy changes are included as well as a period of the Covid-19 pandemic. The analysis will inspect a discourse, frequency and framing and it will look at how a discourse is shaped: whether it is political, economic, social or influenced by other factors. It will be compared with the major trends in welfare and inequality, to see if there is a correlation between them. This approach can be an example of the theoretical and empirical analysis that can be applied in different contexts, to see whether media influence perception and use of the parental leave.

Debt Crises in a Gendered Economy: Paid Leave as a Social Safety Net for Vulnerable American Households.  Tracey Freiberg, St. John&#x27;s University

As the formalized global workforce has become more inclusive, it is more common to see households outside of the traditional male breadwinner model, leaving a benefits hole for many Americans. As such, mainstream conceptions of household debt have inadequately captured the sources and, subsequently, sufficient solutions for questions of economic security in the United States. Specifically, states with paid family and medical leave programs (PFML) attempt to shift the responsibility of reproductive work to a shared responsibility with employers, instead of fully on individuals. While PFML in the US is gender neutral in language, usage is overwhelmingly female, seemingly providing a safety net for dual income and female-led households in the form of partial wage replacement. Using the Survey of Income Program Participation, I examine household debt levels in PFML states, versus their non-PFML counterparts. While PFML programs notoriously only provide financial benefits for Americans in formalized employment, and therefore ignore the reproductive work done by full-time (unpaid) caretakers, I aim to show that while PFML may lessen burdens of short-term household debt, PFML ultimately is an insufficient tool for US household debt alleviation, in its current form, as its claimants often come from vulnerable households and work in industries that routinely punish caretakers. Yet, when promoted and used as a part of a larger set of policies for economic stability, paid leave programs may help strike a better balance between work and life constraints.

The 2021 Baby Boom in Iceland: Exploring the Role of a Parental Leave Reform and the COVID-19 Pandemic.  Ásdís Arnalds, University of Iceland; Ari Klængur Jónsson, University of Iceland; and Sunna Símonardóttir, University of Iceland

In 2021, during the hight of the COVID-19 pandemic, the total fertility rate in Iceland rose unexpectedly from 1.72 to 1.82. The increased number of births followed an important reform in the Icelandic paid parental leave scheme, which included an expansion of the leave from 10 to 12 months. Analysis of data from Statistics Iceland and focus group interviews with parents who had a child in 2021 were used to explore if and how the parental leave reform and the societal changes related to the pandemic shaped parents’ decision to have a child in 2021. As the rise in fertility was short-lived, the results indicate that the baby boom of 2021 can hardly be explained by the parental leave reform. Rather, at least for educated women, who already had children and were in a good financial state, it seems that the pandemic created a favourable atmosphere for having a child. Parents’ narratives from the focus group interviews suggest that the pandemic might have been a good time to start or add to the family because of the increased time spent at home and the limited involvement in social activities outside the home.

Perceptions of Workplace Support for Paid Parental Leave Use in Iceland.  Ásdís Arnalds, University of Iceland

The presentation places focus on perceived support for the use of paid parental leave in Iceland, a country that has offered non-transferable leave for fathers for over 20 years. Iceland provides a unique setting for such research, given the country’s long tradition of emphasizing both parents’ participation in work and care. Although most fathers use their right to take paid parental, about 20% of fathers in Iceland use no leave at all. The presented study aims to explore whether workplace practices and attitudes create hindrances for fathers’ leave use. The findings are based on analysis of comprehensive survey data among employees in Iceland. A special emphasis is placed on examining how leave is perceived to be supported by supervisors and co-workers and to understand respondents’ own attitudes towards the leave use of male and female employees. The findings show that although the vast majority of respondents predict that supervisors and co-workers would support both mothers and fathers in their use of paid parental leave, mothers were perceived to receive greater support than fathers. The gender difference in perceived support was especially evident in workplaces where the majority of employees were male. Thus, the findings indicate that workplace attitudes might create hindrances for fathers’ leave use.

Paper Session

Parenting and Family Dynamics


Testing the indirect effects of work-family strain on parenting stress and child wellbeing.  Ines de Pierola, Oregon State University; Beth Phelps, Oregon State University; and David Rothwell, Oregon State University

Contextual factors influence family relationships and children's well-being. For instance, excessive workplace demands can make caregiving challenging, which in turn increases parenting stress (Hwang & Jung, 2020). According to the Family Stress Model, personal distress places strain on family relationships and disrupts parenting, eventually threatening child wellbeing (Masarik & Conger, 2017). We extend the FSM by asking: to what extent does parenting stress mediate the relationship between work-family strain and child wellbeing? Method We used data from waves 3, 4, and 5 of the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), which correspond to when children are approximately ages 3, 5, and 9. Parenting stress (PS) was measured on a scale from 0 to 4, based on role strain. Work-family strain was assessed through three items: stress related to work schedules and family, difficulty managing childcare at work, and inflexible work schedules for family needs. Child well-being was evaluated using the Adaptive Social Behavior Inventory (ASBI). Formal mediation analyses tested how much of the relationship between work-family strain and child well-being was accounted for by parenting stress. Results and Discussion We found that work-family strain has a direct effect on decreasing child well-being (b=-.06, p < .001). Additionally, work-family strain indirectly reduces children’s wellbeing with 18% (p < .001) of the total effect mediated through parenting stress. We found a stronger mediation effect around child age 5 in transition from care to education settings. Findings highlight the need for institutional support by employers and schools during this period, such as flexible time, predictable schedules, and paid family and sick leave. Policies and interventions to counter work-family strain are needed, particularly for low-income families.

Couples’ Experiences of Grandparenthood: Grandchild-Related Bliss and Psychological Well-Being.  Jasmin Dorry, RWTH Aachen University; and Bettina S. Wiese, RWTH Aachen University

Overarching questions/concerns: Becoming a grandparent and feeling a sense of generativity are beneficial for an individual’s psychological well-being (e.g., Lodi-Smith et al., 2021; Tanskanen et al., 2019). Yet, a dyadic perspective on grandparenthood and its effects on both grandparents’ psychological well-being is largely missing. Reciprocal effects within grandparental couples regarding the joys of grandparenthood are plausible from a family systemic perspective (e.g., Cox & Paley, 1997; Minuchin, 1985). The present study puts grandparental couples’ experiences to the fore and distinguishes within-person spillover effects (actor effects) and between-person crossover effects (partner effects) using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM; Cook & Kenny, 2005). Thereby, we examine transfer effects from the grandmother/grandfather-grandchild subsystem to the couple subsystem. In terms of grandparental experiences that could affect the partnership-related and general well-being of both partners, we introduce the concept of “grandchild-related bliss,” which summarizes the fulfillment and joy of having a grandchild. Statement on methods: We employed the APIM to test whether grandchild-related bliss at T1 predicted partnership-related well-being (i.e., relationship satisfaction, positive and negative relationship quality) and general well-being (i.e., life satisfaction, meaning in life) at T2 in N = 139 first-time grandparental couples (inclusion criteria: heterosexual first-time grandparental couples who cohabit and have a grandchild up to eight years old). We decided to include several indicators of psychological well-being as criteria to strengthen our results through their generalizability across different facets of well-being, but also to have the possibility to identify differential effects, if any. Important findings (bulleted list): - Actor effects grandmothers: There was no empirical support for actor effects of grandchild-related bliss on psychological well-being in grandmothers. - Actor effects grandfathers: Grandfathers’ grandchild-related bliss positively predicted their psychological well-being, both in terms of partnership-related well-being and meaning in life. - Partner effects from grandmothers on grandfathers: There were no positive partner effects on grandfathers’ well-being stemming from grandmothers’ grandchild-related bliss. But, for grandfathers, witnessing their partner being fulfilled by the grandchild increased the negative qualities they attribute to their romantic relationship. - Partner effects from grandfathers on grandmothers: For grandmothers, witnessing their partner being happy with the grandchild positively predicted their partnership-related well-being and meaning in life. - In contrast to meaning in life, neither actor nor partner effects were found for life satisfaction as our second facet of general well-being. Implications for research, policy, and/or practice: The results show that grandfathers’ grandchild-related bliss is a source of psychological well-being in grandparental couples. Parallel to the compartmentalization hypothesis in mothers (Krishnakumar & Buehler, 2000), the results suggest that grandmothers keep their grandchild-related feelings within the boundaries of the grandmother-grandchild subsystem and that feelings and experiences in this subsystem are less permeable to other life domains and family members. The observed actor and partner effects underline that it is worthwhile considering data from both grandparents to obtain more differentiated results on the gendered effects of grandparenthood on psychological well-being (e.g., Hoppmann & Gerstorf, 2009). References Cook, W. L., & Kenny, D. A. (2005). The Actor–Partner Interdependence Model: A model of bidirectional effects in developmental studies. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 29(2), 101–109. https://doi.org/10.1080/01650250444000405 Cox, M. J., & Paley, B. (1997). Families as systems. Annual Review of Psychology, 48, 243–267. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.48.1.243 Hoppmann, C. A., & Gerstorf, D. (2009). Spousal interrelations in old age: A mini-review. Gerontology, 55(4), 449–459. https://doi.org/10.1159/000211948 Krishnakumar, A., & Buehler, C. (2000). Interparental conflict and parenting behaviors: A meta‐analytic review. Family Relations, 49(1), 25–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2000.00025.x Lodi-Smith, J., Ponterio, E. J., Newton, N. J., Poulin, M. J., Baranski, E., & Whitbourne, S. K. (2021). The co-development of generativity and well-being into early late life. Psychology and Aging, 36(3), 299–308. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000446 Minuchin, P. (1985). Families and individual development: Provocations from the field of family therapy. Child Development, 56(2), 289–302. https://doi.org/10.2307/1129720 Tanskanen, A. O., Danielsbacka, M., Coall, D. A., & Jokela, M. (2019). Transition to grandparenthood and subjective well-being in older Europeans: A within-person investigation using longitudinal data. Evolutionary Psychology, 17(3), 1474704919875948. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474704919875948

The Influence of Domestic Service Intervention on Parenting in Chinese Urban Families.  Jiahui Hou, Kobe University

In recent years, there has been a noticeable surge in utilization of domestic services in China’s urban areas, challenging the traditional role of grandparents as primary caregivers. This study aims to investigate the implications of market-oriented domestic service interventions on parenting within Chinese urban households. The research employs a semi-structured interview as the research method. Participants included four mothers who employ domestic helpers. The interview is about if they used to ask grandparents caring for grandchildren, why they use domestic service, and how it changes the sharing of housework and childcare within the family before and after employment. Results revealed that (1) although the influence of gender role consciousness continues, women now prioritize motherhood over the role of a wife. The introduction of domestic services has notably shifted the caregiving focus from general housework to a more concentrated emphasis on childcare. (2) The use of domestic services has, to some extent, replaced grandparents’ support for nuclear families and avoided grandparents’ intervention in parenting.

Examining the Role of Modernization and Urbanization in Family Changes in India: Evidence from Panel Data Analyses.  Tapas Dey, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai

Despite a dramatic change in family structures, the existing literature in the Indian context does not provide sufficient knowledge on mechanisms of family changes in the context of demographic transition coupled with modernization and urbanization. In the present study, we shed light on the question of whether the process of modernization and urbanization influences the breaking of Indian traditional family systems. The study uses the panel data (30 cross-sections*5 time points) generated using multiple data sources, mainly from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), India Human Development Survey (IHDS), Economic Survey and Census of India for 1991-2021. Using the Panel data fixed-effects estimates, we find a positive and significant association between ‘nucleation of family structure’ and ‘modernization and urbanization’ in India. Societal modernization, such as a rise in literacy rate and structural changes in the economy, are positively associated with the nucleation of families. Along with the societal changes, urbanization insists the family nucleation as well. A unit increase in urbanization and modernization increases the proportion of nuclear families by 1.5 units and 0.15 units, respectively. India has been experiencing a slow but steady rise in rural-to-urban transition for decades. The country will continue to urbanize and modernize, thus eventually hinting at more nucleation of families in the forthcoming years.

Paper Session

Parenting, Caregiving, and Peer Support


Changes in “Tag-Team Parenting” in the United States, 1997-2019.  Alejandra Ros Pilarz, University of Wisconsin, Madison; and Anna Walther, University of Wisconsin, Madiso

Overarching Questions Parental work schedules are central to how families spend their time, and in turn, shape family wellbeing. In dual-earner households, working overlapping schedules allows parents to maximize time with each other and engage in shared parenting activities. Some parents with young children, however, arrange to work non-overlapping schedules (sometimes referred to as “tag-team” parenting) in order to minimize the use of nonparental care—either because of their preferences or due to the high costs of child care. For other parents, working non-overlapping schedules might be driven by their inability to find jobs with overlapping schedules. A central unanswered question is whether parents in dual-earner households engage in tag-team parenting because of their preferences for parental care, especially when children are young, or whether they engage in tag-team parenting out of necessity, due to their job’s work schedule requirements or lack of affordable child care. The former might be supportive of parental and family wellbeing while the latter might be experienced as stressful. In this paper, we shed light on this question by examining changes in the prevalence of tag-team parenting from 1997 to 2019 in the United States and the extent to which changes in parental employment characteristics, socioeconomic resources, and child care availability during this period contributed to these changes. Statement on Methods This study uses 1997 to 2019 data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, a longitudinal and nationally-representative survey from the U.S. Census Bureau. Our sample includes dual-earner households with at least one child aged 5 or younger and in which both parents worked (N=19,274). Information on work schedules comes from self-reported start and end times of work on a typical day as well as days of the week worked in a typical week. Our primary measure of tag-team parenting is the dissimilarity index (DI), which considers both the amount of (dis)similarity in the timing of work schedules (i.e., extent to which couples work during the same times of the day) and similarity in the number of work hours (i.e., extent to which couples work the same number of work hours during the day); a value of 0 on the index indicates that couples have identical schedules while higher values on the index (maximum equals 200) indicate more dissimilar schedules. We first describe trends in tag-team parenting from 1997 to 2019. We then use Kitagawa-Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition models to assess the extent to which changes in parental employment characteristics (occupation, nonstandard work schedules, involuntary work schedule), socioeconomic resources (education and income), and child care availability (state-level child-care businesses and the generosity of public spending on child care and early education) explain changing trends in tag-team parenting. Our models also include demographic and family characteristics, including age, race and ethnicity, marital status, the number and age of children in the households, and the presence of non-parental adults in the household. Important Findings • Tag-team parenting decreased by 16% between 1997 to 2019 among dual-earner households with young children from a DI of 59 to 49. • During this period, there were large increases in parents’ education and income as well as occupational upgrading (i.e., shifts into occupations with higher-paying and higher-quality jobs), particularly among mothers. There was also a decline in mothers working nonstandard schedules and a large increase in mothers reporting an involuntary reason for working their schedule (e.g., a requirement of the job or could not get another job). The availability of center-based child care also increased during this period while the generosity of public spending on child care and early education remained flat. • Results from decomposition models suggest that 75% of the decline in tag-team parenting was explained by changes in the covariates in the model. • This explained portion of the decline in tag-team parenting was largely driven by changes in parents’ employment: 18% by occupational upgrading among mothers and fathers; 33% by declines in mothers working nonstandard schedules; and 18% by increases in mothers reporting an involuntary reason for working their schedule. • Increases in mothers’ education and household income explained nearly 8% of the decline in tag-team parenting, but this was not statistically significant. • Changes in child care availability and public spending on early care and education did not explain the decline in tag-team parenting. Implications Our findings suggest that tag-team parenting among dual-earner households with young children declined between 1997 to 2019 due to parents’ occupational upgrading and changes in mothers’ work schedules. What might this reveal about parents’ motivations for tag-team parenting? On the one hand, shifts into higher-paying occupations increase parents’ economic resources for paying for child care and decrease the need for tag-team parenting. On the other hand, the increase in daytime and involuntary schedules among mothers suggest that some parents who desire to engage in tag-team parenting might not be able to due to having less control over their work schedules. Labor market policies that increase workers’ control over and flexibility in their schedules are likely to help parents better balance their work demands and child care preferences.

Balancing Domestic Equity: Exploring the Link Between Housework Division and Fertility Intentions in Canada.  Kamila Kolpashnikova, Western Michigan University

This paper investigates the intricate relationship between spousal equity in housework division and fertility intentions. While fertility rates have been declining in many regions worldwide, including Canada, understanding the nuanced factors influencing individuals’ decisions to expand their families is of paramount importance. At the heart of this inquiry lies the central question: Does equitable distribution of housework influence fertility intentions? Based on data from the 2017 Canadian General Social Survey, this paper analyzes fertility intentions and the division of housework among Canadian married women and men aged 45 and under, who currently have fewer than three children. The results demonstrate that an equitable division of housework, measured in terms of the number of shared tasks, is positively associated with the intention to have more children in the future. This pattern is evident among both women and men. The findings suggest that gender equality within the household significantly influences the fertility intentions of married couples. In the development of fertility policies, it is crucial to consider and align them with gender equality policies.

The Value of Community Dads' Groups.  Ian Blackwell, Marjon University UK

Community initiatives for fathers and children (dads' groups) offer a range of innovative, accessible opportunities to support the development of caring, skilled paternal identities yet they remain under-valued. This session presents a qualitative study of four dads' groups in southern England (UK). Based on 42 semi-structured interviews (with fathers, mothers, children & professionals) and a focus group of 9 fathers, I argue that community dads' groups can bolster progressive aspects of the fathering identity; help develop strong bonds between fathers and children; improve intra-parental relationships; alert fathers to the joys and challenges of intensive care-work; and improve fathers' self-confidence in the parenting role. Additionally, dads' groups offer a unique, 'safe' homosocial space for fathers from diverse backgrounds to meet and socialise, and to 'observe and absorb' different fathering values and practices. The importance of the support network around the father is also highlighted. Under the theme of 'Solutions & Promising Practice,' I argue that effective interventions for fathers lie in the community (as well as in curriculum-focused Responsible Fatherhood programs), with fathers convened in local groups where they do not feel judged, and where the content is focused on informal and playful activities, promoting positive parenting, peer support, and father/child relationships.

Men and Caregiving: The Effect of Spousal Caregiving Time Use on Men’s and Women’s Employment in Dual-Earner Households.  Jae-yeon Lee, Yonsei University

South Korean men have notably low involvement in caregiving, ranking lowest among OECD countries. This study examines how husbands' caregiving time affects women's economic outcomes and vice versa, shedding light on a critical yet understudied. It also explores the interplay between gender and differing educational levels among couples. Data are drawn from the Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families, a nationally representative dataset spanning the years 2012 to 2020, including 3,594 dual-earner couples. To explore the long-term effects of spousal caregiving, the study employs panel logistic regression models with lagged dependent variables. The results show a distinct gendered effect. Increased caregiving time and ratio by husbands positively shape women's labor market retention. In contrast, wives' caregiving time does not significantly affect their husbands' job retention. Notably, for women, both spousal and self-caregiving time play a pivotal role, while husbands exhibit no statistical significance for either. This can be attributed to the gendered normative pressures that position men as the "ideal worker" exempt from caregiving. Each additional hour of husbands' caregiving per week raises women's employment retention by 3.97%, while an extra hour of women's caregiving reduces their employment retention likelihood by 2.17%. This gendered effect intensifies in couples with lower educational levels, particularly on weekdays. This study underscores the need to navigate a shift in reshaping caregiving dynamics, positioning men as integral contributors in the caregiving sphere, providing implications for work-life balance policies, structural alternatives, and offering an understanding of why women leave the workforce.

Paper Session

Perceptions and Measures of Work-Life Balance


Methods, Measures, and Money: Re-Examining Parental Leave Policy Effects on Earnings.  Brigid Cotter, University of Southern California

Parental leave schemes, along with other family policies, are intended to aid new parents in navigating care responsibilities and the increasingly difficult balance between work and family. However, the extent to which these policies help women and new parents is highly contentious. Work-family policy scholars have engaged in years-long, theoretically and empirically rich discourse that seeks to answer paradoxes in relationships between publicly funded family-friendly policies and indicators of women’s labor market outcomes, such as earnings. Scholars tend to disagree on the magnitude and extent to which parental leave policies affect labor market outcomes and career trajectories for parents. Often, this contention is oriented on what "good leave" is for parents, though scholars measure indicators in a variety of ways, creating an unstable benchmark for appropriate comparison across policy frameworks. This paper seeks to address these inconsistencies by examining and optimizing measurement techniques to standardize policy analysis among maternal, parental, and paternal leave schemes in 32 countries. This paper makes use of individual-level data from the LIS (Luxembourg Income Study) cross-national database and an original collection of leave policy indicators to assess measurement techniques' relationships to earnings differentials between mothers and non-mothers, furthering methodological approaches to assessing the connection between policy and labor market advancement.

Essential Features of Work-Life Balance: The Views of Australian Midwives.  Sara Bayes, Edith Cowan University; Dianne Bloxsome, Edith Cowan University; Sadie Geraghty, University of Notre Dame Australia; and Kate Dawson, Australian Catholic University

Work-life balance, also known as work-life integration, fit, quality, effectiveness or work-family balance, has become an important contemporary issue, and awareness of the phenomenon has increased over the last decade. This has led to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation (OECD) reporting on the work-life balance of its member countries’ citizens every two to three years since 2011, to individuals wanting and expecting that their job will respect their spare time, and to employers implementing work–life balance policies as a potential retention strategy. Although it has been identified that work-life balance is a notable factor in why midwives stay in their role, what specifically is important to midwives for work-life balance has yet to be reported. The question we asked was 'What is work-life balance according to midwives, and what impacts it?'. Our aims were to explore what work-life balance means to midwives, and to determine this phenomenon's crucial features, and to understand the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that affect it. A qualitative approach was employed for this study. Australian midwives in clinical practice formed the sample. Participants were asked to share their views about what work-life balance in midwifery meant to them via a series of open-ended question in an electronic survey. Generic qualitative analysis ('fracturing, grouping and glueing') techniques were then applied to the data and together, the resulting themes answer the research question. The findings from this study provide previously unreported insights into what midwives want and need from their job, and about modifiable and non-modifiable influences on their work-life balance. These results will be of interest to midwifery leaders and employers of midwives, who may use them to inform retention strategies at a time of unprecedented global attrition in this workforce.

Help Me Control My Life! How Social Support Can Foster Work-Life Balance Through Boundary Control..  Justine Blaise Richards, Université of du Québec à Montréal; Dana Bonnardel, Université of du Québec à Montréal; and Yanick Provost Savard, Université of du Québec à Montréal

Social support refers to psychological or material resources provided to an individual by others (Jolly et al., 2021). It is a crucial element for an individual’s well-being and it can be found in different life domains, (e.g., family). Receiving social support from either work, through colleagues or supervisors, or family members lowers work-family conflict (WFC) (Kossek E.E. et al., 2011), and enhances work-life balance (WLB; Jolly et al., 2021; Vaziri et al., 2022). Another variable that leads to WLB is boundary control, defined as the perception of control on different aspects of the transitions between work and life domains (Primecz et al., 2016). We posit that the relationship between support from colleagues, supervisors, and family members and WLB can be mediated by the perception of boundary control. Perceived boundary control, WLB, and social support were measured in a sample of 318 French-Canadian workers. Regression analysis show that social support (family: b = .28, p < .001; supervisors: b = .2, p < .001; colleagues: b = .26, p < .001) and boundary control (b = .55, p < .001) are positively related to WLB. Boundary control mediated the relationship between social support from supervisor (indirect effect = .1, CI [.03; .17]) and family members (indirect effect = .11, CI [.05; .18]), and WLB, but not when support came from colleagues (indirect effect = .06, CI [-.001;.13]). While family and supervisors can help control boundaries in an instrumental way, colleagues do not seem to have the power to do so.

From the Ideal Worker Norm to the Inclusive Worker: Measuring Norm Shifts Within Occupational Contexts.  Jan Müller, University of Zurich; and Heejung Chung, King&#x27;s College London

Overarching questions Research shows that the ideal worker norm—the masculine-gendered expectation of unlimited work devotion—perpetuates class and gender inequality and negatively affects job satisfaction, turnover rates, and work–life balance. Occupational research typically measures this norm through the share of employees working full-time or long hours. Statement on methods We advocate for a more comprehensive approach by (1) extracting employers’ normative expectations from job adverts using machine learning, (2) integrating the masculine-centric nature of this norm, and (3) tracing the norm’s occupation-specific evolution. Further, we introduce the inclusive worker norm to juxtapose against the ideal worker norm. We demonstrate the inclusion of these diverse aspects at the occupational level, employing multilevel factor analyses to evaluate supply- and demand-side data for Switzerland, from 2002 to 2020. Important findings The validity of our indicators is supported by - factor analysis fit measures, - correlation with established indicators and part-time and gender pay gaps, and - association with preferences for part-time work as estimated by multilevel models. Implications for research, policy and/or practice By adopting this nuanced, occupation-specific, and historical lens, and leveraging job advert data, our research provides novel avenues to further analyze, understand, and address class and gender inequalities perpetuated or mitigated by (shifts in) the ideal worker and inclusive worker norms.

Paper Session

Persisting or Evolving? Gender Norms at Work


Masculinity Contest Culture and Leaders’ Family Undermining: The Explanatory Role of Obsessive Work Passion and Buffering Role of Mindfulness.  Xi Wen (Carys) Chan, Griffith University; Sudong Shang, Griffith University; Hataya Sibunruang, Waikato University; and Maree Roche, University of Auckland

Masculinity contest culture (MCC) is a dysfunctional organizational climate in which zero-sum competition and social dominance are valued and normalized (Berdahl et al., 2018). Recent studies revealed that MCC leads to a range of harmful work-related outcomes, but little is known about how MCC influences family-related outcomes. Drawing on Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) transactional theory of stress and coping, we first propose that MCC leads to obsessive work passion because it promotes an externally contingent type of work motivation that adds pressure on employees to work hard to avoid “losing out”. This subsequently leads to family undermining as they bring their stress home and engage in negative behaviors toward their family members. Nevertheless, the impact of MCC on obsessive work passion and family undermining also depends on the individual’s coping strategies. Therefore, we also propose that engaging in mindfulness as a coping strategy can either prevent or dissuade employees from working obsessively and exhibiting negative behaviors toward their family. We collected longitudinal quantitative survey data from 220 organisational leaders across three time points, one month apart. Regression analyses of our data supported our hypothesis that MCC led to obsessive work passion and family undermining over time. However, mindfulness only alleviated the relationship between obsessive work passion and family undermining. The negative effects of MCC are far-reaching as it also affects employees’ interactions with their family members at home. Mindfulness is an effective coping strategy that lessens the negative crossover effect of MCC on employees’ home life.

Do Flexible Work Arrangements Promote More Equal Sharing of Parental Leave?.  Johanna Lammi-Taskula, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare; Johanna Närvi, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare; Anneli Miettinen, Social Insurance Institute Finland; and Miia Saarikallio-Torp, Social Insurance Institute Finland

Recent parental leave reforms in Finland have introduced longer and more flexible leave quotas for fathers in order to promote more equal sharing of childcare responsibilities between women and men. The take-up of leave by fathers has however increased slowly. Previous research has identified various obstacles for fathers’ leave-taking including gendered attitudes, the gender pay gap, and less family-friendly work cultures. As working life is moving towards increased knowledge work with more autonomy and flexibility, this may affect the take-up patterns of parental leave. Work flexibility has been described as a double-edged sword: it may enable parents to reconcile work and family lives, but flexible schedules and remote working may also lead to longer working hours, less time for family and childcare, and a less equal division of labour between parents. In this paper, we study the associations of flexible work arrangements and sharing of childcare and parental leave between mothers and fathers in Finland. We use population-level survey data with parents of 1-2-year-old children as respondents, collected in 2022. The results show a negative association between take-up of father’s leave quota and remote working or flexible working times; and a positive relationship between the length of the leave taken by fathers and working remotely nearly all of the time.

Untangling the Characteristics of Men Who Dare to Break the “Ideal Worker” Norm.  Sabrina Tanquerel, EM Normandie; and Marc Grau Grau, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

For many researchers, today the “ideal worker” image is still the dominant norm in most organizations. It refers to the image of the most desirable worker as one who is totally committed, available, and fully devoted to his or her work. Straying from this image presents risks, especially for men, who are the most expected to adhere to the work-devotion norm. Men who “do not fit into the straight-jacket of conventional masculinity” face sizable job risks such as femininity stigma, flexibility stigma, job consequences, and career penalties. Nevertheless, despite the stigmas and barriers they may experience, some men dare to open other paths to increase their work-life balance. Until now, research has mainly focused on the consequences of male deviance from the “ideal worker” norm on their job outcomes and career structure. However, we understand very little about the characteristics of such progressive profiles. These “progressive” men challenge the dominant model of masculinity and the traditional norms that still rule contemporary organizations. They are key to increasing gender equality and justice at work and home. This article explores the characteristics of these men who dare to reveal their gender deviance and openly break the “ideal worker” norm. Based on 40 semi-structured interviews of working men in different types of occupations, organizations, and sectors in France and Spain, the findings of this exploratory study present the different elements that may explain their “disclosure.”

What Are the Private and Professional Consequences of Unconventional Marital Name Choice? Survey Experimental Evidence From Germany.  Kristin Kelley, WZB - Social Science Research Center Berli; and Lena Hipp, WZB - Social Science Research Center Berli

How do gender norm violations in marital name choice behaviors affect perceptions of women’s and men’s work and relationship commitments? Women who keep their names violate the stereotype of being communal and deferent and men who change their names violate the stereotype of being agentic and perseverant. By drawing on data from a pre-registered survey experiment conducted on a national probability survey in Germany (N=2,008), we tested the claims made by theories on prescriptive stereotypes and examine whether women’s and men’s gender norm violations are evaluated similarly. Our empirical analyses support our theoretical claim that women’s gender role violations are judged more harshly than men’s. When men break martial name choice norms and take their female partner’s surname at marriage, they are perceived to be less committed to their jobs but more committed to their relationship than men who keep their surnames. Women who break martial name choice norms and keep their surnames at marriage are perceived to be less committed to their relationship but they are not “rewarded” by being perceived to be more committed to their jobs. In fact, name-keeping women’s perceived work commitment is as low as that of women who change their names. In fact, perceived professional commitment of name-keeping woman is not any higher the perceived professional commitment of name-changing men. Our findings hence illustrate the stickiness of prevailing gender stereotypes for both men and women and suggest that these stereotypes are even stickier for women than for men. While men benefit from gender stereotype violations in how they are evaluated with regard to their private lives, women do not benefit from gender norm violations with regard to their professional evaluations.

Paper Session

Personal Routines and Recreation


Back to Nature: The Influences of Weekend Nature Exposure on Employees’ Weekly Work-and Home-Role Engagement.  Yu-Ping Chen, Concordia University

A growing body of research indicates that contact with nature at work has beneficial effects on employee well-being. Unfortunately, most employees need to spend most of their workdays indoors, largely separate from natural elements. For these employees, the bulk of their nature exposure occurs outside of work, especially during the weekend. The extent to which this contact with nature during weekend helps employees recover from workdays and affects their work- and home-role engagement the next week is not clear, leaving an incomplete picture of the potential for employees to access the work- and home-related benefits of nature in their personal time. In this paper, I draw on attention restoration theory (ART) to propose the effects of weekend nature exposure on work- and home-role engagement the following week via two paths: increased emotional resources possession and reduced cognitive depletion. In addition, I follow the guidance of ART to deepen our understanding of for whom the beneficial effects of weekend nature exposure will be most impactful. Specifically, I describe how individuals with high levels of self-compassion are particularly primed to experience expanded emotional resources possession cognitive processing due to weekend nature exposure. A few empirical studies are now being conducted to examine my proposed relationships.

Minding the Pain: Mindfulness’ Impact on Abusive Supervision and the Work-Life Interface Among Women with Chronic Illnesses.  Marlee Mercer, York University; and Guler Kizilenis Ulusman, York University

Abusive supervision is a pervasive issue with significant consequences, including psychological distress, reduced job satisfaction, strained interpersonal relationships, and adverse health outcomes that expand into victims' personal lives. Women with chronic illnesses are especially susceptible to abusive supervisors due to discriminatory attitudes toward women's health and their perceived vulnerability, rendering them easy targets for abuse. These women often grapple with work-life challenges, such as physical limitations, emotional distress, social stigma, and isolation, which may be exacerbated by abusive supervision. Consequently, it is crucial to develop interventions aimed at providing support for women with chronic health conditions who are exposed to abusive supervision, with the aim of alleviating the adverse impacts on their work-life interface. This conceptual paper applies the Conservation of Resources theory to delve into the potential role of mindfulness in addressing the work-life interface challenges women with chronic illnesses face amidst abusive supervision. While recent studies have emphasized the positive impact of mindfulness on the work-life interface, research on the intersection of abusive supervision, women with chronic medical conditions, the work-life interface, and the role of mindfulness remains limited. Understanding the interplay between these factors is crucial for developing support mechanisms to alleviate the unique challenges faced by this demographic. This study posits that mindfulness mitigates the detrimental effects of abusive supervision on the work-life interface of women with chronic illnesses. Additionally, the study explores the moderating effect of lifestyle choices, such as exercise and healthy eating, on this relationship. The research concludes with a discussion and implications.

Time to ‘Check In’ On Your Own Well-Being: The Impact of Technology-Enabled Self-Care Management.  Leslie Forde, Mom&#x27;s Hierarchy of Needs; and Kelly Basile, Emmanuel College

Technology usage to aid in juggling multiple work and parenting roles has rapidly increased in frequency over the last few decades. Prior research has documented the impact of both work-enabled and personal technology on our ability to balance work and non-work roles (e.g. Olson-Buchanan, Boswell & Morgan, 2016; Basile, Beauregard & Canonico-Martin, 2022). However, much of the focus of prior research has been on using technology to fulfill the demands put on us by others, with limited focus on what we need for ourselves. Parents, particularly working parents often neglect self-care in order to keep up with their other work and caring responsibilities (Dugan & Barnes-Farrell, 2020). However, research suggests that neglecting self-care can lead to physical and emotional challenges as well as reduced life satisfaction (Dugan & Barnes-Farrell, 2020). This study tracks the usage and impact of the TimeCheck® app. The TimeCheck® was developed by Leslie Forde, Founder and CEO of Mom’s Hierarchy of Needs, to remind and allow mothers to track the amount of time spent weekly on self-care activities such as sleep, movement, stress management, healthy relationships and personal interests. Analysis of the TimeCheck® data allows us to identify characteristics of users who might benefit from technology-enabled self-care interventions as well as track the impact of this intervention on likelihood to engage in various self-care behaviors.

Paper Session

Precarious Work, Gigs, and Entrepreneurship


The Precarity of Part-Time Work? Examining Multiple Dimensions of Job Quality for Women and Men in the U.S., 2002-2018.  Jeffrey Dixon, College of the Holy Cross; and Andrew Fullerton, Oklahoma State University

Overarching questions/concerns: Literature on “precarious work” has increasingly adopted the view that part-time work is not necessarily of poorer quality than full-time work, with some arguing that part-time work may be of higher quality than full-time work on selected dimensions of job quality. Whether such a view is empirically justified—and if so, for whom—is a matter of debate, as extant research in the US has examined few dimensions of precarity, yielded conflicting findings, and little accounted for traditional gender roles and women’s over-representation as part-time workers. The present study addresses this debate and contributes to literature on precarious work, job quality, and gender by examining the relationship between part-time work and precarity, using more indicators of job quality than prior research and disaggregating the analyses by sex category. Statement on methods: We use ordinal logistic, logistic, and OLS models of General Social Survey (GSS) data for selected years between 2002 and 2018, examining such dimensions of precarity/job quality as job insecurity (perceptions of job loss), labor market insecurity (perceptions of not being able to find a comparable job), autonomy, promotion and training opportunities, economic security, income, and satisfaction with fringe benefits. Important findings: • The preliminary results indicate part-time work is consistently and negatively associated with perceived promotion opportunities, economic security, income, and satisfaction with benefits. • The findings of other dimensions of job quality, such as job insecurity, autonomy, and scheduling flexibility, are generally more variable across job quality indicators, part-time work measures, and sex category. • Among the aforementioned dimensions of job quality, however, part-time workers are more likely to report they are able to take “time off during [their] work to take care of personal or family matters,” regardless of sex category. Implications for research, policy, or practice: The sum total of our preliminary findings paint a more nuanced picture of part-time work in the US with implications for workers’ work-life interface.

Work-Life Balance for Solopreneurs.  Veronica Freitas de Paula, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia; and Vérica Freitas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia

What are the main criteria for choosing a job? If you are an entrepreneur, would you consider your family before making decisions regarding business growth? Do these decisions change if the person is a man or a woman? This article reflects on changes in the career choices of male entrepreneurs living in Finland and the impact of family time on their decisions regarding starting a business or changing careers. Factors such as nationality, age, and place of residence are considered when comparing different cases of entrepreneurs. We also analyzed the possible interference of local and regional policies, as gender equality might be closer in some areas than others. Through interviews for data collection, it was possible to identify some crucial information regarding these entrepreneurs’ paths and decisions in their professional lives. The interviews aimed to determine business growth in the initial stages of company development, but despite not being listed as a possible factor, work-life balance was frequently mentioned. This recurring aspect prompted the reflection on the differences that might be perceived between the Global North and South.

Gendering the Gig Economy: How Women and Men Make it Work on Digital Platforms.  Brendan Churchill, University of Melbourne

The labour market rarely ‘works’ for women in the same way that it does for men. Women are more likely to find themselves in poor-quality jobs, poorer working conditions and consequently, poorer pay than men. Some women turn to self-employment to overcome this because it offers flexibility and greater control over their work schedules. It is thus no surprise that some women are turning to digital platforms for work because like owning one’s own business, platform work offers flexibility and schedule control, which for many women seems like a better way of obtaining greater work-life balance. This reflects that digital platforms like Uber and Airtasker sell themselves to prospective workers as flexibility havens. This research paper looks at how the gig economy is gendered and whether the gig economy ‘works’ for women in a way that the traditional labour market does not. Drawing on survey data from the Making it Work in the Gig Economy (2020-2023) project as well as in-depth qualitative interviews (n=40, this research paper examines the experiences of women (and men) in the gig economy. The findings suggest that women benefit from having greater autonomy and flexibility over their working lives, particularly their schedules, but the gig economy does not deliver in other aspects, such as pay and remuneration or better work-life balance. Moreover, they encounter significant stress in looking for and securing work, which impacts their time with partners and children. These findings are discussed concerning current attempts to regulate the gig economy.

“Moral Work” of Precarious Workers-Caregivers in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic.  Radka Dudová, Institute of Sociology, Czech Academy of Sciences; and Hana Hašková, Institute of Sociology, Czech Academy of Sciences

Due to the familialist orientation of welfare state policies and low work flexibility, parenthood in the CR has a larger negative impact on women’s employment than in other EU countries, and women are viewed as primary caregivers and secondary earners. Persons with care commitments rely relatively often on non-standard forms of employment (NSFE) in order to combine paid and unpaid work. The COVID-19 pandemic represented a risk that impacted especially those in precarious employment (characterised by low pay, insufficient and variable hours, short-term contracts and limited social protection rights), mixing labour market contraction and instability, economic crisis, health crisis and care crisis. This paper explores how caregivers make sense of their precarious employment situation and how it, according to their narratives, reflects in their caregiving. Based on qualitative research of caregivers - parents of young children and persons providing care to their elderly relatives - during and soon after the COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic, we develop the concept of “precarious parents – precarious caregivers” and we study the forms of “moral work” caregivers in precarious work conditions employ in order to make sense of their experience. In an attempt to reconstruct their subjective stability and positive self-image, the participants in the interviews tried to redefine their situation in such a way as to turn the moral meanings of precarious work to their advantage or at least to minimize their negative content. This reconstruction of the self then led to their further precarization.

Fragmented Employer Liability and Challenges to the Equitable Implementation of Fair Workweek Laws: The Case of Franchise Ownership.  Hyojin Cho, University of Chicago; and Susan Lambert, University of Chicago

Many low-wage workers are employed in retail and food service industries, which are known for employers’ widespread use of precarious scheduling practices, such as posting the schedule with short notice, making last-minute changes once posted, and varying the number and timing of hours week to week. To address these issues, several municipalities in the US, including San Francisco, Seattle, New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, and the state of Oregon, have enacted Fair Workweek Laws (FWLs). These laws are intended to establish new labor standards that regulate precarious scheduling practices by requiring employers to provide greater schedule predictability and access to work hours for their low-paid employees. However, the high prevalence of franchising ownership in retail and food service sectors is likely to challenge the implementation of FWLs. Studies show that franchises are more likely to violate labor standards due to limited resources and weaker compliance incentives compared to corporate-owned businesses (Ji & Weil, 2015). Drawing on in-depth interviews with frontline managers in worksites covered by Seattle and Chicago’s FWLs, we compare the extent to which managers’ practices align with FWL provisions between franchise and corporate-owned businesses, examining factors that may contribute to ownership-based divergence in the implementation process of FWLs. Additionally, we unpack variation among franchises to identify the conditions under which franchises are able to align their practices with FWL provisions. Franchising's rapid growth in low-wage service industries is a global trend. Our study aims to provide policy and practice insights to effectively implement labor standards protecting low-paid workers.

Paper Session

Public Policy Evaluation


Temporary Aid for Needy Families Around Birth: New Insights Into How First-Time Oregon Mothers Use TANF As Paid Leave From Work.  David Rothwell, Oregon State University

During first-time birth (transition to motherhood) several financial challenges emerge based on work interruptions and new demands for food and round-the-clock care. Extending work by Ybarra et al. (2019) this study examined how low-income mothers use Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF) as a form of paid leave from work during this critical life course transition. The study linked administrative birth records in Oregon to employment and TANF use from 2014 to 2019. Through descriptive and sequence analyses we found a significant increase in TANF participation just before and after childbirth, with rates spiking from 1% to 14% two months postpartum. Six distinct patterns of TANF use were identified, with one prominent group using TANF as temporary paid leave. This group typically had higher education levels, a higher likelihood of being married, and a greater percentage of White participants. Despite being designed as a safety net program, TANF serves as a de-facto paid leave option for many vulnerable women in the absence of federal paid family leave policies and limited access to employer-provided paid leave. The study underscores the importance of safety net programs for low-income families during crucial life transitions. Further, expanding paid family leave may lead some low-income workers to substitute TANF benefits with paid leave benefits. In summary, this research sheds light on how TANF functions as a financial resource for low-income mothers during childbirth, offering insights into the interplay between social safety net programs and the need for paid family leave in the United States.

The Effect of Expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) on Parental Time-Use.  Anna Ko, University of Wisconsin, Madison

In 2021, the U.S. Congress broadened the Child Tax Credit (CTC), enhancing its accessibility and impact. These changes included augmenting the credit amount, eliminating the earnings prerequisite, and disbursing half of the credit through monthly payments. This study investigates an underexplored aspect of the expanded CTC, specifically its influence on how parents allocate their time to their children. While prior research has underscored the CTC's positive economic effects, this study delves into how increased income affects the time parents invest in their children, a dimension that has received limited attention. Employing a simple difference-in-difference approach and utilizing data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), the study compares parental time spent with children during the CTC expansion period (July-December 2021) with the period before the expansion (July-December 2019) while accounting for sociodemographic factors. The findings reveal that the expanded CTC correlates with decreased parental time spent with children, with notable disparities, particularly among single-parent households. Single mothers, especially those with younger children, reduced their time with their kids. These insights shed light on the broader implications of the CTC expansion on parental time investments in children, an essential factor to consider when assessing the overall costs and benefits of the policy.

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: Preliminary Evidence on Fertility and Employment.  Jessica Pac, University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Alejandra Ros Pilarz, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Overarching questions: The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) of 2022 requires U.S. employers to provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant workers so they can continue working during pregnancy under safe conditions. Prior to the passage of the law, pregnant workers did not have a right to accommodations unless they resided in one of the 31 states that had passed its own state pregnancy accommodation law. Without accommodations, some pregnant workers were forced to choose between continuing to work under unsafe conditions—potentially threatening their health and that of their fetus—or leaving their job and losing the associated income and benefits. We ask: what is the causal effect of PWFA on fertility and employment? Methods: We use a difference-in-differences framework using representative samples of U.S. women from rapid release datasets: (1) the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) accessed via CDC Wonder and (2) the monthly Current Population Survey (CPS). To estimate the effects on fertility, we examine the number of births per state and month (adjusted for mothers’ marital status and education) from July to December 2023 compared to births in prior years and comparing births exposed to accommodations under PWFA for more versus fewer months (e.g., 1-6 months). We stratify the sample by the effects of the Dobbs ruling on abortion access in the state. For employment outcomes, we use the CPS to identify two groups of women potentially-eligible for accommodations under PWFA: childbearing-age women ages 15 to 44 who are childless and those who have an infant under 12 months. We use a similar analytic approach to examine employment outcomes in July to December 2023 compared to birth in prior years and comparing each treatment group to an ineligible or less eligible group men and childless women, respectively. In addition to demographic controls, we include state and year fixed effects in all models, with cluster robust standard errors at the level of the state. Important findings: • We find PWFA led to around 10% additional births in states with protected abortion access post-Dobbs. • Effects appear to be driven by births to unmarried women. • We fail to detect changes in infant health at birth. • We find no effects of PWFA on labor force participation or being employed. • However, we find that mothers work around 1 hour/week less and are around 0.05 percentage points less likely to work full time compared to women without children. Implications: Our findings provide novel evidence on the fertility and employment effects of the newly enacted PWFA. That we detect small increases in births suggests that safer work during pregnancy led to fewer miscarriages and more pregnancies ending in live births. We find no effects on employment among women of childbearing age potentially eligible for accommodations under PWFA, suggesting the effects on fertility might operate via pregnant women who would have worked regardless of accommodations. However, future research should examine the effects of PWFA on employment among pregnant women.

Paper Session

Remote Work and Employee Wellbeing


Digital Presence Behavior among Remote Workers and Implications for Work and Family Life.  Anja Abendroth, Bielefeld University; Yvonne Lott, Hans-Böckler-Stiftung; and Sandra Dummert, Institute for Employment Research

Overarching questions/ concerns The spread of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has facilitated greater flexibility in the timing and location of work and has been complemented by an increase in the acceptance of flexible working arrangements within the workplace – phenomena that were accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. These changes in the world of work have significantly reduced the necessity for physical presence at the workplace for many workers, providing them with the means and opportunities to establish a digital presence while working. The implications of digital presence behaviors for work and family satisfaction and concerns about job loss are, however, unclear until now. Statement on methods Analyses are based on a sample of remote workers from the German IAB-HOPP data collected in 2021. Important findings: 1. Digital presence behaviors while working from home do not seem to increase satisfaction with work and family life. The results rather show a negative association. This specifically applies for digital visibility and satisfaction with family life and for digital multitasking and faking with work satisfaction. 2. Digital availability, visibility and faking are also positively associated with concerns of job loss indicating that concerns about job loss are more likely to be a reason for these digital presence behaviors. Implications: Digital presence behaviors can adversely impact work and family life. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in precarious job markets where employees face the threat of job loss. Consequently, remote workers in insecure employment situations or those concerned about job security can particularly benefit from organizational measures that can help reduce the need for digital visibility, availability, multitasking, and faking.

Remote Work in Flux: Intersectional Inequities in Mismatches Between Preference and Place and Subsequent Strategic Adaptations.  Wen Fan, Boston College; and Phyllis Moen, University of Minnesota

The COVID-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented employer-driven shift to remote work for those whose jobs allow it, but then came retrenchments, forging disjunctures between where one works (remote/hybrid or at-work) and work place preference, which we term place captivity. Drawing on a stress process theoretical framing and an intersectional lens, we investigate inequities in place captivity at the intersections of gender with race/ethnicity and college attainment. We theorize and assess adaptive strategies as employees seek to resolve place captivity: within-employer shifts in place of work, changing locational preferences, and intentions to and actually leaving one’s employer. Using a nationally representative, four-wave panel (October 2020 to April 2022) of U.S. employees working remotely at some point during the pandemic, we find place captivity to be widespread, especially in the form of working at work but wanting to work remotely. Most at risk of place captivity are minoritized workers and less-educated women working at work. Those both captive in their work location and structurally disadvantaged experience constrained strategies—less able to change their work location or actually quit relative to white or more educated workers.

Did the COVID-19 Pandemic Make It Worse? Working from Home and Affective Well-Being at the Intersections of Parental Status and Occupation.  Yue Qian, University of British Columbia; and Wen Fan, Boston College

The COVID-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented expansion of working from home. As millions of workers moved to remote work overnight in early 2020, what happened to their affective well-being? Using data from the 2003–2021 American Time Use Survey, the 2021 American Community Survey, the 2021 Current Population Survey, and the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker, we examine how workers’ affective well-being changed from pre-pandemic to the pandemic era and how such change varied at the intersections of work location, parental status, and occupational teleworkability. We find that the pandemic exacerbated negative affect the most for remote-working parents who held less teleworkable occupations. This pandemic impact remained even after accounting for a wide array of sociodemographic, health, family, time use, and occupation-level characteristics. In addition, this pandemic impact was more pronounced in the face of stringent school closing policies, suggesting that rising difficulty in balancing work and family demands may have precipitated higher negative affect among remote-working parents with less teleworkable occupations. Taken together, this study reveals the heterogeneous impacts of working from home on affective well-being, and highlights the negative implications of weak care infrastructures and inadequate workplace support for parental well-being.

Control or Out of Control? Navigating Work-Life Boundary Control and Blurring in the Context of Hybrid Working.  Mengyi Xu, The University of Birmingham

The widespread adoption of hybrid work has transformed work-life boundaries, providing increased control and posing challenges through boundary blurring. This shift necessitates a nuanced understanding of how employees respond to and manage these blurred boundaries, impacting their overall well-being and productivity. This research, grounded in flexibility paradox theory and boundary literature, posits that hybrid work enhances and limits boundary control. It suggests boundary management requires a nuanced approach rather than the categorical tactics and strategies (separation vs integration) identified in the existing literature. We used 218 diary entries and 34 interviews from academics and professional staff in the UK Higher Education sector to explore employees’ experiences managing work-life boundaries in the hybrid working context. Our findings highlight a paradoxical experience among academics accustomed to flexible work and professional staff newcomers to hybrid work. Notely, professional staff report a more positive cultural shift from the ‘ideal worker’ norm. We further clarify boundary management as a socially constructed and dynamic process, examining singular and continued blurred boundary events. Individuals possess the agency to respond to these situations using a variety of tactics, during which they reflect on and learn from their strategies. In this context, workplace culture, organisational support, and managerial responses can be effectively utilised to enhance control over work-life boundaries. We then discuss theoretical insights and practical recommendations for improved boundary management within the hybrid work context.

Paper Session

Remote Work: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly


Remote Work and Burn-Out: Gender and Parents Rates into COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery.  Leah Ruppanner, University of Melbourne; and Brendan Churchill, University of Melbourne

For many employees, remote work is critical to reducing burn-out by allowing workers to better reconcile work and life demands. Yet, workplaces are increasingly weighing whether to scale back access to remote work into the pandemic recovery. It is within this context that this study makes a contribution through three central questions: (1) have workers recovered from the burn-out of the pandemic?; (2) does access to remote work moderate this relationship?; and (3) do these patterns vary by gender and parental status? We apply original survey data collected from a representative sample of Australian workers (n=1,050), a country that experienced prolonged exposure to remote work given it legislated some of the longest, hardest extended lockdowns. We find that access to remote work is associated with less burn-out for men, regardless of parental status. By contrast, only mothers without children reported less burn-out if they had access to remote work. Mothers, by contrast, report more burn-out associated with working remotely. Investigating types of remote work in greater detail, we find that access to remote work that allows employees to dictate when they work flexibly is negatively associated with burn-out for men and women workers alike, with no significant differences by parental status. By contrast, workers in organizations with set at-home work days and those that have workers always working from home reported no significant benefit in terms of burn-out. Our results indicate that worker-driven access to remote work is most beneficial to workers generally but not for mothers.

What Are the Individual-Level Consequences of Teleworking in a Post-COVID-19 Era?.  Joelle van der Meer, Erasmus University Rotterdam; Laura den Dulk, Erasmus University Rotterdam; Samantha Metselaar, Erasmus University Rotterdam; and Brenda Vermeeren, Erasmus University Rotterdam

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the utilization of teleworking, as many employees were required to work from home during the pandemic. Even in a post-COVID-19 era, teleworking remains at a relatively high level in many countries and sectors compared to before the pandemic (Eurofound, 2022). The literature presents conflicting findings concerning teleworking and its impact on individual-level outcomes (Kelliher & De Menezes, 2019). Despite the presumed advantages of flexibility, researchers have struggled to establish a clear connection between teleworking, job satisfaction, performance and other outcomes. Gajendran and Harrison (2007) developed a theoretical framework to study the effects of teleworking on individual-level outcomes, mediated by several psychological factors. However, the landscape of work arrangements has significantly shifted in a post-COVID-19 era. For instance, many employees gained experience in working from home, including those who were not allowed to telework previously. Consequently, it is relevant to study the individual-level consequences of teleworking in this new context. We use the model of Gajendran and Harrison (2007) as a starting point to study individual outcomes of teleworking in a post-COVID-19 era. Job satisfaction and performance are included as individual-level outcomes. We will investigate whether the relationship between the intensity of teleworking and these outcomes are mediated by (a) autonomy, (b) work-life balance satisfaction, (c) relationship with supervisor and (4) relationship with other co-workers. We focused on a public sector context and studied teleworking in a large Dutch municipality (N= 3439). Data was collected in October 2023.

Towards a Place and Choice Model of Hybrid Work.  Scott Behson, Fairleigh Dickinson University

In the post-pandemic work world, the majority of large employers have settled on some form of hybrid work, with some days in-office and some days work-from-home. Most of the current academic literature and business press have focused on the pros and cons of in-person, hybrid, and remote work, as well as the differences in the number of in-person days that employers require. There is comparatively less work on the notion of choice within hybrid arrangements In this paper, I will explore the implications of the degree of choice within hybrid arrangements (days set by employer vs. choice) as well as who gets to make these decisions. For example, are individuals allowed to choose their in-office days, or do they need to decide with their supervisors? Do teams/departments decide together? Does the employer decide? Is there a combination of approaches? Using company examples and implications from the academic literature on choice and flexibility at the workplace, I will review the various arrangements and their pros and cons to develop a model of hybrid work that includes both the type of arrangement and the amount/style of choice. This model can inform future research and practice.

Everything Now, All the Time: The Connectivity Paradox and Gender Equality in the Legal Profession.  Meraiah Foley, University of Sydney - Business School; Rae Cooper, University of Sydney - Business School; Ariadne Vromen, Australian National University; Talara Lee, University of Sydney - Business School; and Amy Tapsell, University of Sydney - Business School

Recent advances in information communications technology and digital connectivity have created a paradox, giving many workers greater freedom about where and when their work is performed, but raising expectations about their availability outside of working hours. This connectivity paradox has negative implications for gender equality in professions where long hours and presenteeism have limited the advancement of women. Using interviews and focus groups with 63 lawyers in Australia, this study examines how lawyers understand and navigate the connectivity paradox, and its implications for gender equitable workplaces. We find that women and men experience the emancipatory potential of digital connectivity, but the proliferation of digital technologies and pressure to be 'always on' are increasing both the volume and intensity of lawyers' work, raising the prospect that digital presenteeism may be replacing physical presenteeism. Digital connectivity thus presents a significant opportunity for, and potential risk to, workplace gender equality, adding weight to emergent policy debates about the need for a ‘right to disconnect’.

Stability and Change of Work-Related Connectivity Among Employees Before and After Mandatory Teleworking Periods – A Latent Growth Curve and Trajectory Approach Across a Two-Year Period..  Wendy Nilsen, Work Research Institute OsloMet; Karoline Seglem, Work Research Institute, OsloMet - Norway; Nina M. Junker, Universitetet i Oslo; Daantje Derks, Erasmus University Rotterdam; Mari Ingelsrud Holm, Work Research Institute - OsloMet; Kristine Lescoeur, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University; Tanja Nordberg, Work Research Institute - OsloMet; and Vilde Hoff Bernstrøm, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University

Digital devices have lowered the threshold for being connected to work outside work hours. While studies show that work-related connectivity increase work-family conflict and burnout, few studies examine the stability and change of such patterns. On one side, work-related connectivity is related to situational aspects, e.g., amount of work/family demands/expectations, which is likely to change over time. However, constant checking and communicating digitally is also related to neuroticism, internet addiction and other individual traits and might thus be stable despite changing situational aspects. The study examines the stability and change in work-related connectivity outside work hours in Norwegian employees with and without parenhhood responsibility across four times during and after COVID-19. Data is used from employees (n≈1000) surveyed four times between February 2021 and August 2022. We conducted: 1) Latent trajectory analysis to examine which change profiles of work-related connectivity appeared;and 2) Latent growth curve analysis to examine increases or decreases in connectivity levels across time. Preliminary findings show that a four-profile solution fits the data best, with 1) High, 2) Moderately high; 3) Moderate low and 4) Low work-related connectivity. The profiles were stable and differed with regards to household income and segmentation preferences. The growth curve analyses showed a slightly decline across the period. Findings indicate that intensive work-related connectivity patterns are stable across time, even during and after the mandatory teleworking brought on by the pandemic. Further analyses will be conducted to examine differences between women and men with and without children.

Paper Session

Shared Parenting and Family Relationships


The Strength & Resilience Factors Blended Couples in Stepfamilies Attribute to the Success of Their First Five Years.  Charles Coleman, University of Calgary

The divorce rate of second marriages is far higher than first marriages and occurs much earlier in the relationship. Sixty seven percent of these unions create stepfamilies where one partner or both already have children. These couples are called a blended couple. Most of the literature on blended couples in stepfamilies examines the challenges they face and their dissolution rates compared to first families. Few studies examine the functioning of strong blended couple unions in well-functioning stepfamilies. And even less have explored the lived experiences and first-hand accounts of these couples. Based on a phenomenological design, this study has sought to understand the lived-experience of blended couples who have successfully navigated the first 5 turbulent years of stepfamily formation around their challenges, strength and resilience factors and their successes. After deciding to start a relationship these couples face immense challenges, often still working through divorce litigation, co-parenting with an ex, moving households, working through parenting differences with their new partner and finding time to invest in all their relationships. Some of the conflict centres on adjusting to two different cultures of how we do ‘mess,’ ‘discipline,’ ‘Christmas traditions,’ etc. Then there are the loyalty binds felt by children attempting to love their stepparent or felt by parents who feel torn between their child and their partner who needs their attention. It is no wonder such couples call it quits earlier than first family couples. How do blended couples navigate the challenges and how do they function well and stay together over the long term? These couples have obviously become resilient. What resilience practices did they use? This study examines the lived experience of a sample of Canadian blended couples and shares the themes, relational practices and successes illuminated by these couples on overcoming the challenges and building resilient relationships through time. Implications for pre-marital educators, policy makers, marriage and family therapy training programs and clinicians will be discussed.

Show Me the Money: How Children’s Monetary Support is Split Between Biological Mothers and Fathers in the Contemporary U.S..  Kimberly McErlean, University of Texas, Austin; and Jennifer Glass, University of Texas, Austin

Overarching questions/concerns Children’s economic resources from biological parents have become increasingly spread across households. In 1960, 73% of children lived with two biological parents (whether married or cohabiting), but that number dropped to just 53% in 2014 (Pew Research Center, 2015). Yet, despite the growing prevalence of children living with both single parents – largely mothers, but increasingly fathers (Cancian et al., 2014) – and non-biological parents, biological parents still remain largely financially responsible for their children, legally and ideologically (Manning & Smock, 2000; Sweeney, 2010; Wiborg & Yahirun, 2024). Although about 70% of children living apart from one biological parent received at least some child support and child support enforcement has increased over time (Grall, 2020), formal payments from non-residential parents have generally declined over time (Cancian et al., 2023; Grall, 2020). At the same time, mothers have increasingly become the financial providers for their households (Pepin et al., 2022), in part, because of men’s changing labor market prospects that have become increasingly polarized on the basis of having a college degree (Autor et al., 2006; Kalleberg, 2011). Although research has examined how the type of parental relationship (biological v. stepparent) and type of romantic relationship (married v. unmarried) affects within-household financial support (Carlson & Berger, 2013; Hofferth & Anderson, 2003; McErlean & Glass, 2023) as well as how nonresident parents, especially fathers, contribute economically to their nonresident children (Garasky et al., 2010; Goldberg, 2015; Manning & Smock, 2000; Stewart, 2010), little research has merged these two streams to examine the distribution of biological parents’ economic resources across households. Our study seeks to fill this gap, asking two research questions: (1) How have the relative financial contributions of mothers and fathers to their biological children changed over time? (2) How have changes differed across social class and racial/ethnic lines? This study is situated in three overarching social and economic trends: the “gender revolution,” whereby women’s economic independence has increased over time as women have become more educated and more likely to be in the labor market (DiPrete & Buchmann, 2013; England, 2010; Goldin, 2006); labor market polarization, whereby the employment prospects of men, and less so, women, have become increasingly stratified by college degree attainment (Autor et al., 2006; Kalleberg, 2011); and the growth in inequality along classed lines, drawing upon the “diverging destinies” framework (McLanahan, 2004), and racial/ethnic identity, drawing upon recent research acknowledging the importance of structural racism for affecting family outcomes (e.g. Cross et al., 2022; Williams & Baker, 2021). Statement on methods We use the 1996 and 2014 Survey of Income and Program Participation to quantify changes in how mothers and fathers divide the financial support of their biological children and how this differs across parental characteristics. Our unit of analysis is the child; we restrict our sample to children under 18 years of age who are living with at least one biological or adoptive parent. We focus on earned income, including labor market earnings and child support (as child support typically is paid out of earnings and in some punitive cases, withheld from earnings). We first calculate annual labor market and child support contributions for each parent, then divide these contributions by the number of children supported. We then sum contributions across biological / adoptive mothers and fathers to get a total amount of financial support for children from their biological parents across households. We then allocate these contributions to the mother and father, distinguishing between labor market earnings and child support income to calculate the percentage contributed by each parent. Our analysis is largely descriptive. We summarize moms’ and dads’ contributions to children, stratifying by level of education and racial/ethnic identity. We focus on the biological mother for our demographics, except for when children do not reside with their biological mother, in which case we use the fathers’ characteristics. Important findings • Results confirm the growing family complexity of children. In 1996, 65.4% of children lived with two parents, but that number declined to 53.6% in 2014. • Also confirm the increased educational attainment of the population: college-educated households make up close to one-third of all households in 2014, up from 19% in 1996. • Moms’ contributions have stayed relatively stagnant over time, but at high levels – moms’ financial contributions make up about 44% of the financial support their biological children receive (44.4% in 1996 panel to 44.6% in 2014 panel). • However, overall stability masks important subgroup differences: mothers with some college increased their contributions from 46.0% to 49.6% over time, while college-educated mothers increased from 42.1% to 42.8%. High-school educated mothers, on the other hand, saw a decline in their earnings contributions, from 44.3% to 42.1%. • Black mothers saw a large decline in their contributions, from 66.8% to 62.2%, while Hispanic mothers saw an increase from 38.6% to 43.1%. White mothers’ contributions remained relatively stable over time. Implications for research, policy and/or practice In general, mothers’ large financial contributions suggest the need to rethink work-family policy in the United States that still largely prioritizes fathers as the primary financial providers for their biological children. Results by subgroup align with what we might expect given labor market polarization: mothers with some college increased their contributions their most, perhaps to make up for the declining labor market prospects of men without a college degree. Mothers with a high school degree or less saw declines in their contribution; as women have become more educated, this group has become increasingly negatively selected on economic disadvantage. Trends for college-educated mothers align with the “stalled gender revolution;” moms’ contributions have gone up, but only slightly since the late 1990s. Although the contributions of Black mothers have declined over time, these mothers still contribute close to two-thirds of their children’s financial status; these results may reflect policy emphasis on increasing the financial responsibility of Black fathers for their children, so do not necessarily suggest negative change for women.

Joint Physical Custody and Parental Alienation As Key Concepts in the Struggle for Children - The Polish Case.  Małgorzata Sikorska, University of Warsaw

The primary goal of this presentation is to examine the social actors participating in lobbying for Joint Physical Custody (JPC) in Poland, with a particular emphasis on the narratives they present. Since the research project (titled “Analysis of narratives and narrative strategies of social actors who advocate for SC in Poland”) is still ongoing, another purpose is to consult on the methodology and preliminary findings. Feedback, comments, and suggestions will be greatly appreciated. By analyzing the narratives and narrative strategies employed by social actors advocating for JPC in Poland, this research aims to contribute valuable insights to the ongoing debate over custody arrangements not only in Poland but also in other European countries, the US, and Canada. A unique aspect of my research project will be the exploration of similarities and differences in the arguments used by social actors advocating for JPC in different countries, providing a cross-cultural perspective on this issue. Overarching Questions/Concerns: The main questions posed in my research project are: - Who are the main social actors involved in the public discourse on JPC in Poland, and what are their arguments? - How are JPC and PA perceived and discussed? - What are the social and cultural contexts influencing the narrations? - How have the narratives about JPC and PA evolved from the 1990s to the present? - What are the potential implications of legally presuming the JPC in Poland? - What are the similarities and differences in the arguments used by social actors advocating for JPC in different countries, and how do these provide a cross-cultural perspective on this issue? During the presentation, I will focus on answering the first question. Statement on Methods: The Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) is employed to analyze the construction and utilization of narratives on JPC and PA by Polish social actors to shape public opinion and policy choices (Shanan et al., 2017, 2018; Jones, 2018; Crow and Jones, 2018; Jones and McBeth, 2020). This framework facilitates the identification of the fundamental components of these narratives, including Characters, Settings, Plot, and Moral of the story. During the presentation, I will utilize NPF (Narrative Pattern Framework) to analyze crucial elements of the narratives, including the depiction of Villains, Victims, Heroes, Allies, and Beneficiaries (all falling under the category of Characters). This analysis aims to identify repeating patterns and persuasive methods employed in the narratives. The study utilizes a combination of research approaches (triangulation), which involves the use of three different methods to gather and analyze data: - Content analysis of publicly accessible existing data, including: citizen petitions submitted to the parliament by father’s and mother’s organizations; transcripts of the meetings of parliamentary and senatorial committees that dealt with JPC and PA; transcripts of the Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of PA meetings; interpellations submitted by Members of Parliament; judgments of Polish courts regarding JPC. - In-depth individual interviews with representatives of the politicians as well as the father's and mother's advocacy groups involved in lobbying for JPC. - Expert interviews with judges and experts from the Ministry of Justice. During the presentation, I will focus on the analysis of the citizens’ petitions and the transcripts of the Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of PA meetings. Important Findings: According to the preliminary outcomes: - Fathers’ organizations, as well as individual fathers, are among the key social actors lobbying for the implementation of SC in Poland. - In their narratives, fathers have been documented exploiting the notions of parental alienation and parental alienation syndrome. - As Villains, they identify the following: mothers, family court judges, prosecutors, police, probation officers, court-employed experts, the Polish state and law, the system of “institutional violence,” lawyers, media, and “Soviet family law model”. - As Victims, they describe: children (who are often used and manipulated during parental conflicts, mostly by mothers), and fathers (who are depicted as being reduced to the role of a cash machine). - As Heroes, they present: fathers who fight for their children’s rights, and politicians (particularly those from the Confederation party who support fathers' efforts). - The narratives used by fathers are full of emotions; in some cases, strong accusations are directed towards social actors identified as Villains, and some of the arguments used are populist. Implications for research, policy and/or practice: Policies regarding the well-being of children, where the principle of “the best interests of the child” is frequently invoked, are both socially sensitive and susceptible to manipulation by influential actors with specific agendas, such as father's organizations advocating for JPC in Poland. Hence, it is essential to exhibit significant caution while formulating policies and executing legal modifications. When social actors in Poland advocate for the adoption of the JPC, it is important to consider the specific characteristics of the Polish judicial system and family welfare system. Simply referring to solutions implemented in other countries without taking these specifics into account can lead to the implementation of ineffective and potentially harmful legislation.

Shared Parenting in Context.  Laurie Maldonado, Columbia University

In the United States and in Europe, children in separated families are increasingly living with both parents (Cancian & Meyers 2022; Hakovirta, Meyer, Salin, Lindroos, Haapanen 2023). Families have evolved considerably over the past few decades. And yet, despite the diversity of families, many policies that affect families’ work and life have not changed and still favor the traditional two-parent family (Kearney 2023) This comprehensive review of the literature uses a comparative focus to examine trends, demographics, and socio-economic outcomes on shared parenting. It addresses the key issues, challenges, and debates on family diversity. It examines how shared parents are doing in the context of the institutions and policies that surround them including child custody, child support, tax credits, child benefit, parental leave, childcare and education. In conclusion, it provides a summative review and discusses future directions for data collection and for research on shared parenting.

Accelerator or Safety Net? Parents’ Role in the Marital Stability in China.  Wenjun Fan, A Better Balance

The divorce rate in China has been rising since 1978 and accelerating in recent decades. However, China still has a relatively low divorce rate, even with a skewed gender division and an intensified masculine culture similar to other East Asia countries. Previous studies focused on the influence of individuals' and the community’s characters on their marital stability while neglecting the ongoing "Neo-Familism" in recent years. This study aims to model the effects of parents' characters and assistance in their adult children’s marital stability through financial aspects and housework aspects. This will be accomplished through the event history analysis using data from Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS) between 2014 and 2020. We hypothesize that two competing possibilities could affect marital stability divergently. One is the accelerator effect. Wives' parents with more resources could have more financial support, thereby experiencing higher risks of divorcing. The other is the safety net effect. Parents of either who give more financial and housework assistance could compensate for the husbands' unemployment and wives' housework stress, lending them lower risks of divorcing. We hope that our findings will contribute to moving the focus of the theory of employment, housework, and marital stability from couples to extended families, especially in countries where core families and social welfare are underdeveloped like China.

Paper Session

Stigma, Discrimination, and Equity In Work and Family


Advancing Gender Equity in the US Workplace: Lessons Learned from Exemplary Organizations.  Christine Bataille, Ithaca College; Margaret Shackell, Ithaca College; and Rachel Ng, Ithaca College

Overarching questions/concerns: In 2015, the United Nations committed to 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including gender equality (#5) and reduced inequalities (#10). Both of these goals target gender equity (GE), which is the process of ensuring fairness through measures that dismantle the historical and social disadvantages that prevent women and men from operating on a level playing field (UNESCO, 2003). The US is behind other developed countries in providing programs and policies that advance GE; however, there are a number of organizations in the U.S. that are making significant strides in closing the gender gap and promoting women into leadership positions. Therefore, the research question we pose in this paper is: How are exemplary US-based organizations advancing GE in the workplace? Statement on methods: In this mixed methods study, we first identified 20 US-based organizations across a range of industries that are exemplary in terms of making progress towards GE. We selected them through Target Gender Equity, gender equity rankings, and articles profiling organizations committed to advancing GE. We first analyzed publicly available sustainability/DEI/GE reports for these organizations and interviewed representatives from four of them. We are currently in the process of developing a survey based on the factors we uncovered as contributing to GE. Our target sample includes executives and managers who hold DEI positions in large, US-based organizations and the survey will be administered by Qualtrics. Important findings: Our results indicate that there are several factors that work to increase GE in organizations, and they all stem from a genuine commitment to gender equity at the top of the organization. Setting GE targets and tracking progress against them is vitally important and includes sharing data with key decision makers and, in some cases, getting third party validation. Making decisions and writing policies through a gender lens is also key and includes offering and encouraging the use of gender-neutral parental leave along with pay parity and other benefits. Intentionally investing in women is another broad category of factors and includes sponsorship, leadership and other development programs for women as well as resource groups/think tanks dedicated to women’s advancement. Implications for research, policy, and/or practice: Our findings to date indicate that there are several tangible actions that companies can take to advance GE in their workplaces. However, it requires serious dedication on the part of the organization. In fact, the most important lesson learned from the exemplary organizations is the depth of their commitment to making progress toward gender equity. For example, one organization’s commitment to sharing data with key decision makers is reflected in their annual “Equity Day” where the company’s top 200 leaders review the race, ethnicity, and gender data in detail. This level of engagement and intentionality has led to these companies being at the head of the pack. Organizations that want to advance towards GE have the opportunity to learn best practices from these model organizations.

Everyday Life, Parenting and Family Relations in Poverty in Mature Welfare State.  Mia Tammelin, University of Tampere; and Katri Viitasalo, University of Helsinki

Poverty and economic hardship in families with children are persistent across the Western world. In addition to insufficient financial resources, economic hardship and poverty are often coupled with income insecurity and unpredictability. This places significant pressure on parenting and the management of family life that at the societal level may cement inequality. In this study we argue that poverty is not only about the lack of resources and the experience of material deprivation but has to be understood as a lived experience in relation to others. This brings up experiences of disrespect, stigma, insecurity and deprivation of rights, but also innovative strategies. Using the data “Everyday Experiences of Poverty: Self-administered Writings 2019” (Turunen & Isola 2019, N=89) we analyse poverty as relational and lived experience. Particularly the study is interested on how family relations are represented, and how mothers’ and fathers’ describe parenting practices in the context of poverty, and the role of labour markets in creating instability. We use thematic content analysis. The preliminary findings suggest that family relations in the context of poverty are multifaceted. Parenting is shaped by strategies to ensure maintaining family routines and to minimize the detrimental impact of poverty on children, including for example unstable daily life amplified by unstable labour market and economic situation. Parents create strong community ties to maintain family life in the context of poverty, including for example sharing meals with others’.

Does Stigma-Based Work-Family Conflict Depend on the Type of Stigma?.  Katina Sawyer, University of Arizona

Over a decade ago, researchers introduced a new form of work-family conflict into the literature - stigma-based work-family conflict - (Sawyer, Thoroughgood, & Ladge, 2012) - to complement the time-based, stress-based, and behavior-based work-family conflict subdimensions explored heavily in prior literature. Yet, since the development of the construct of stigma-based work-family conflict, the concept has only been explored in same-sex couples. In this presentation, I will present in-depth qualitative data gathered from 15 self-identified members of stigmatized families (with the exclusion of same-sex couples given they have already been studied), to expore if and how the concept of stigma-based work-family conflict applies to their working lives. Interviewees were members of mixed race or religious couples, couples in which one member was physically disabled or struggled with serious mental health challenges, couples in which one member was previously incarcarated, or couples in which one partner had a stigmatized illness. While interviewees reported that their stigmatized family identity increased perceptions of conflict with their work role, the data demonstrated that intersectionality also influenced this process. Further, our data also demonstrated that others' perceptions of controllability of the stigma changed how employees in stigmatized families experienced work-family conflict. Overall, this paper sheds light on understudied populations and their families, while highlighting unique mechanisms that explain why some families may face more stigma-based work-family conflict than others. This contributes to the literature by expanding the scope of the types of families that work-family researchers consider when exploring more mainstream themes and constructs to stigmatized working populations.

Reducing Barriers to Entry for Women Seeking Board Work.  Rachael Pettigrew, Mount Royal University; and Chantel Cabaj, DirectHer Network

In Canada, since the implementation of board composition disclosure requirements in 2014, there has been an increase of women on boards. However, change in representation has been slow, with year-over-year increases of ~2.2% and almost 20% of disclosing organizations still have zero women on their boards. To better understand the talent pipeline and its potential blockages, we explored the current board experience, board aspirations, and perceived barriers (pipeline blockages) of women interested in board work. The findings from a SSHRC-funded research conducted in partnership with DirectHer Network, a Calgary-based non-profit that offering governance training. The data from a survey completed by 358 participants, followed by 4 focus groups of women and gender-diverse participants revealed distinct board pathways to board work for not-for-profit, government, and for-profit board work. The research highlights diverse viewpoints to capture the broad array of board experiences and illuminates the talent pipeline from the front end, where the board talent is grown and developed, rather than simply analyzing the output of that pipeline (i.e., the individuals currently sitting on corporate boards). The presentation will discuss perceived professional (e.g., lack of sponsorship, networks, and access to opportunities) and personal barriers (e.g., the need to prioritize paid work and care responsibilities). We conclude by making a number of practical recommendations to both individuals and boards to increase representation of women on boards.

Paper Session

The Gendered Division of Physical and Cognitive Labor


The Gendered (De)Valuation of Household Labor.  Allison Daminger, UW-Madison; Jaclyn Wong, University of South Carolina.; Jason Radford, Northeastern University; and So Yun Park, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Many household tasks remain strongly gender-typed, despite considerable economic, social, and ideological change in recent decades. Most existing scholarship takes for granted that female-typed tasks are both more onerous and less socially valued than male-typed tasks. However, we know little about how well this scholarly taxonomy matches laypeople’s perceptions of housework. Further, we do not know how cognitive housework tasks are evaluated relative to physical ones. Thus, we introduce a multidimensional framework for evaluating housework based on its perceived costs and benefits to both the laborer and their family/society. We use this framework to ask two questions: 1) How do contemporary Americans evaluate a range of cognitive and physical housework tasks, in terms of both costs and rewards? 2) (How) do those evaluations differ based on the gender of the evaluator and/or of the laborer? We field both an original survey and a vignette experiment with a sample of American adults. Analyses of pilot data suggest that in the abstract, physical tasks (e.g., cooking) are rated as both higher-cost and higher-reward than parallel cognitive tasks (e.g., meal planning). However, compared to men, women generally rate both physical and cognitive tasks as more draining for the laborer yet more important for the family. Finally, task evaluations vary when a gendered actor is depicted as the laborer: female laborers are assumed to experience higher costs while delivering more value to their families, suggesting that task valuations are not static but rather context-dependent.

Determinants of the Division of Cognitive Household Labor.  Weverthon Machado, Utrecht University; Andreas Haupt, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology; and Dafna Gelbgiser, Tel Aviv University

Recent scholarship has shed new light on an under-explored type of household labor: the cognitive tasks pertaining to anticipation of family needs, decision-making, monitoring and management of everyday family life. Because it can be invisible, does not have clear temporal and spatial boundaries, and is hard to outsource or automate, cognitive labor is distinct from the physical tasks that have traditionally been the focus of housework research. Although research has documented that the division of cognitive labor is gendered, there is limited empirical evidence on detailed patterns of the division and how it varies across socioeconomic groups. Previous studies have mostly relied on samples of highly educated couples or focused on a narrow dimension of cognitive labor, such as financial decision-making. Using newly collected survey data from a representative sample of the Dutch population, we analyse how couples with and without children divide a broad array of cognitive tasks. We compare how couples divide cognitive and physical tasks, and investigate whether factors that have been shown to be important for the division of physical housework — such as women’s relative and absolute resources — play a similar role in the division of cognitive labor.

The Mental Load: A Seven-Dimensional Measurement.  Leah Ruppanner, University of Melbourne; Sophie Squires, University of Melbourne; Kate Dangar, University of Melbourne; and Mira Gunawansa, University of Melbourne

The mental load is the emotional cognitive labor of organizing work, home and life. Although the mental load is an established concept, it is described differently across disciplines – a form of cognitive labor, mental labor, invisible work and household management. What is more, the mental load is increasingly applied to housework and childcare, which narrowly captures the diversity in mental loads. It is within these gaps that this study makes its contribution by defining the mental load, expanding our theorization of its process and documenting its associated components. To achieve these aims, we apply 89 in-depth interviews of US and Australian parents (33 and 56 respondents respectively) strategically selected to capture diversity across gender identity, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. Our data lead to three main findings. First, we identify the mental load is inherently emotional cognitive work that is carried out across life domains – home, work, and community. Then, we show the mental load follows a more diverse operationalization process than previously established. Finally, we find the mental load includes a typology of seven distinct categories: life organization, emotional support, relationship hygiene, magic-making, dream-building, safety and individual maintenance. Our findings have broad implications for the theorization and measurement of the mental load in future qualitative and quantitative research.

Dividing Housework and Childcare During the Covid-19 Pandemic and Beyond.  Emily Christopher, Aston University

Overarching questions and concerns: The Covid- 19 pandemic necessitated significant adjustments to the paid work and domestic arrangements of many working parent couples. Childcare demands increased due to school/ nursery closures and couples being unable to see extended family who, previously, many had relied on for childcare support. At the same time people’s working lives were disrupted as some became legally obligated to work from home whilst others were expected to be physically present in their place of work, meaning working parent couples often needed to do paid work, childcare, and housework differently. There was a good deal of optimism that changes to paid work during the pandemic presented a unique opportunity to reimagine and reshape domestic divisions of labour, particularly where men were concerned. This paper asks what changes, if any, to childcare and housework participation were brought about by the pandemic for working parent couples, and how far have these experiences impacted how couples carry out these tasks in the long term? In doing so the paper addresses some of the current limits of change. Statement of methods: This paper presents findings from a UK based longitudinal study in which 25 heterosexual working parent couples were interviewed about how they divided paid work, childcare, and housework in 2014/15 and, of those couples, 10 were re-interviewed in 2022/2023. Of the 20 participants that were re-interviewed, 4 were key workers working outside the home during the pandemic, 2 were furloughed, and 14 moved to compulsory home working. After the lifting of lockdowns and restrictions 4 of the key workers remained working in person, 12 had moved to hybrid working with the most common arrangement being two days in the office, three at home, 3 went back to working in person and 1 had moved to self-employment. The data on which this paper is based was produced through the use of an interactive, visual methodology, the ‘household portrait’ (Doucet, 1996). This method involves couples being given a set of housework and childcare cards, each listing a particular task, and then discussing together which member of the couple undertakes each task most of the time. Once they agree they then stick the cards in one of five columns on an A1 sheet of paper relating to the person who 'mostly' does the task and are labelled as a) woman only, b) woman (man helps), c) shared, d) man only, e) man (woman helps). The ‘household portrait’ approach allows couples to debate and discuss who undertakes particular housework and childcare tasks, making visible where they agree, and disagree with each other’s perceptions. It is through these observable dialogues we come to understand how couples conceptualise their own and their partner’s contributions and the complex relationalities involved in who does what and why. Important findings: •Working from home during the pandemic, and the subsequent move to hybrid working after the end of lockdown restrictions, led to fathers increasing their contributions to temporally and spatially sensitive childcare tasks. •Some childcare tasks continued to be carried out largely by mothers. •Working from home and the move to hybrid working did little to change who carried out housework. Some fathers did contribute more to housework, but participation was task specific. •The increase participation in certain tasks did not lead to a significant shift in fathering identities as paid work continued to operate in ways which sustained them. Implications for research: The findings from this longitudinal study show the importance of investigating, where we can, the micro aspects of task divisions as this is key to understanding the complex relationalities involved in how tasks are understood and their interdependence, which shapes who carries them out. Doing so allows us to see in depth what has changed and why and how far we have yet to go to achieve more equitable divisions of labour in the home. Implications for policy: This research also shows the need to tackle long hour cultures in the UK as working from home during the pandemic and in its aftermath led to workers working longer and harder across occupations within the public and private sectors having important implications for work-life reconciliation.

Justifications and Mechanisms for the Undoing of Equality During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Domestic Labor Among Partnered Academic Parents.  Krista Lynn Minnotte, University of North Dakota; and Samantha Ammons, University of Nebraska, Omaha

As the COVID-19 global pandemic unfolded, there was initial enthusiasm that the conditions were set in motion for a dramatic upswing in father’s childcare and housework participation, especially for those in elite occupations offering flexibility of work location. Despite the stage being set for dramatic equalization, a different pattern emerged, with mothers picking up the slack of the increased labor associated with the virtual schooling of children, the closure of daycares, and the additional housework created by more time spent in the home. Narrowing our focus to one elite occupation – tenure-track professors – we examine justifications and mechanisms that facilitated the undoing of domestic labor equality during this period of uncertainty. We explore these dynamics among partnered, tenure-track faculty members with at least one child under the age of 18 living in the home. Qualitative interview data collected from 26 faculty members at two research universities during Fall of 2020 are used to address the research questions. The findings indicate that most participants espoused an egalitarian gender ideology, stating that they would prefer to equally share domestic labor—childcare and housework – with their partner. After stating this preference, almost all participants described how their lived realities differed and provided justifications for why the division of domestic labor diverged from preferences. In this paper, we describe justifications and mechanisms that contribute to the undoing of gender equality in domestic labor among participants. Overall, the findings show that during times of crisis and uncertainty, households leaned into familiarity, rather than reinvention.

Paper Session

The Life Course Experience of Diverse Populations: LGBTQ+ Perspectives


Occupation and Housework Time in Same- and Different-Gender Couples.  Jisu Park, Pennsylvania State University (Penn State); and Elena Pojman, Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)

Theoretical framework: Unequal time input to housework by men and women in different-gender partnerships is well established (Bianchi et al., 2000, 2012), though greater egalitarianism in housework has been found among same-gender couples (Civettini, 2015; Giddings, 1998; Goldberg, 2013). Partner differences in housework time within different-gender couples are explained using sociological theories that separately stress the role of relative resources, time availability, or gender roles, and these theories have found support across several studies (Aassve et al., 2014; Carriero & Todesco, 2018; Killewald & Gough, 2010; Nitsche & Grunow, 2016). More recently, the relationship between time in paid work or earnings and housework time has been explored among same-gender couples in addition to different-gender couples. Specifically, this study found paid work time is significantly related to housework time among sexual minority (SM) men and women, though earnings were only significant among SM men (Fischer, 2024). Less clear however is how occupation could differentially shape how men and women in same-gender couples spend time across various housework tasks. Within different-gender couples, having a gender-deviant occupation is associated with spending more time performing same-gender tasks (Schneider, 2012). Occupational characteristics such as overwork also help to reinforce gendered breadwinner-homemaker norms within different-gender couples (Cha, 2010) as well as gender segregation in occupations at the macro level (Cha, 2013). Sexual minorities, especially sexual minority men, are less likely than their heterosexual counterparts to find jobs in conventionally gender-typed occupations (Finnigan, 2020; Ueno et al., 2013), professional fields (Tilcsik, 2011), managerial positions (Aksoy et al., 2019), or jobs that require constant interaction with colleagues and supervisors (Lim et al., 2018; Tilcsik et al., 2015). The occupational segregation of sexual minority individuals operates at two levels. On the demand side, sexual minorities are discriminated against in male-dominated and professional fields (Mishel, 2016; Pedulla, 2014; Tilcsik, 2011). On the supply side, sexual minorities may stay out of certain occupations as a strategy to avoid discrimination and occupational disadvantages (Tilcsik et al., 2015). Despite our understanding of both the occupational segregation of sexual minorities and the relatively egalitarian division of housework in different-gender partnerships, it is presently unknown how occupation, as well as the partner’s occupation, separately and concurrently shape housework time among men and women in same-gender couples. Further, it is unclear whether occupational differences function similarly or differently across same- and different-gender couples in their housework time. Analytic strategy: To examine the role of occupation on housework time among men and women in same- and different-gender couples, we use data from the 2003-2019 American Time Use Survey which encompasses 64,520 individuals (34,468 MF, 209 MM, 265 FF, 28,992 FM). We examine gender composition of the occupation, and separately model the relationship between one’s own and partner’s occupation on daily minutes spent in housework. We include controls for the race-ethnicity, age, and college attainment of the reference partner, number of children, urbanicity, and marital status of the couple, as well as weekday, year, month, and state fixed effects. Key findings: Association between gender composition of occupation and daily minutes spent in housework - Time in total housework decreases for men and women partnered with men as the male composition of their occupation increases, whereas time in total housework increases for men and women partnered with women as the male composition of their occupation increases. These changes are more dramatic among people in same-gender couples. - Positive relationship between male composition of one’s occupation and their time in male-typed housework for all except men in same-gender couples. - Male composition of occupation shapes men in different-gender couples’ time in female-typed housework very negligibly. Association between own occupation, partner’s occupation, gender composition of couple and daily minutes spent in housework - Own and partner’s occupation matter for time spent in total and female-typed housework, but the extent to which they matter also varies by own and partner’s gender. - Partner’s occupation appears to matter more for time spent in male-typed housework. Implications for research and policy This project has several implications for both research and policy. First, we contribute to a burgeoning literature on the factors shaping time in housework for men and women in both different- and same-gender couples. Specifically, we analyze the role of own and partner’s occupation on time in housework among same-gender couples. Finally, we provide evidence to policymakers on how structural conditions of paid employment in the United States shape how men and women in both same- and different-gender couples spend time on housework.

Precariously Positioned in Unsettled Times: Work and Well-Being Among LGBTQ+ Adults in the COVID Era.  Layne Amerikaner, University of Maryland, College Park

Overarching Questions/Concerns: The rise in precarious employment in recent decades has left a substantial portion of the U.S. workforce in insecure, low-quality jobs, with the divide between “good” and “bad” jobs becoming even starker during the COVID-19 pandemic. Little is known about how LGBTQ+ workers (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other individuals with minoritized sexual and gender identities) are faring in this context, even though previous research suggests they may be among those most vulnerable to negative structural and interpersonal factors affecting workers’ well-being. The present study examines how LGBTQ+ adults in the United States are experiencing and responding to an unequal work landscape during the COVID era. Methods: The study examines paid work experiences and well-being for LGBTQ+ adults in the U.S. through semi-structured, in-depth qualitative interviews with a racially and occupationally diverse sample of 43 LGBTQ+ workers. Roughly half of the sample (47%) identifies as a member of a racially and/or ethnically minoritized group; roughly half (47%) hold a minoritized gender identity (e.g. non-binary, transgender, agender); all hold a minoritized sexual identity (e.g., lesbian, gay, queer, bisexual, pansexual). The interview guide centered on three broad topics: 1) day-to-day paid work experiences during COVID, including the role of work location; 2) work climate and workplace mistreatment; and 3) perceptions of work-related factors influencing well-being. In-depth interviews (45 to 90 minutes in length, on average) were conducted on Zoom between late 2022 and early 2024. Interview transcripts are being analyzed using a “flexible coding” approach through multiple cycles of data coding and analytic memo-writing in Dedoose. All participant names are pseudonyms. Important Findings: Although analysis is ongoing, preliminary analysis suggests that for some LGBTQ+ workers, remote work may be protective against mistreatment in cisheteronormative, racialized work environments. For example, Jen, an Asian American queer woman in an office job, noted that remote work during the early pandemic reduced “the likelihood of, to be blunt, running into a creeper.” She explained: “Because it was all online, it was like you had to schedule time to talk with people. And that also reduced the amount of those, kind of, casual microaggressions or outright sexual harassment.” Similarly, Alicia, a Black bisexual woman who primarily works remotely, noted that her occasional in-person meetings stood in stark contrast to the dynamics of remote work: “The in-person meetings, in between the remote meetings, have allowed me to see [my co-workers] in-person and have different interactions with them. And some of them were just not very savory.” Other participants described working from home as providing the opportunity to explore gender expression or other aspects of identity. Danny, a white bisexual man employed in manual labor, briefly worked from home in the early pandemic and began regularly painting his nails during that time. Danny recounted: “I wore them around the house for a couple of days. And then I finally went out and ran some errands and went shopping, whatever, and had my nails painted, and nobody freaked out.” Regarding the nail painting, he explained that working from home “gave me a bit more freedom to go ahead and do it.” Now back on-site in a manual labor job, Danny continues to wear painted nails every day—a practice that has been a source of connection with other queer/supportive coworkers in a large-scale warehouse work context. For other LGBTQ+ adults, COVID-related strains may be compounding existing workplace minority stress, particularly among in-person workers who already faced demanding and/or precarious job conditions. For example, Ash, a Native American and white pansexual non-binary worker, recounted multiple layers of challenging work experiences across various manual labor jobs. These included mistreatment related to their minoritized identities, such as misgendering; COVID-related stressors, such as confrontations related to masking; and other job condition-related stressors, such as working outdoors in extreme heat. Implications for Research, Policy, and/or Practice: This research project advances existing literature on LGBTQ+ workplace inequality by considering how a changing work context during the COVID era may shape work experiences, exploring critical new factors such as the role of work location (remote work vs. in-person work) for LGBTQ+ workers’ well-being. Rich qualitative data on how LGBTQ+ adults’ workplace experiences may be shifting during the current era provides updated information about the perceptions and needs of a marginalized group of workers—data necessary for effective policymaking to address workplace inequality. Funding Acknowledgement: This work has been supported (in part) by Grant #2301-41649 from the Russell Sage Foundation. Any opinions expressed are those of the principal investigator alone and should not be construed as representing the opinions of the Foundation.

Transition to Parenthood and Earnings Trajectories of Male Same-Sex Couples in Sweden and the Netherlands.  Eva Jaspers, Utrecht University; Weverthon Machado, Utrecht University; and Marie Evertsson, Stockholm University - Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI)

A growing scholarship on same-sex couples has expanded our understanding of the interplay of work and family across the transition to parenthood. For example, previous studies have found that, after parenthood, the within-couple earnings gap increases much less in female same-sex couples than in different-sex couples. However, there is comparatively little quantitative evidence on the determinants and consequences of the transition to parenthood for male same-sex couples. Compared to other families, male same-sex couples who wish to become parents have fewer paths to do so. Thus, it is important to understand which couples eventually have children. Furthermore, in view of the common finding that the arrival of a child has relatively little impact on the careers of fathers in different-sex couples, we ask whether and how becoming parents shapes the earnings trajectories of male same-sex parents. We investigate these questions using longitudinal population register data from Sweden and the Netherlands. First, we employ event history analysis to explore the socioeconomic and demographic attributes predicting the transition to parenthood in male same-sex couples. Second, for the couples who transition to parenthood, we track the earnings trajectories of both parents from before to several years after the arrival of the first child.

Queer Parenting As Resistance.  Amelia Eppel, McGill University; and Kristen O'Sullivan, McGill University

For generations, Queer “chosen” family have been a life force sustaining the most marginalized through a model of community care that decenters the heterosexual two parent structure (Mamo, 2007. ). In recent years, with the advent of assisted reproduction and the legalization of same-sex relationships in North America, an estimated 77% of LGBTQ+ people of childbearing age are already parents or are considering having children through either fertility treatments or adoption (Family Equality, 2019). Most of the literature that considers queerness in relation to parenting has focused on the outcomes of children in two parent same-sex families, framed in terms of comparison with “gold standard” heteronormative families (Mendez, 2020). There is very little literature that considers the processes of parenting or the possibilities that alternative family structures open up (Klesse, 2018). This project will consider how queering the concept of family is an act of resistance. Most, if not all, queer-identifying people still face barriers to forming their families, whether in accessing healthcare, by social services or within their own families (Gregory et al., 2022; Farr, 2020). The anticipated value of the results of the study are that some insight will be gained into the experiences of queer parenting in Canada. Results of the research will be published in an edited collection called Queer Joy as Resistance (proposed publisher: New York University Press) with an anticipated publication date of Spring 2024. Our presentation will share results from the study including interview excerpts, our experiences of collecting data with families and how our findings compare with those in the literature.

Paper Session

The Life Course Experience of Diverse Populations: Migrant Workers


‘Digital Caregiving’ among Migrant Families in the UK: Unmasking the Hidden Social Consequences of the Digitalisation of Essential Services.  Sara Bailey, The Open University; Agnes Kukulska-Hulme, The Open University; and Elizabeth FitzGerald, The Open University

Overarching questions/concerns It has long been established that in order to access essential services in the UK, many older migrants rely on the informal assistance of relatives. Relatives bridge the gap between older migrants and services by addressing the inadequacy of service providers’ informational, language and cultural support. The need to provide such support adds to the burden of unpaid care undertaken by migrant families – especially the adult children of first-generation migrants – and it falls disproportionately on women, due to the gendered nature of caregiving. Over the past decade, however, essential services in the UK have undergone a significant transformation in the form of the institution of ‘digital first’ approaches to service delivery. Consequently, service users are increasingly required to access services through digital channels such as web or smartphone apps. A small body of research conducted in other country contexts has examined the impact of the digitalisation of services on migrants. It demonstrates that many migrants are unable to access digitalised services independently due to the combined effects of inadequate digital literacy and limited language proficiency. However, the impact of digitalisation on relatives who mediate migrants’ access to essential services has been understudied. The dearth of research in this area is of concern. If migrants are unable to access digitalised services independently, the existing burden of unpaid care may be replicated or even exacerbated through digitalisation, with implications for socio-economic inequality. The existing burden of unpaid care on migrant families is already higher than among the majority population, and the correlation between the need to provide unpaid care and economic, social and cultural exclusion is well established. This paper, therefore, aims to fill an important gap in the literature by exploring the ways in which the digitalisation of two essential services in the UK – primary healthcare and social housing – is impacting on migrants as well as their families. Statement on methods This research was carried out as part of the Protecting Minority Ethnic Communities Online (PRIME) project which is a cross-disciplinary initiative involving five universities and several community organisation partners. It is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The project team carried out 100 in depth one-to-one interviews in four project sites throughout the UK in-person and online between August and December 2022. The interviewees were purposively recruited, and the sampling strategy aimed to ensure that the target groups who are most at risk of digital exclusion due to their disadvantaged socio-economic position were well represented. Sixty-five percent of the participants were first-generation migrants and 35 percent were the adult children or grandchildren of first-generation migrants. The majority of the first-generation migrants have been resident in the UK for over ten years. Sixty percent of the participants were women. Adults were recruited from three age groups: ‘young’ (18-35), ‘mid-aged’ (36-64) and ‘older’ (above 65). All of the interviews were audio-recorded except for 12 where consent was only obtained to take notes. Data collection processes adhered to the ethical protocols of the universities involved and UK data protection guidelines. Data were stored in a secure Dropbox folder, anonymised, coded in NVivo and thematically analysed. Important findings • In the UK, some social housing and primary healthcare providers are closing down non-digital channels of accessing services such as the telephone (landline) and in-person visits, making older migrants increasingly reliant on digital channels to access essential services; further, as a result of inadequate digital literacy skills and language barriers, many older migrants are unable to use digital channels independently. • Consequently, in order to access essential services, older migrants are reliant on informal support from relatives and especially from adult female children. Adult female children provide language and digital assistance and also, in some cases, act as ‘proxies’, operating older migrants’ digital service accounts on their behalf. • In some cases, the need for informal support even appears to have increased as a result of digitalisation due to the combined effects of inadequate digital literacy and the higher language proficiency requirements entailed in engaging with digital as opposed to non-digital services. • New forms of ‘unpaid digital care’ for the relatives of migrants, and especially adult female children, are therefore being created through digitalisation; this new form of unpaid caregiving is experienced as burdensome and onerous by many caregivers, and in some cases even results in a decreased ability to care for themselves. • Older migrants are also negatively impacted through the need for informal support. Some research participants reported experiencing delays in accessing services as a result of the need to wait for support; others, meanwhile, experienced their reduced capacity to engage with services independently as disempowering. Implications for research, policy and practice This paper raises questions regarding the extent to which digitalisation is leading to the creation of a new form of ‘consumption work’, defined as the unpaid labour involved in externalised tasks connected with the consumption of goods or services. In terms of policy and practice, our findings emphasise the need for non-digital channels of accessing services to be protected and for digital channels to be made more inclusive for migrant communities, including through the provision of appropriate language support such as translation functions on web and smartphone apps. Failing to address the burden of unpaid care produced by the digitalisation of essential services will likely exacerbate existing socio-economic inequalities between women with and without migrant backgrounds.

Family Life and Employment for Muslim and Christian Syrian Refugee Women in Canada.  Ian Van Haren, McGill University

This paper examines varying rates of employment among female Syrian refugees resettled to Canada, with a focus on the intersection between life course factors and religion on women’s participation in the labour market. Many studies have examined factors that result in exclusion from the labour market and highlighted the important roles of human capital, family responsibilities, social networks, and discrimination. Less common are studies that investigate the role of religion. This paper uses data from a 2020 nationally representative survey of 740 Syrian women who entered Canada through refugee resettlement from 2015-18 to identify factors that affect employment rates. This population is religiously diverse, 1/3 Christian and about 2/3 Muslim. For women, caring responsibilities, human capital measures, and religious factors have significant effects on employment outcomes. There is a clear divergence in the labour market participation of Muslim and Christian women with children under the age of five, with Muslim mothers of young children much less likely to participate in the labour market than their Christian counterparts. Although these survey data do not speak to causal mechanisms regarding this diverging outcome, I discuss some of the potential factors and policy implications of the findings in a context of gender mainstreaming in Canadian immigration policy.

The Ups and Downs of Family in the Trajectories of Temp Agency Workers.  Jill Hanley, McGill University; Melly Akinduro, McGill University; Harry Brar, McGill University; and Onora Nativ, McGill University

This paper presents an analysis of longitudinal data collected in a study of the work-life trajectories of im/migrant temp agency workers. Temp agencies are well known for their poor work conditions yet are growing in importance within the economy. When temp agencies are often the first point of entry for im/migrants on the job market, what happens over time? Over the course of 3 years, our team met workers every 4 months to explore the evolution of their work, family and immigration situation. Our results reveal that family considerations are a major factor in im/migrants' experiences with temp agencies: family responsibilities lead workers to choose temp agencies for fast access to income; workers remain in temp work because they feel unable to take risks with their income when family relies on them; temp workers with families cannot afford to study to improve their job prospects; and family caregiving crises often lead to unjust termination of employment. Conversely, im/migrant temp workers also reported receiving material and emotional support, including referrals to better jobs, from family members when they were in times of need. We will discuss the implications of these work-family findings for labour standards, family leave policy and for community organizing.

Family Proximity and Labor Force Participation Among Older Refugees in Quebec.  Mahmudul Hassan, McGill University; Jill Hanley, McGill University; and Godfrey Makoha, McGill University

Though few studies explored the role of older immigrants in the family, yet the changes in work and the tendency to join the workforce among older immigrants with precarious status have remained unexplored. In this study, two datasets of newcomer-refugees, who arrived in Canada through numerous pathways, were compared to analyze the labor market participation among older adults. One dataset (n= 1,921) was about the Syrian refugees in Canada, and another represented the survey responses of refugee claimants (n= 325) in Quebec. From both datasets, responses of older adults (Syrian refugees= 218, and Refugee Claimants= 43) in Quebec, who are 50 years old and above, were extracted to uncover their reality. The study result revealed a lower labor market attachment among Syrian older refugees than that of other refugee claimants who came through Roxham Road. It was found that Syrian older refugees came to Canada in an unusual situation where they were welcomed by the Government of Canada and its citizens. And most of these Syrian older refugees were residing with and taken care of by their children and family members. On the other hand, refugee claimants in Quebec did not get such a welcome, rather struggling to get permission to stay in Canada. Most of these older refugees had been living on their own without family members and had been working and/or striving to find a job. Overall, this study showed a variation in joining the labor force among older refugees based on their closeness to their family members.

Paper Session

The When, Where, and Why of Gender Segregation at Work


From Pioneers to Present: A Comparative Study of Feminists in Academia Across Generations.  Thamar Heijstra, University of Iceland; and Gyða Margrét Pétursdóttir, University of Iceland

A study among 12 Icelandic feminists in the twilight of their careers (Heijstra and Pétursdóttir, 2021a; 2021b) revealed that they faced multiple challenges. Situated in the ivory basement (Eveline 2004), caught up in the precarious precondition for change (Hark 2016), and teaching against the grain, these women developed survival strategies both for their academic field and for themselves personally. However, these strategies could not prevent them from taking occasional blows either professionally or healthwise. In this comparative follow-up study we ask, what is the situation of newer cohorts of feminist academics that follow in the footsteps of these feminist pioneers? What changes have taken place within the academic work environment and how do these play out for newer cohorts of feminists? By utilizing the concept of cruel optimism (Berland 2011) and by relying on 26 semi-structured interviews and 2 focus group discussions with pioneer and recent cohorts of feminist in Icelandic academia we intend to shed light on the matter. Topics informing the study include the influence of role models, meritocracy, the neo-liberal academia, student expectations, sexism, gender washing, and feminist solidarity. We examine how newer cohorts of feminists perceive the current academic environment. What strategies are available to them and how do they measure success? This comparative analysis will further increase our understanding of where the academic work environment, and the topic of gender is heading; do newer cohorts of feminist activists consider themselves as teaching at the margins and are they still willing to play the academic game?

Give It Time: Exploring the Impact of Relationship Tenure on Supervisor Perceptions of Gender Proscription Violations by Subordinate and Subordinate Commitment to Supervisor..  Viva Nsair, Western Michigan University

This study examines the intersection of relationship tenure, supervisor perceptions of gender proscription violations, and employees' perceptions of commitment to supervisor. Specifically, my study presents survey data to test hypotheses related to the main effects of subordinate proscription violations perceived by supervisors and their associated impact on employees' perceptions of supervisor support, psychological safety, and commitment. Using status incongruity hypothesis, I hypothesize that supervisor violations of proscriptions related to women (i.e. dominance) will be significantly related to reduced supervisor commitment by the subordinate, while proscriptions related to men (i.e. weakness) will not be significantly related to the outcomes identified, when controlling for matched gender of supervisor-subordinate. Further, I hypothesize and show support for a moderating effect of relationship tenure whereby the negative relationship of women proscriptions on commitment are reduced over time showing evidence that longer relationship tenure between subordinates and supervisors reduce the influence of women proscription violations on reduced supervisor commitment by the subordinate. By shedding light on the intricate interplay of these variables, this research aims to contribute practical insights for organizations striving to create gender-equitable workplaces, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the role that developing relationships has on subordinate commitment to their supervisors, no matter the gender proscription violations.

The Mental Health of Female and Male Homemakers: A Longitudinal Study Using Dutch Population Register Data.  Lea Kröner, Utrecht University; Deni Mazrekaj, Utrecht University; Tanja van der Lippe, Utrecht University; and Anne-Rigt Poortman, Utrecht University

Overarching questions/concerns Background Promoting mental health is a top priority in most countries in recent years (WHO, 2021). Recognizing the significant role of labor market status in shaping individuals’ mental health, research indicates that homemakers, compared to working individuals, experience greater happiness (Hamplová, 2019; Sato, 2022; Treas et al., 2011) and life satisfaction (Florean & Engelhardt, 2020; Langner, 2022). Although these are positively linked to mental health (Badri et al., 2022; Lombardo et al., 2018), the evidence on homemakers’ mental health is mixed, and how it may change over time is unknown (Kühn et al., 2023; Wang & Lu, 2023). Research Question “To what extent does the mental health of homemakers differ from that of working individuals? And do these differences vary depending on gender, parenthood, and the duration of homemaking?” Hypotheses H1: Homemakers have better mental health compared to working individuals. H2: Homemakers have better mental health compared to working individuals, and this difference is smaller or even reversed for men. H3a: The difference in mental health between homemakers and working individuals is more pronounced for parents, (H3b) especially the younger the children are and the more children a person has. H4: The difference in mental health between homemakers and working individuals decreases with the duration of homemaking. Statement on methods Data We use various Dutch register-based datasets, including information on employment, benefits receipt, prescribed medication, and health care costs, made available by Statistics Netherlands. Our sampling encompasses yearly refreshed cohorts of individuals aged 25 to 45, spanning from 2005 to 2021. Variables We use two types of mental health measures. Antidepressant prescription is operationalized as a dummy variable, whether the person got antidepressants prescribed in a year or not. The information is based on dispensed medication per person in the year concerned and medication is classified based on their article codes into ATC classes (anatomic, therapeutic, chemical), a WHO (World Health Organization) drug classification (Chkalova, 2023) from which we select the antidepressants coded as N06A. Mental health care costs are operationalized as continuous variables and include treatment of basic mental health care, specialist mental care, and mental health care institutions (De Boer et al., 2019) The independent variable, homemaking, is captured using the socioeconomic category variable provided by Statistics Netherlands. The variable classifies individuals as employees, director-shareholders, independent entrepreneurs, other self-employed individuals, contributing family members, individuals that were not yet in school, in education, or training (with or without income), recipients of unemployment benefits, recipients of sickness/invalidity benefits, recipients of pension allowances, recipients of social assistance benefits and those without any formal income—which we define as homemakers. Moreover, we limit the sample to individuals who were in a relationship during the observed period to better capture those fulfilling the homemaker role rather than being inactive. Methods We use fixed effects (FE) regression models to examine how changes in employment status are linked to changes in mental health within each individual over time while eliminating unobserved heterogeneity and confounding effects from time-constant variables. We complement them with fixed-effects individual slopes (FEIS) models including individual slopes for the interacted variables (Rüttenauer & Ludwig, 2023). Important findings Due to the privacy policy of Statistics Netherlands, the findings must first undergo their review procedure. The initial results will be presented during the presentation. Literature Badri, M. A., Alkhaili, M., Aldhaheri, H., Yang, G., Albahar, M., & Alrashdi, A. (2022). Exploring the Reciprocal Relationships between Happiness and Life Satisfaction of Working Adults—Evidence from Abu Dhabi. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(6), 3575. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063575 Chkalova, E. (2023). Economic Uncertainty in the Life Course: The Couple Perspective. [Thesis, externally prepared, Universiteit van Amsterdam] De Boer, W. I. J., Buskens, E., Koning, R. H., & Mierau, J. O. (2019). Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Health Care Costs: A Population-Wide Study in the Netherlands. American Journal of Public Health, 109(6), 927–933. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2019.305035 Florean, D., & Engelhardt, H. (2020). His and her working hours and well-Being in Germany: A longitudinal crossover-spillover analysis. Journal of Family Research, 32(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.20377/jfr-372 Hamplová, D. (2019). Does Work Make Mothers Happy? Journal of Happiness Studies, 20(2), 471–497. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-018-9958-2 Kühn, M., Dudel, C., & Werding, M. (2023). Maternal health, well-being, and employment transitions: A longitudinal comparison of partnered and single mothers in Germany. Social Science Research, 114, 102906. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2023.102906 Langner, L. (2022). Desperate Housewives and Happy Working Mothers: Are Parent-Couples with Equal Income More Satisfied throughout Parenthood? A Dyadic Longitudinal Study. Work, Employment and Society, 36(1), 80–100. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017020971548 Lombardo, P., Jones, W., Wang, L., Shen, X., & Goldner, E. M. (2018). The fundamental association between mental health and life satisfaction: Results from successive waves of a Canadian national survey. BMC Public Health, 18(1), 342. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5235-x Rüttenauer, T., & Ludwig, V. (2023). Fixed Effects Individual Slopes: Accounting and Testing for Heterogeneous Effects in Panel Data or Other Multilevel Models. Sociological Methods & Research, 52(1), 43–84. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049124120926211 Sato, K. (2022). Who is Happier in Japan, a Housewife or Working Wife? Journal of Happiness Studies, 23(2), 509–533. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-021-00411-3 Treas, J., van der Lippe, T., & Tai, T. -o. C. (2011). The Happy Homemaker? Married Women’s Well-Being in Cross-National Perspective. Social Forces, 90(1), 111–132. https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/90.1.111 Wang, S., & Lu, Z. (2023). Is Paid Inflexible Work Better than Unpaid Housework for Women’s Mental Health? The Moderating Role of Parenthood. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 18(1), 393–409. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-022-10091-7 WHO. (2021). Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2030. https://www.who.int/publications-detail-redirect/9789240031029

Paper Session

The Work-Family Interface in the Global South


Old Wine, New Skins: Examining the Impact of Platform Work on Work-Family Balance in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Sussie Mutahi, Strathmore Law School

OVERARCHING QUESTIONS/CONCERNS 1. What traditional labour problems are addressed by ride-hailing platforms in Sub-Saharan Africa? 2. What traditional labour problems are unaddressed or exacerbated by ride-hailing platforms in Sub-Saharan Africa? 3. How do ride-hailing platforms in Sub-Saharan Africa impact the work-family balance of platform workers? 4. What is the role of law in enabling the operationalization of ride-hailing platform work towards decent work? STATEMENT ON METHODS The paper draws on current literature relating to the experience of ride-hailing platform workers within four Sub-Saharan Africa countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa. IMPORTANT FINDINGS 1. What traditional labour problems are addressed by ride-hailing platforms in Sub-Saharan Africa? • Ride-hailing platforms have provided work opportunities in a region whose unemployment levels surpass global rates by 1.5%. • Ride-hailing platforms have created an inclusive platform for income generation for groups at the fringes of traditional labour markets including migrants, persons living with disability, the young and the elderly. • Creation of offshoot entrepreneurial opportunities within the ride-hailing business. These include individual workers who have bought additional vehicles and registered them on ride-hailing platforms, thereby creating additional employment opportunities. Ride-hailing platforms have made a significant contribution in encouraging both public and private investment in Sub-Saharan Africa’s digital infrastructure, translating into rising numbers of mobile and internet connectivity. • Ride hailing workers appreciate the flexible nature of the job, the ability to meet clients from different backgrounds. • Customers on the other hand appreciate the convenience of ride-hailing platforms, especially in bridging the inadequacies of public transport systems, are happy about the lower fares, feel safer when they know who the driver is beforehand and are assured of the safety features accessible on the platform. 2. What traditional labour problems are unaddressed or exacerbated by ride-hailing platforms in Sub-Saharan Africa? • Because platform work falls outside the boundaries of labour law, ride-hailing drivers are not afforded the protections extended to employees, including leave, social security, and health insurance. • While it is conceded that ride-hailing platforms have increased the number of work opportunities, the quality of that work is problematic. The many graduates engaged in this line of work because they lack other real alternatives feel especially disillusioned. • Most ride-hailing drivers report working for at least 12 hours daily to make ends meet, undermining the perceived work flexibility. The multi-homing practice of most platform drivers enables them to circumvent the maximum set driving hours on various platforms. • Distinct from the experience in the global north, most research points to the fact that this type of work is the main occupation for most ride-hailing drivers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Because platform drivers are drawn from a section of the traditional taxi drivers and the addition of new full-time and part-time drivers, competition within this industry has intensified, narrowing the possible profit margins. • The algorithmic management of workers, a central feature of ride-hailing platforms, creates opaqueness in how decisions are arrived at and limits the avenues for discussing or questioning them. 3. How do ride-hailing platforms in Sub-Saharan Africa impact the work-family balance of platform workers? • The 12 and above working hours per day reported by most drivers severely compromise the ability to spend time with family. • Between the commission charged for using the platform, the artificially low prices set by platforms to entice clients, and in most cases the target set by the owner of the vehicle per day, leaves the total earnings unfairly low. To make ends meet, most drivers sign up on different platforms and work more than 12 hours. • The fluctuating nature of surges and downtimes creates an unpredictable earning schedule, which is not helped by the fact that most drivers are not in any union or association that could potentially facilitate savings or credit facilities when required. Often family resources will invariably be employed in shouldering the huge risks and the multiple responsibilities borne by ride-hailing drivers. • Because of the investment and growing dependency on this type of platform work, the malfunction or collapse of ride-hailing platforms would have a much greater devastating effect in Sub-Saharan Africa and the global south in general, where by far most platform workers reside. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH AND POLICY 1. As has been suggested and is in piecemeal actualization in various parts of the world, regulation of platform work holds the greatest potential for capitalizing on the gains and minimizing the drawbacks. It is disappointing that none of these legal and regulatory developments are taking place in Sub-Saharan Africa, where ride-hailing drivers are continuously considered to be independent contractors. 2. Even then, the real problem lies in the original construction of labour law which took on a narrow and oversimplified characterization of work as the exchange of service(s) for pay on terms posited in a contract of employment. Based on this premise, work was viewed as an end in itself, and the work relationship, a strictly materialistic one. It is little wonder that the current labour framework, world over, is ill equipped to deal with important considerations such as the realities of the worker, the nature of work and the economics, politics, technologies and social climates within which the work is conducted. 3. It will not be enough to extend and attempt to remold existent labour structures to address the emerging and soon to emerge structures of work. The paper opines a reconsideration of what work is, and more importantly what it is for. In all its evolutions, the purpose of work has remained fairly constant. To provide for oneself and their family, to create an avenue for contribution to society, to provide fulfillment and purpose through the individual mark made by the worker in their sphere of influence and to provide a platform for showcasing individual talents and giftings. The understanding that work is only a means to achieving the aforementioned ends should be the starting point of any labour regulation exercise, and frankly, the metrics by which the outcome of work is measured.

Women's Employment and Child Development in a Low-Income Country.  Sarah Brauner-Otto, McGill University; Emily Treleaven, University of Michigan; and Dirgha Ghimire, University of Michigan

Overarching questions/concerns Dramatic changes in world economies have brought women out of the household into market work across the globe. The increase in FLFP since the mid-1900s is one of the most pronounced transitions the family has seen and is increasingly a global phenomenon; FLFP rates are currently at least 40-50% in Southern Asia and Central America, rates comparable to those in wealthy countries. This transition shifts the dynamic within the household and likely has profound implications for the wellbeing of children. Unfortunately, a growing body literature set in low or middle income countries (LMICs) provides evidence that children of working moms are worse off than children of nonworking moms. With women making up a growing share of the global labor market and the increase in low-skill, female-dominated jobs in poor regions further increasing demand for their labor, it is imperative we understand how this transition has influenced children in countries with developing economies. We use unique longitudinal data on mother’s employment and rigorous measures of early child development to examine the relationship between mother’s employment across the life course and child development in rural Nepal. This study has two guiding research questions: 1. How is maternal paid employment (formal or informal) in a LMIC associated with early child development? 2. How does life course timing of maternal employment condition this relationship? The implications of this research extend to a tremendous number of women and children world-wide. Whereas previous research on this topic has been done in in countries where FLFP has been high for decades and social institutions such as policy, education systems, and formal childcare opportunities are well established, the study is done in a setting with a very different institutional context currently experiencing this transformative transition. The combined populations of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal are more than 1.5 billion—more populous than any other region of the world—with regional population change in employment, education, health, and wellbeing across the life course all high public policy priorities. Chitwan, Nepal is home to Asians of Indian and Eastern Chinese decent living under conditions similar to most of rural China and South Asia. Statement on methods This study uses data from the Female Labor Force Participation and Child Outcomes (FLFPCO) component of the Chitwan Valley Family Study. In 2023 the FLFPCO study collected data from all 950 children ages 0 to 66 months living in 151 systematically sampled neighborhoods and their mothers (n=870). Data collection included individual interviews with mothers where they completed the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) for all children as well as Work History Calendars (WHCs). The ASQ-3 is a parent completed, commonly used tool for screening for developmental delays in young children. Although it has been widely used across the globe this is the first time it was properly translated into Nepali for all age groups. We worked carefully with the developers, a child psychologist in Nepal, and local data collection staff to ensure a culturally appropriate, accurate translation. WHCs collected retrospective, quarterly data on employment for all women. They use life history calendar (LHC) techniques designed for improving recall and accuracy when collecting retrospective data, for example by using relative timing and memorable events at the individual and community level in a calendar type matrix. Using these individual (e.g., marriage, birth of a child) and community (e.g. earthquake, election, school construction) cues women reported whether they had worked for pay at all (i.e., were employed) during each of the quarters in the calendar, and if so, in what type of job, how many days they worked, and how much they earned. We use various regression methods to assess the relationship between maternal employment and child development: OLS models for continuous outcomes (ASQ scores) and logistic models for dichotomous outcomes (flagged as delayed). All models include control variables (mother’s education, caste/ethnicity, child’s age and birth order, and household wealth. Standard errors were clustered at the neighborhood level (models with SEs clustered at the mother level yield similar results). Following our regression models we estimate average marginal effects on the observed values to better interpret our results (Mize 2019). We also examined the role of earnings using measures of earnings in the quarter and the day rate (earnings/days worked in the quarter) for both the interview quarter and the quarter prior to the interview. Children whose mothers were not working in those quarters were coded as zero. Important findings • There was virtually no relationship between children’s development and maternal work at or near the time of the interview. • Maternal employment before the birth of the child was associated with significantly lower odds of the child being flagged for a developmental delay in 3 of the 5 domains (gross motor skills, fine motor skills, and personal social skills). • Earnings does not appear to be related to screening flags nor do they alter the relationship between employment and child development. Implications for research, policy and/or practice This research sheds light on the theoretical mechanisms linking maternal employment and child well-being. We provide new evidence of positive spill over benefits to children from women’s employment in LMICs, and demonstrate that these hold despite controlling for factors likely related to both maternal employment and child well-being. Furthermore, by using life course specific measures of maternal employment we identify that it is work early in the mother’s life course, before the child is born, that is ultimately beneficial to the child’s development. Together this evidence points away from immediate financial benefits of work for children or harmful time tradeoffs, and towards longer term pathways of women’s autonomy as mechanisms. Regarding policy, this work provides new insights into the increasingly global issue of work-family conflict. Although we do not find evidence that maternal work is harmful to children’s developmental progress, we also do not find evidence that contemporaneous work benefits children. Future research and policies should focus on this period to see how maternal work can continue to benefit children throughout the life course.

Perceptions of Work-Family Dynamics of Women Leaders in India.  Rupashree Baral, Indian Institute of Technology Madras; Neena Gopalan, University of Redlands; and Nicholas Beutell, Iona University

Despite commendable technological and economic achievements, India continues to be a patriarchal society where women perform the majority of household duties. Gender norms and roles are rather strictly expected, adhered to, and followed. This study considers the challenges faced by women leaders in balancing their professional responsibilities with traditional roles as wives, mothers, daughters-in-law, etc. While more Indian women are pursuing education and entering the workforce, the representation of women in leadership or managerial roles remains limited. Research focusing on women leaders in a predominantly male-centric society like India is sparce. The ways that Indian female leaders manage their professional obligations, organizational barriers/opportunities, and familial responsibilities/dynamics remain largely unexplored. Our study focused on 20 female Indian leaders representing different industries (e.g., finance), identified through a snowball sampling method. This exploratory, qualitative study used in-depth interviews examining how these women leaders achieved their leadership positions and how they have attempted to achieve work-family harmony. Data were analyzed through Thematic GIOIA method. Several interesting themes emerged on leadership role challenges and opportunities, work-family dynamics, and the incumbents’ perceptions of ‘justice’ in the family. This study provides a foundational basis for more targeted research on specific female demographics in India and for creating a "justice in the family scale". This contribution is both practical and theoretical, enriching the expanding body of literature on the advancement of women’s work and family lives.

Gender, Employment and Childcare: A Comparison of Urban China and Kazakhstan Families.  Moldir Kabylova, University of Nottingham; and Yunyan Li, University of Bristol

This study aims to investigate the implications of women’s experiences in organizing paid work and unpaid care on their dependence from family relationships in urban China and Kazakhstan. In the context of rising costs of living and rapid urbanisation in these two post-socialist societies, maintaining a dual-breadwinner household becomes necessary for most families. The study is based on data from 40 semi-structured interviews with women living in Guangzhou and Almaty. Our analysis is drawing on the theories of defamilisation referring to the degree to which individuals can choose (or not) to undertake care roles and maintain financial independence without relying on family relationships, and and re-familisation referring to more dependency on family resources. The findings show that women from affluent background in Almaty are, despite expectations, more likely to remain long-term unemployed and dependent on families, while women lacking financial resources are more likely to be employed and rely on grandparents’ help with childcare. Among Chinese women’s coping strategies, we find that, familisation remains a primary coping strategy in sharing childcare, in the form of sharing it personally in the past and, nowadays, a co-existence of financial and practical support. Contemporary China and Kazakhstan have generated more uncertainties for women in organising paid work and unpaid care autonomously given the resources available to them. Family is important, and in what way and how to maintain family support requires institutional and policy changes to address the emerging uncertainties.

Beyond the Nuclear Family: Unravelling Diverse Family Structures and Workplace Breastfeeding Support for Employed Women in the Global South.  Prudence Bongekile Mabaso, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal

As global initiatives intensify to create supportive workplace environments for breastfeeding mothers, understanding family structures is crucial for inclusive and effective policy and practice. Yet, existing perspectives predominantly centre around the white, middle-class, dual-earner paradigm, overlooking diverse family landscapes in historically oppressed regions like South Africa. This qualitative study, utilising in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with employed women, challenges the dominance of the nuclear family in supporting breastfeeding working mothers. Anchored Southern theories and intersectional analysis, the study critically examine the social, historical, and cultural contexts (e.g., high physical mobility between urban centres and rural villages and state of fatherhood) that shape unique family structures in South Africa, thus redefining our understanding of workplace breastfeeding. The study contributes to a pluralistic understanding of family and support, advocating for a holistic and culturally responsive approach to workplace breastfeeding initiatives. By amplifying voices from diverse family backgrounds, the study fosters nuanced strategies to address breastfeeding complexities in the workplace. With implications for management practices, this research aims to develop contextually informed strategies promoting sustained breastfeeding among employed women, acknowledging and addressing family diversity in the Global South.

Paper Session

Women at Work


The Propensity Towards Women’s Entrepreneurship: A Qualitative Study With Unemployment Women in Italy.  Medina Letizia, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Mila; Maria Letizia Bosoni, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Mila; and Sara Mazzucchelli, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Mila

International research documents that entrepreneurship is a gendered phenomenon, with yet a small women presence. Female entrepreneurship is still limited in the Italian context and is strongly affected by the gender gap. Several studies have highlighted that not only men are more likely than women to start their own business but also that when women do so they encounter more obstacles. Theorizations about motivations that drive entrepreneurship distinguish between necessity and opportunity entrepreneurship. Starting from these premises, the present study is aimed at identifying the key variables that influence women’s entrepreneurship choice, investigating the propensity towards entrepreneurship among women as well as hindering and facilitating factors. The study is part of a larger project, conducted in Italy in 2023. 4 Focus groups with 36 Italian non-working women of different age and family burdens (with/without children) have been conducted to understand if they are planning or can consider starting a venture. The focus sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed with the Nvivo and T-lab software. The results highlighted a low propensity of women to engage in entrepreneurial activity, which is hindered by numerous factors: the low support of the Italian state, the economic risk (the fear of losing money), the difficulty in reconciling work and family and the impact of a gender stereotype. In summary, necessity-entrepreneurship is little present, in favour of opportunity-driven motivations, because unemployed women could consider starting their own businesses to feel more fulfilled in their job.

Women in the Gig Work Economy: A Review and Implications for the Work-Family Literature.  Camille Desjardins, Renmin University of China

The gig work economy has followed a sharp rise over the past years and this trend is set to continue. Gig work is usually characterized by project-based pay, temporary labor and a certain level of flexibility in the execution of work (Watson et al., 2021). While much research on the topic of gig work has been conducted among men (e.g., in the ride-hailing and delivery industries), there is evidence that women are increasingly turning to this new form of work (MBO Partners, 2022). However, our knowledge of women's experiences in gig work is limited and the literature on the topic has developed haphazardly, resulting in a lack of clarity regarding what is known and what requires further exploration. In this paper, I take stock of the literature on women’s work and career experiences in the gig work economy by conducting a systematic review of 87 articles on the topic. This interdisciplinary research reviews the multi-level antecedents (from environmental -macro, meso and micro levels- to personal factors) that can shape women’s gig work experiences and the resulting outcomes for the women concerned (from financial to work-family and health outcomes). Bridging the interdisciplinary divides, the papers in this review are organized into an integrative framework of women’s gig work experience, which reviews past research to provide insights into the topic and outlines a way forward to shed light on a phenomenon for which many aspects remain to be explored. In the presentation, the implications for the work-family literature will be discussed.

The height and security of domestic workers’ wages: The role of household-, worker- and relationship-level characteristics.  David de Kort, Utrecht University; Tanja van der Lippe, Utrecht University; and Anne-Rigt Poortman, Utrecht University

Overarching concerns: Many households around the globe rely on the services of a domestic worker who helps them out with tasks like cleaning and laundering (Abrantes, 2014a; Duffy, 2020). Due to a lack of effective regulations on statutory minimum wages and income protections for domestic workers, households continue to play an important role in setting domestic workers’ wages. Scarce previous research indicates that many of these households provide their domestic helper with low wages (see Schierholz, 2013; Stacey, 2005; Theodore et al., 2018). In this study, we aim to improve our understanding of domestic workers’ wages in two ways. Firstly, households do not just have to negotiate how much they pay their domestic helper, but also whether they continue paying their domestic helper when cleaning appointments are cancelled due to illness, injury or holidays. We therefore do not just take into account the height of wages that households pay for domestic service, but also consider to what degree these wages are secure. Secondly, we expect that the lack of enforceable regulations on domestic workers’ wages gives rise to considerable differences in the wages that are paid by different households. We aim to describe these differences and to identify potential sources of these differences. Specifically, we hypothesize on the extent to which the height and security of wages are dependent on characteristics of households (such as their financial resources, volume of housework and time availability), domestic workers (such as ethnicity and age) and qualities of the relationship between the two (such as the recruitment channel used and the years of service). Research questions: We pose the following two research questions: (1) to what extent do the height and security of wages that households pay for domestic services differ across households? (2) to what extent do characteristics of households, domestic workers and qualities of the relationships between the two play a role in explaining differences in the height and security of wages that households pay for domestic services? Statement on methods: In October 2023, we presented a survey to 4334 members from a representative panel of Dutch households (response rate: 83%). Respondents were asked if they paid someone to clean their homes and those that did were presented with a list of questions about their domestic help and the formal and informal qualities of their relationship with their domestic help. 639 respondents stated to hire a domestic worker. After excluding respondents that received domestic help through state-funded cash-for-care and care-in-kind schemes and respondents with missings on relevant items, our analyses draw on data on 421 respondents. To measure the height of wages, respondents were asked how much they pay their domestic help for one hour of help. The security of wages was measured through three statements: ‘When your domestic worker is unable to work for two weeks due to (1) illness; (2) the help being on holiday; (3) you being on holiday, do you continue to pay his/her wage?’. Respondents that answered ‘yes’ to at least one of these items were given a score of ‘1’, other received a score of ‘0’. To answer our research questions, we use both descriptive and OLS/logistic regression techniques. Important findings: Preliminary descriptive findings indicate that the majority of Dutch households that hire a domestic worker pay above the minimum wage of roughly 12.25 euros per hour. The average hourly wage of 15.15 euros per hour even lies well above that minimum. Few households do however continue paying these wages in the event of cancelled cleaning appointments (only 16 percent), indicating that the security of domestic workers’ wages may present a more pressing issue than the height thereof. Results from the OLS/logistic regression analyses will be elaborated upon during the paper presentation.

Paper Session

Women's Economic Decision Making


Women’s work-related decision making and implications for economic well-being: Evidence from India.  Vedavati Patwardhan, University of California, San Diego; Katherine Hay, University of California, San Diego; Anita Raj, Tulane University; Apoorva Nambiar, International Institute for Population Sciences; Shruti Ambast, University of California, San Diego; Abhishek Singh, International Institute for Population Sciences; and Lotus McDougal, University of California, San Diego

OVERARCHING QUESTIONS / CONCERNS Worldwide, women participate in the workforce at lower rates than men. At 32%, female labor force participation (FLFP) in India indicates not only a female-male gap, but is also much lower than the global average of 50% (ILO, 2023). Regardless of women’s work status, men are more likely to make household financial decisions, both in India (Maxwell & Vaishnav, 2021; Steinert et al., 2023) and other geographical contexts (Munoz Boudet et al., 2013; Anderson et al., 2017; Njuki et al., 2019). Women retain little control over the ability to decide how money is used, whether for savings, investments, or consumption. Our paper aims to advance the literature on factors affecting women’s economic inclusion in India, particularly the role of female agency. A commonly used indicator of women’s agency is participation in household decision making. Decision making related to work likely plays an important role in shaping women’s propensity to work and financial autonomy, however, few empirical analyses have examined these relationships. Nationally representative surveys measure decision making as women’s agency over economic decisions such as spending on food, large household purchases, health care, social decisions such as children’s education and marriage, and mobility. Measures of work-related decision making are absent, and correspondingly, literature on the relationship between women’s decision to work and their propensity to work and control money is scant. Qualitative research from India (Steinert et. al, 2023) shows that women have very limited say in the decision to work as well as in financial decisions, including control over their own income and savings. Understanding these issues empirically must be prioritized, given that expansion of policies and programs designed to increase women’s workforce participation in India has had limited success in improving FLFP (Fletcher et al., 2017; Klasen, 2019). This study is designed to fill this conceptual and methodological gap in the literature by examining women’s decision making related to work and its association with women’s economic well-being outcomes, using new survey evidence from India. Here, we define decision-making via an assessment of who has final say over the woman’s decision to work (husband, wife, or both). STATEMENT ON METHODS Developed by the Center on Gender Equity and Health (GEH) at the University of California, San Diego, in partnership with the International Institute for Population Sciences and with advisement from UN Women, the survey sampled 6634 households in three states and is representative at the state level. Our study sample includes 2786 married women across the three states (956 women in Bihar, 966 women in Uttar Pradesh, 864 women in Maharashtra). These are the three most populous states in India, collectively accounting for around 35% of the national population. The primary outcomes of interest — women’s participation in paid work, control over personal income, household finances, savings, and remittances —were assessed using binary measures. We use logistic regressions to estimate the associations between women’s decision making about work and paid employment, control over personal income, household finances, savings and remittances in each state. We employ an inverse probability weighting (IPW) approach to account for differences in women’s observable characteristics and the probability of having decision making power. As a robustness check, we use a partial identification method (Oster, 2019) to calculate bounding values for co-efficients, and also demonstrate that our results are robust to using linear probability models. IMPORTANT FINDINGS •In all three states, we find a positive relationship between women’s sole and joint decision making agency related to work and their economic outcomes. •Sole decision making about work: Compared to those with no decision making agency, married women who were sole decision makers were 15, 12, and 36 percentage points (pp.) more likely to have engaged in paid employment in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, respectively. Women who were sole decision makers about their work were also 40 percentage points and 20 percentage points more likely to have control over household finances in Maharashtra and Bihar, respectively. •Joint decision making about work: Women in Maharashtra who reported joint decision making with their spouse were 24 percentage points more likely to have ever worked, compared to those whose spouses made the final decision. We did not observe this positive association between joint decision making and the probability of women’s employment in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. However, women who were joint decision makers were 11 pp., 13 pp., and 32 pp. more likely to have control over money in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, respectively, relative to those whose spouse was the final decision maker. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH, POLICY AND/OR PRACTICE Our study highlights the importance of women’s agency for economic inclusion, with the goal of guiding policy solutions that more directly consider women’s agency and norms. Through a new survey measure of economic agency that includes both sole and joint decision making about work, our paper broadens the conceptualization of women’s agency in the existing literature. Overall, our findings suggest that a programmatic focus on intrahousehold factors is necessary and is an important complement to other approaches to improve women’s economic participation and agency. Research on programs involving men in women’s economic programs, for example by increasing information about women’s work opportunities, is not promising (Lowe & Mckelway, 2021; Dean & Jayachandran, 2019), but should continue to be monitored for insight. Interventions that raise women’s aspirations to work also hold promise (Ahmed et al., 2023; McKelway, 2023; Orkin et al., 2023), as do community-based initiatives such as self-help groups, co-operatives and village savings and loans associations (VSLAs) that help change norms around women earning and controlling income (Britt, 2022).

Ill Matched or Right for Each Other? An Exploration of Copreneurial Ventures, Family Dynamic, and Firm Performance.  Chiung-Wen Tsao, National University of Tainan

The number of copreneurial ventures (couple-owned businesses) is on the increase, however, little is known of the factors that influence the success of this type of family business. Wives have traditionally played many subtle roles in family firms: spouse, parent, in-law, and family leader. And most importantly, they play the role of care givers for the peace and harmony in the family and in the firm. Wives’ involvement is critical and substantial in both family and business spheres, however, a consideration of the potential effects of wives’ involvement in family business is largely absent from the general family business research literature. The decision to launch a business should depend not only on analysis of the opportunity, but also on the degrees to which one's spouse shares a common vision about the goals, risks, and rewards of the business. This research draws upon resource-based view (RBV) and family capital perspectives in order to identify the various facets of wives’ involvements in copreneurial ventures, and aims to extend our understanding of the involvement of wives that predict the family dynamic and success of couple-owned businesses. This study employed the multiple-case study interview and documentary data to capture the thought and behavior of the co-entrepreneurial couples from five successful Taiwanese family businesses. A conceptual framework and related propositions were developed, which provides a practical tool for understanding the various facets of wives’ involvements and their impact on both family dynamic, and firm performance of copreneurial ventures.

The Feminization of Freedom: An Analysis of Love, Happiness and Freedom From the Perspective of Single, Never-Married, Childfree Women of Color.  Kimberly Martinez Phillips, Memorial University

This article addresses singleness as a state of being and not a transition for single, never-married, voluntarily childfree women of color. As the characterization of adult romantic relationships has evolved, the meaning of singleness has also gone through a transformation. My research applies the theoretical frameworks of feminist standpoint theory and decolonial feminism through an intersectional lens to explain how women of color experience love and relationships in a non-traditional way, and how they create a singular corridor that allows them to exist on the boundaries of heteronormative marriage and romantic love. I examine two research questions: 1) How do never-married, voluntarily childfree women of color experience and feel about romantic love, singleness, sex, and attachments in society? and 2) how do their experiences within these contexts construct a sense of self? My study utilized a qualitative research methodology with an inductive inquiry approach. I conducted forty semi-structured interviews with women between 36 and 61 years old. I argue that these women have a unique positionality in society. They are women who have remained free from the heteronormative obligations to a husband or children, and they are also women who have not had the privileges of some of their white counterparts. Therefore, they have a group-based experience and knowledge that is rooted in group identity.

Paper Session

Work Hour Preferences and Problems


The Impact of Paid Time Off On Job Satisfaction and Resignations.  Candice Vander Weerdt, Cleveland State University; LeaAnne DeRigne, Florida Atlantic University; and Patricia Stoddard-Dare, Cleveland State University

A representative sample of US adults born between 1980 and 1984 surveyed via the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 was used to examine the relationship between paid time off (combined sick days, vacation, and personal leave) and job satisfaction and resignations. While controlling for 17 demographic and employment-related variables, logistic regression and fixed effects modeling reveal over a 17-year period access to 6 to 10 paid time off days is related to significantly increased job satisfaction for male workers, while 11 or more paid time off days is needed to observe a statistically significant increase in job satisfaction for all workers and female employees. There is no relationship between paid time off and resignations for employees afforded a low (1-5) number of days off per year; however, there is a significant reduction in turnover for employees who are provided a moderate (6-10) number of days or a generous ( 11 or more) number of paid days off. When analyzed in separate logistic models for males and females, a similar pattern was revealed with both males and females experiencing a statistically significant reduction in turnover when given a moderate or generous number of paid time off days. This research suggests one factor that led to the Great Resignation, paid time off, is an enduring rather than fleeting business concern. Implications for family policy and business will be discussed.

What Part of Well Being Are We Not Getting? Associations of Underemployment and Involuntary vs. Voluntary Part Time With Health, Happiness and Work-Family Outcomes.  Lonnie Golden, Penn State University - Abington College; and Jaeseung Kim, Sungkyungkwan University

Underemployment remains under-researched, not only as an indicator of labor underutilization, but as a threat to workers’ well-being and health. Our study explores how underemployment -- workers constrained by the labor market or their job to work part time (PT) but wishing to work more hours or to have a full-time (FT) job -- is associated with general health, emotional well-being, current happiness at work and job satisfaction. We use primary data collected in a two-wave panel in 2023 (N=1200, US) to establish both cross sectional and dynamic relationships between indicators of worker well being and three alternative measures of underemployment--working part time for involuntary reasons (IVPT); working PT and indicating a desire to work more weekly hours; and working PT but preferring a full time job. Wave I data find that, compared to full-time workers, IVPT workers showed lower self-rated health and higher frequency of emotional difficulties. PT workers who want more hours have more frequent emotional problems but not reduced health. PT workers who prefer a full-time job reported lower happiness at work, more emotional difficulty and more sick days, but not poorer health. In contrast, working PT for voluntary (VPT) reasons show consistently positive outcomes. Demographic and job characteristics amplify the reduced health status and job happiness: nonwhite and hourly-paid underemployed workers reported particularly lower life satisfaction and job happiness. Finally, fixed effects tests focus on the workers experiencing transitions into and out of the state of underemployment after 6 months, to cope with potential worker heterogeneity or endogeneity.

Here to Stay? Alternating Weekly Work Schedules and the Future of Work in Organisational Settings in Ghana.  Kwaku Abrefa Busia, Lingnan University

Following the realities of public restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic on one hand and inadequate workplace resources to accommodate all workers on the other hand, some Ghanaian organisations began to experiment an alternating weekly work schedule (AWWS). This novel flexible work arrangement allows employees to work for a particular weekday and then take a break from work for their personal life in the following weekday as their colleagues take charge of work responsibilities in a rotational manner. Drawing from in-depth interviews with 25 employees in public and private organizations, this qualitative study investigated the origins of this flexible work practice, individual and organisational benefits of the practice, as well as the challenges that comes with this alternating weekly work schedule. Preliminary research findings demonstrate that workers viewed the practice as beneficial in terms of greater work-life balance, reduced transportation cost to and from work, enhanced occupational commitment and improved work performance. For the organisations, this new work schedule arrangement was found to reduce organisational costs, enhance workplace well-being and facilitate organisational teambuilding.

No More Go-Getters? Empirical Evidence From Germany on Job Preferences.  Lena Hipp, WZB - Social Science Research Center Berli; and Erin Kelly, MIT - Sloan School of Management

The work-life field has long included research on work orientations and job preferences, which have been tied to the gender wage gap and generational dynamics more recently. The idea of “compensating differentials”—where women and especially mothers trade off higher wages for more family-supportive conditions—is thought to explain gender wage gaps. However, the empirical evidence on job preferences is not clear and is arguably out of date. Millenials and GenZers are now commonly stereotyped as prioritizing work-life balance, as lazy quiet-quitters. The media has proclaimed the “end of ambition” (Time Magazine, October 2022) among cohorts born after the mid-1990s, but research on cohort differences is also inconclusive. In a survey of 4,203 respondents in Germany, respondents were asked to choose from two hypothetical jobs that varied in income (10% more than current or 5% less), opportunities for professional advancement (good or few), and working hours (“long hours are common and availability outside of regular work is expected” or “working hours are flexible and [other employees say] they do not work longer than contracted”). Most women and men would prefer jobs with flexible and predictable working hours, even with lower salaries and less advancement. Women express preferences for these types of jobs at even higher rates than men (p<0.05), with no significant differences between parents and nonparents within gender. The interest in the no-advancement, steady job was lowest for those in their 20s, suggesting that it is actually workers aged 30+ who are more interested in less intensive work.

Tipping the Scales: Identifying the Working Hour Thresholds Impacting Health and Gender Wage Disparities.  Sunjin Pak, California State University, Bakersfield; Amit Kramer, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaig; and Yun-Kyoung “Gail” Kim, Salisbury University

In this study, we delve into the intricate interplay of working hours and perceived health, and its subsequent influence on gender wage disparity, within South Korean context. Drawing from the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study (KLIPS) spanning 2013 to 2021, a causal link between working hours and perceived health is established. Employing cross-lagged and instrumental variable approaches, this study highlights the distinct health impacts of working hours on men and women, resulting in gender-specific wage differences. The 2018 policy amendment in South Korea, which lowered the maximum weekly working hours, served as an instrumental variable. Key findings reveal an inverted U-curve relationship between working hours and health, with discerned inflection points at 41.36 hours per week for men and 28.95 hours for women. Additionally, our analysis uncovers a bidirectional relationship between self-perceived health and earnings. Consequently, prolonged work durations have a more pronounced negative impact on women's health, which might contribute to wage discrepancies. In summary, South Korea's 2018 initiative to curtail weekly working hours might play a pivotal role in narrowing both the health and wage disparities between genders. As the workforce transitions towards schedules that prioritize individual health boundaries, it is plausible to anticipate a progression towards more balanced health and wage outcomes across genders in the South Korean professional environment.

Paper Session

Work-Family Conflict: Examples From Around the Globe


How the Sense of Community Experienced in Your Neighborhood Can Affect Your Work-Family Conflict.  Mélanie Trottier, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) - École des Sciences de la Gestion (ESG); Mathieu Philibert, University of Québec in Montreal; and Philippe-Benoît Côté, University of Québec in Montreal

In a period when roles and boundaries are being redefined (eg. telework), it seems relevant to bring community back onto the agenda and see how it can contribute to better work-family balance. This study presents a portrait of the neighborhood sense of community (SOC) experienced by parents during the pandemic and the relationship between its dimensions with both family-to-work (FWC) and work-to-family conflict (WFC). It is based on a mixed design (qual QUAN) conducted during the pandemic with 374 workers. Dimensions of integration and satisfaction of needs and membership are involved in reducing work and family-related tension while the dimension of shared emotional connection, is associated with higher FWC. Results seem to support the idea that the sense of belonging to a community in one's neighborhood provides resources that can be useful in juggling work and family demands, although the emotional connection can threaten those resources. The study contributes to the SOC literature by providing a differentiated analysis of its dimensions. In the light of the results presented, it might be tempting to ask whether the investment in the neighborhood is worth the cost and future studies should continue examining the specific effects of SOC’s dimensions.

Gender Ideologies and Work-Family Conflict: A Global Perspective.  Srinivas Goli, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

With the changing structure of family and the nature of work, considerable attention has been devoted to assessing how the two domains are managed in the modern era. While plenty of extant research has focused on the work and family interface, growing scholarship does not offer conclusive evidence on the association between work-family conflict (WFC) and individual gender ideology. Since gender ideology impinges on various work and family behaviours, from the choice of occupation to the division of labour, this study is set to answer whether individuals with non-traditional gender ideology experience more WFC than people with traditional gender ideology. The study uses data from the International Social Survey Programme 2012 module’ Family and Changing Gender Roles’. The study finds a significant positive association (β=.263, p<0.01) between WFC and gender ideology. Consequently, the hypothesis that individuals adhering to nonconventional or gender egalitarian attitudes are more susceptible to experiencing tensions between work and family holds. On the flip side, individuals with a traditional outlook regarding gender ideology, where gender-based paid and unpaid responsibilities are emphasized, have a lower likelihood of experiencing WFC. Those embracing egalitarian gender beliefs might find balancing work and family demands challenging due to their desire to enhance personal well-being, including nurturing talents, fostering creativity, or pursuing other self-actualization goals. Additionally, progressive gender attitudes, such as integrating women into the labour force and believing in equal contributions to unpaid family work along with paid work responsibilities, can help to address the challenge.

Navigating the Clash: Greedy Work, Intensive Parenting, and Work-Family Conflict.  Peipei Hong, Zhejiang University; Nuannuan Zhou, Zhejiang University; and Song Lin, Zhejiang University

Overarching Concerns The greedy work culture (Goldin, 2021) has coincided with a trend toward child-centered intensive parenting—a parenting practice that demands tremendous financial, emotional, and labor investment from parents (Hays, 1996; Nomaguchi & Milkie, 2023). This clash between intensive parenthood and a demanding work culture poses significant challenges for working parents, presumably exacerbating work-family conflict. In this presentation, we will showcase a 12-week weekly diary study conducted in China that seeks to understand the dynamics between intensive parenting, work stress, and work-family conflict. Statement on Methods A sample of 117 parent-adolescent dyads (83.1% mothers, Mage = 44.33 years; 58.3% adolescent girls, Mage = 15.38 years) completed a 12-week weekly protocol. Parents reported their work stress on the Workplace Stress Scale at the baseline survey. Each weekend, parents reported their: • Parental involvement: how much they were involved in their adolescent children’s lives over the past week (e.g., “children’s safety and health,” “children’s academic activities and school performance”); • Overparenting (also known as helicopter parenting): how much they practiced overinvolvement over the past week (e.g., “This week, I tried to help my child whenever possible even if he/she can do it on his/her own.”); • Work-to-family conflict (e.g., “The demands of my work interfere with my home and family life.”); • Family-to-work conflict (e.g., “I have to put off doing things at work because of demands on my time at home.”) over the past week. Important Findings • Baseline work stress was positively associated with weekly work-family conflict; parents with higher levels of baseline work stress experienced higher weekly work-family conflict. • No significant association was found between weekly parental involvement and weekly work-family conflict, controlling for baseline work stress. • The within-person effect of weekly overparenting on weekly family-to-work conflict was significant, controlling for baseline work stress. During weeks when parents engaged in higher-than-usual levels of overparenting (relative to their average levels of overparenting), they experienced increased family-to-work conflict. • The between-person effect of overparenting on weekly work-family conflict was also significant, controlling for baseline work stress. Compared to parents with a lower level of usual overparenting, parents with a higher level of usual overparenting tended to experience more weekly work-family conflict. Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice The findings suggest that high levels of parental involvement are not necessarily linked to family-to-work conflict. It is overparenting—parental overinvolvement in their children’s lives—that is linked to higher family-to-work conflict, independent of work stress. These findings can guide family life educators and practitioners in helping working parents reduce overparenting practices at home. The intensive parenting culture should be cautious of the harm of overparenting, not only for children but also for parents' well-being.

The Realities: Uncovering Work-Family Conflict Coping Typologies Among Bank Managers in Ghana.  Abigail Opoku Mensah, University of Professional Studies; Mercy DeSouza, University of Professional Studies; and Joan-Ark Manu Agyapong, University of Cape Coast

Opoku Mensah, A., Desouza, M., & Manu Agyapong, J. Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to understand how Managers in the Banking sector experience work-family conflict (work interfering with family conflict and family interfering work conflict) and also to know the coping strategies used by Managers in balancing work and family conflict from an African perspective. Design The study was qualitative. Participants for the study were conveniently selected from three cities in Ghana with a total sample of 12 managers who were purposively selected for the study. Data was collected using face-to-face interview. Findings The study confirmed the proposition that managers experience more work-interfering with family (WIF) than family interfering with work (FIW) conflict. Also, five main coping strategies emerged in this study as measures used by these managers in balancing WIF/FIW conflict. Implications The findings revealed unique coping strategies which were identified to have come from major sources. That is employees play a role as well as the organization as a whole. This implies that both parties must come to a consensus for these measures to be an effective tool in balancing WIF/FIW. Originality The emerged coping strategies are ground breaking coming from an African perspective. This study contribute greatly to WFC literature highlighting the unique coping strategies used by Managers in managing work-family conflict. Overall, the findings extend identified work-family conflict coping typologies in the existing literature for professionals in the banking sector in balancing their work and family roles. Keywords: work-family conflict, coping strategies, managers,

Paper Session

Work-Family Experiences and Negotiations During the COVID-19 Pandemic


Lessons from the COVID 19 Pandemic: The Lingering Impact of a Reduction in Parental Self-Care Behaviors.  Leslie Forde, Mom&#x27;s Hierarchy of Needs; and Kelly Basile, Emmanuel College

The COVID-19 pandemic created significant challenges for working parents, particularly mothers, in terms of their ability to manage work and family roles (Hjálmsdóttir & Bjarnadóttir, 2021). A common by-product of increased challenges to work-family role management is a reduction in self-care among those with caring responsibilities for others (Coye et al., 2020). This study seeks to examine some of the challenges to self-care that have lingered despite the lifting of COVID restrictions and resumption of traditional services and resources. This study involves an ongoing survey of parents about their goals, behaviors and barriers related to self-care. Data has been collected from nine separate cohorts of participants since the survey began in March 2020. The use of time-based cohorts allows us to track trends in parents’ self-care behaviors during and post COVID-19 pandemic. Preliminary results from the 3,280 participants suggest that parents continue to engage in self-care behaviors at a level that is lower than pre-pandemic behaviors. Further, results also suggests that within the past year, parents are more likely to report that they are doing ‘terribly’ or ‘not as well as usual’ in their role as a spouse or partner and in their role as a caregiver to themselves than they were during the first year of the pandemic. However, parents are also less likely to report that they are doing ‘terribly’ or ‘not as well as usual’ in their roles as partners or workers. Results suggest the importance of identifying ongoing barriers to self-care behaviors that have persisted beyond pandemic conditions.

More equal, more satisfied? Division of unpaid work and different-sex parents’ satisfaction with this division.  Ilyar Heydari Barardehi, University of Warsaw; and Anna Kurowska, University of Warsaw

Overarching questions/concerns: We explore the relationship between the perceived division of childcare and housework tasks and the degree of satisfaction parents derive from this division. We examine linear as well as nonlinear relationships between unpaid work arrangements and satisfaction. This approach allows us to assess whether an equal division of unpaid labor is more satisfactory for partners than over-involvement or under-involvement in the unpaid sphere. We also examine whether it is more satisfactory for both genders. In this study we also investigate the moderating role of paid work engagement for studied relationships. Specifically, we seek to explore whether mothers' paid work hours moderate the relationship between unpaid work arrangements and satisfaction with these arrangements. Statement on data and methods: For our empirical analyses, we used the Familydemic Harmonized Dataset, a collaborative international project dedicated to exploring facets of family dynamics, gender roles, and work-related dynamics during the COVID-19 pandemic. This survey initiative encompassed substantial random samples, with a minimum of 2,000 respondents per country, consisting of parents with dependent children. Data collection occurred from June to September 2021 and spanned six nations: Canada, Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden, and the United States. To examine the association between the division of unpaid work and parents' satisfaction with their unpaid work arrangements, we employed regular Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions while incorporating country-level fixed effects. Given the hierarchical structure of our data, with individuals nested within countries, it was crucial to account for this structure appropriately. However, before proceeding, we conducted a preliminary analysis to assess the proportion of total variance attributable to differences between countries. We performed a straightforward Interclass Correlation (ICC) test, which indicated that the between-country variation was relatively small compared to the within-country variation (ICC = 0.005). Consequently, we focused on models that are suitable for capturing within-country variation. Our approach involved implementing a fixed-effect strategy that included country indicators, thereby allowing us to account for unobservable country-level factors. We also estimated alternative specifications where we estimated gender differences in satisfaction by interacting our key explanatory variables with the gender identifier. In order to explore the role of other moderators, we applied three-way interactions. In addition, a quadratic term of our scales was introduced into our regression models to test the hypotheses on the nonlinearity of studied relationships. Important findings: We show that satisfaction levels follow a nonlinear, reverse U-shaped pattern with perceived equity in the division of childcare tasks between partners. Both mothers and fathers are more satisfied with a more equal division of childcare compared to situations where they under-benefit or over-benefit. Interestingly, mothers who over-benefit in the division of housework display higher satisfaction levels than those with a relatively equal division, which may be due to the symbolic value of men's involvement in housework. Women's satisfaction is more significantly affected by perceived self-inequality in the division of unpaid labor than men's. Furthermore, only women's satisfaction is influenced by the intensity of engagement in paid work, which reflects the negative impact of a 'dual burden' on women's well-being. Lastly, women consistently report lower satisfaction levels with the division of childcare and housework tasks than men, which aligns with the persisting gendered patterns of unpaid work distribution. Implications for research: Our study's findings partially support to the equity theory, indicating that a relatively equal distribution of household responsibilities is associated with higher levels of satisfaction with unpaid labor among fathers. Nevertheless, gender emerges as a significant factor influencing satisfaction with household work divisions, particularly when analyzed together with involvement in paid work. Furthermore, the type of domestic work (childcare versus housework) matters because the division of unpaid tasks is related to satisfaction from this division. Our findings contribute to the literature on maternal well-being at home, emphasizing the adverse consequences of mothers' extensive involvement in domestic labor, particularly among employed ones. Given the persistent unequal distribution of responsibilities, the relatively higher satisfaction cost associated with under-benefiting inequality at home adds to the prevailing gender gap in life satisfaction experienced by working mothers in contemporary societies. It also emphasizes the necessity to incorporate gendered preferences into future theoretical and empirical investigations of the intrahousehold division of unpaid work. As a growing number of empirical and theoretical endeavors suggest, family scholars should embrace an integrated approach that acknowledges the interplay between socioeconomic equity considerations and gender complexities

The Contours of Emotional Gaps Between Mothers and Fathers: Deflecting Guilt During Pandemic Times.  Melissa Milkie, University of Toronto; Laila Omar, Princeton University; and Casey Scheibling, University of Nevada, Reno

Parental guilt is an important social problem tied to fathers’ and especially mothers’ wellbeing. Although research suggests a guilt gap, with women feeling moral pressure to sacrifice work for family and meet very high standards, examining how parents deflect guilt to buffer other negative emotions and distress can extend knowledge of the contours of the gendered gap. Within a stress process framework, we analyze the construction and deflection of guilt with interview data from 150 American, Australian and Canadian parents in 2021. Results indicate 73% of mothers report some guilt compared to 42% of fathers. Parents utilize rich vocabularies of guilt in maintaining a “good parent” identity. Many mothers (and a few fathers) seem unable to deflect feelings of inadequacy, describing guilt as the “fabric of life” of parenting. Mothers’ descriptions of “mom guilt” include both relief and humor but also foretell relentless pressure. Yet parents also discursively deflect guilt in three notable ways. First, some parents effectively deflect guilt to narrow channels of activity or isolated spheres of emotion. Second, parents of both genders, but especially fathers, are able to thwart some negative emotions from guilt through deflection to macro causes like the pandemic. Third, fathers articulate connected deflection by emphasizing guilt as a shared experience with their partners, potentially minimizing negative emotion. We discuss how the gendered nature of work and family ideologies link to the differential power to deflect guilt, leaving many mothers to contend psychologically with responsibilities across a broad array of family and child problems.

Revisiting Gender Inequality in Housework during the Pandemic 2019-2022.  Haoming Song, Case Western Reserve University

Overarching questions: How did the gender inequality in housework change during the pandemic? An emerging line of work documents the gendered consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, but studies on housework division are limited. Most of them focused on parents in 2019 and 2020 and showed inconsistent results. In this study, I use high quality data to adjudicate existing evidence and call for specific attention to childless couples and longer time trends. Statement on methods: Using nationally representative time diary data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), I examine total, routine, and non-routine housework among different-sex dual-earner couples from 2019 to 2022. Important findings: My population-level estimates echoed prior studies to show an overall increase in housework time across gender and parental status in 2020. Two new findings emerged. 1) from 2019 to 2020, only among childless couples but not parents were changes in gender housework gap statistically significant and sizable. Specifically, childless women contributed more total and routine housework than male counterparts, exacerbating the gap by over thirty minutes daily. 2) such trends were relatively short-term and reversed in 2021 and 2022. Implications: The study highlights the power of gender in guiding housework division particularly among childless couples and indicates parents’ potential prioritization of childcare at chaotic times. Broadly, it informs future studies on using high-quality data to intentionally incorporate family diversity into studying the gendered and unequal consequences of disruptive events in the long term.

Relationship Between the Work-Family Interface, Gender Role Ideology, Household Chores and Organizational Citizenship Behavior During Covid..  Ujvala Rajadhyaksha, Governors State University; Zeynep Aycan, Koc University; Feldt Taru, University of Jyväskylä; Rantanen Johanna, University of Jyväskylä; Dilem Cinli, Koc University; Meryem Seyda Zayim, Koc University; and Ayse Burcin Baskurt, University of East London

Current COVID-19 studies suggest that the pandemic particularly negatively affected women in terms of work-family balance. We advance this research line by examining how conservative gender ideology (CGRI) is related to this phenomenon by utilizing a pan cultural perspective as opposed to a more commonly used cross-cultural perspective. The 2022 Global Gender Gap Index ranks Turkey 133rd, UK 30th, US 23rd and Finland 2nd out of 156 countries. This increased the variance in CGRI in our data (n = 819 working parents, 60% women) which was collected during COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021 via one time point e-surveys in these four countries (Turkish participants representing 32% of the whole sample and US, UK, and Finnish participants 32%, 18% and 18%, respectively). More precisely, we investigated how CGRI, time spent on household chores, work-to-family and family-to-work conflicts (WFC, FWC), work-family balance (WFB) and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) were linked to each other. Structural equation model (SEM) analyses showed that among both genders high CGRI was linked to higher time spent on household chores which was further linked to high OCB via high WFB. Instead, only among women high CGRI was linked to higher time spent on household chores which was further linked to high OCB via low WFC. These findings seem to suggest that high CGRI and involvement in household chores, possibly both reflecting strong family values, were assets for working parents during COVID-19 pandemic conditions forcing them into very intensive reconciliation of remote work and household chores (e.g., due to 24/7 childcare).

Paper Session

Work-Family Interface, Emotions, and Mental Health


Supervisor-Directed Anger as a Link Between Work-Family Conflict and Unethical Pro-Family Behaviors: An Attributional Perspective.  Lusi Wu, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; and Matthew Perrigino, CUNY - Baruch College

Research is increasingly exploring how internal-focused emotions (e.g., guilt) impact the connection between work-family conflict (WFC) and unethical pro-family behaviors (UPFB). We add to this conversation by integrating the attributional model of WFC, arguing that employees may also blame their WFC on external causes – most notably, their supervisor. We begin by hypothesizing an indirect effect, where anger directed towards supervisor mediates the relationship between WFC and UPFB (while controlling for the mediating role of guilt). These results are supported in a field-based study using a three-wave time-lagged survey design. Next, we hypothesize a conditional indirect effect where (1) experienced WFC prompts anger directed toward one’s supervisor, which in turn leads to increased UPFB, and (2) the extent to which the WFC is viewed as controllable (uncontrollable) by the supervisor strengthens (weakens) the association between WFC and anger towards supervisor. These results are again supported, this time using a pre-registered experimental design. Taken together, our work expands the nomological network of mechanisms that link WFC and UPFB by addressing the key roles of anger and external attributions in the experience of WFC. Theoretical implications, directions for future research, and practical implications are also discussed.

Psychological Health of Workers in Turbulent Times: The Role of Work-Life Balance and Work-Life Conflict.  Sophie Drouin-Rousseau, Université de Moncton; Stéphanie Austin, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières; and Julie Levesque-Côté, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

Overarching questions/concerns: The COVID-19 pandemic led to several disturbances in the world of work (e.g. forced teleworking, new work policies). Despite numerous studies on work-life balance and conflict (e.g., Gröpel & Kuhl, 2009; Fiksenbaum, 2014), few of them take place against a backdrop of turbulence such as that generated by the recent pandemic. A question arises: What has been the impact of this new reality, marked by turbulence and uncertainty, on the psychological health of professionals? The aim of this study is to examine the role of work-life balance and work-life conflict in the relationship between turbulence, uncertainty, and psychological health. More precisely, we hypothesised that the ability to balance work and life and the perception of conflict between work and life will mediate the relationship between perceptions of turbulence and incertitude and professionals’ well-being and psychological distress. Statement on methods: The present study was carried out among 370 university professionals (75,8% women) in the province of Quebec in the midst of the pandemic (summer 2020). An invitation to participate to an online self-reported questionnaire about current work experience was sent to a pre-determine list of potential participants. Mediation analyses (Mplus v8.6) were used to assess associations between variables of interest. Important findings: The results show: • No direct association between participants’ perception of turbulence and uncertainty and either psychological well-being or psychological distress; • A negative association between perceptions of turbulence and incertitude on the ability to balance work and life, as well as a positive association between turbulence and incertitude on the perception of work-life conflict; • A positive association between work-life balance and well-being and a negative association with psychological distress; • A positive association between work-life conflict and psychological distress and a negative association with well-being; • A full mediation of work-life balance and work-life conflict in the relationship between perceptions of turbulence and uncertainty and psychological well-being and distress. Implications for research, policy and/or practice: In terms of implications for research, the present study further supports the role of work-life balance in fostering better psychological health of workers, while a perception of work-life conflict puts them at risk for psychological ill-being. Furthermore, it highlights the importance these relations in times of turbulence and uncertainty when there are several changes in the work setting. In terms of implication for policies and practices, the results further support the need for formal work-life balance practices and proposes that organizations would benefit in demonstrating flexibility towards employees needs in terms of work-life in time of turbulence. In addition, it is of great importance to implement communication tools and practices to reduce uncertainty in times of changes.

Investigating the Association Between Work Family Conflicts (WFC) and Suicidal Ideation in an Australian Community-Based Cohort Study.  Tianying Wang, Australian National University; Liana Leach, Australian National University; Amanda Cooklin, La Trobe University; Lyndall Strazdins, Australian National University; and Peter Butterworth, Australian National University

Concerns: Suicidal ideation, a significant public health issue, necessitates further investigation of its correlates and precursors. Extensive research highlights the association between Work Family Conflicts (WFC) and psychological distress, including depression. However, research examining the correlation between high WFC experiences and suicidal ideation is sparse. This study explores the association between WFC and suicidal ideation within an occupation non-specific community sample. Methods: Community-based, representative data from the Australian-based Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life project formed the basis of this study. Participants eligible for the study (N=1312) were employed either full-time or part-time and took part in an online questionnaire. Importantly, the data include robust measures of WFC, active suicidal ideation, and depression. Findings: • After adjusting for psychosocial job characteristics, history of suicidal ideation, and other socio-demographic factors, high WFC was associated with increased odds of active suicidal ideation (Model 4: OR: 1.58, CI: 1.04-2.40). • Supplementary analyses indicated that depression is an important component of this relationship. • Experiences of WFC are potentially directly linked to active suicidal ideation for men, while more investigation is needed to understand the paucity of an association for women. Implications: This is one of the first population-based, community studies to evaluate the relationship between high WFC and active suicidal ideation, and to consider the potential involvement of adverse psychosocial job conditions and potential gender differences. The findings not only establish a connection between a high level of WFC and an increased probability of suicidal ideation, but also indicate that the influence of WFC on suicidal ideation may be more evident for males than females. This gender-specific finding suggests that future research and interventions should place greater emphasis on understanding and addressing potential impacts not only for women (who have traditionally be a focus), but clearly for men. Reducing WFC together with improving related depression and promoting positive psychosocial work environments, is a promising avenue for reducing suicidal ideation.

Short-Term Work and Non-Work Stressor Pile-Up on Parent and Adolescent Sleep.  Kimberly French, Colorado State University; Claire Smith, University of South Florida; Soomi Lee, Pennsylvania State University (Penn State); and Zheng Chen, University of South Florida

Sleep is a fundamental health behavior that is underpinned by physiological processes and can be disrupted by stress (Benham, 2010; Marcusson-Clavertz et al., 2022). Grounded in and expanding upon the allostatic load model (McEwen & Seeman, 1999) and crossover theory (Westman, 2001), the present study examines how repeated exposure to work and non-work stressors (i.e., stressor pile-up; Grzywacz & Almeida, 2008), over several days relates to day-to-day sleep quantity and quality in both parents and their adolescent children. We used daily survey data collected over eight days from parent-adolescent dyads (N = 131 dyads, 1,104 daily observations) as part of the Work, Family, and Health Network Study. Participants reported daily sleep quantity and quality, as well as severity of daily stressors at work (parents only) and outside of work (parents and adolescents). Stressor pile-up was calculated as the sum of daily stressor severity from previous diary days until the current day. Multilevel modeling results showed one intrapersonal effect, such that parents’ nonwork stressor pile-up was related to a linear decrease in their own sleep quality. Two crossover effects were found, such that parents’ work stressor pile-up was associated with longer (healthier) sleep quantity among adolescents at a decelerating rate. Additionally, parents’ nonwork stressor pile-up was linearly associated with adolescents’ poorer sleep quality. There were no significant effects of adolescent stressor pile-up on parent or adolescent sleep. Our results suggest that parent (but not adolescent) stressor pile-up has mixed implications for parent and adolescent sleep.

Paper Session

Work-Family Interface: The Role of Family Policies


Employers' Role in Shaping Family Leave Policies in the United States: A Qualitative Analysis of Legal Cases.  So Yun Park, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Overarching Questions/Concerns: In the United States, the issue of family leave policies is pressing, with the country lagging behind others in providing universal paid family leave. This responsibility often falls to individual states and employers, leading to a patchwork of complex policies. The intricacies of diverse policy options and their interpretation and varying jurisdictional norms exacerbate employees' challenges when navigating family leave. Moreover, increased family responsibility discrimination (FRD) lawsuits and FMLA-related complaints underscore the need for a deeper understanding of how employers implement such policies. Reasons for these complaints include refusal to grant leave, restore the employee to an equivalent position, job termination, and discrimination, suggesting that employees face significant difficulties navigating existing leave-related policies and returning to the workplace after using them. Existing research has explored the impact of family leave on work-family balance and the stigma associated with its use, particularly for mothers who may face adverse career-related outcomes. However, less attention has been given to the interaction between employees seeking access to legally mandated or employer-provided family leave benefits and employers managing these policies. Scholars have shown that legal rules undergo a process where subjects determine what it means to comply with them and what actions help demonstrate their compliance, often legitimizing choices based on economic or social principles. However, a significant gap remains in understanding these dynamics from the employers’ perspective. This study aims to fill this crucial gap by examining the conflicts and challenges in the application of family leave policies, focusing on how employers establish eligibility criteria and navigate legal and moral domains. By immersing itself in employer and employee conflicts concerning leave usage, this study aims to provide essential insights into family leave policies and their practical application. Statement on Methods: This study employs qualitative content analysis of 143 court cases from California, covering the period from 2004 to 2022, which encompasses the years following the passage of the state’s paid family leave law. The court cases were sourced from the Westlaw database, which allowed for a comprehensive search of relevant documents using keywords related to family leave. An initial screening process was conducted to select relevant court opinions. Only those on family leave use were included in the final database. The chosen court cases provide a unique data source, as employers (defendants) must justify and win claims presented by employees (plaintiffs), offering insights into how employers rationalize their actions within legal and moral frameworks. This method allows for examining the institutional and cultural contexts influencing family leave policy usage and the underlying justifications for such structural arrangements. Important Findings: Impact of Institutional Structure - Reclassification Strategies: Employers often reclassify employee leave to manage eligibility and compliance with policies. - Internal Policy Dynamics: The introduction of internal rules by firms significantly shapes family leave utilization. - Eligibility Debates: The frequent contestation of employee eligibility under statutory provisions often puts employees in precarious situations. Influence of Organizational Culture - Retribution Dynamics: Employees often encounter threats of retribution upon requesting leave. - Lack of Social Support: Utilizing family leave can attract negative comments and evaluations. - Deceptive Acts of Good Faith: Decisions made without the employee's knowledge, purportedly for their benefit, reveal deceptive practices. Implications for Research, Policy, and/or Practice: This study highlights how employers shape family leave policy boundaries and the impact of these practices. The key contributions include expanding the discussion on structural and moral constructs in defining leave policies and identifying policy ambiguities and disparities in leave utilization. The findings provide a basis for developing targeted policies and interventions to address these disparities and promote greater equity and efficiency in family leave practices. Ultimately, insights from this study aim to help craft policies that better support work-family balance, reduce the stigma associated with leave usage, and ensure fair treatment of employees seeking to utilize family leave benefits.

Infant-At-Work Policies: A Stop-gap Solution to Work-Family Conflict in the Absence of Parental Leave.  Chelsea Ren Morton, Syracuse University

Infant-at-work policies are an organizational practice allowing new parents to bring their infant and all related paraphernalia to work with them until the child is six- to eight-month-old. Despite becoming common in the US in the early 2000s, little research has been done on infant-at-work policies. No journals from family studies, public policy, politics, or sociology appear to be examining the use and implementation of infant-at-work policies to resolve other work-family conflict issues. This study is an initial step in studying the use of infant-at-work policies from a social science perspective. To begin, I wished to understand if there is a pattern to where these policies are implemented. This article uses the only known public database tracking the implementation of infant-at-work policies in U.S. companies from 2005 to 2019. Drawing on previous research on welfare regime types of the U.S. states, this dataset was assessed for patterns in welfare regime type, broad economic sector, and industry type. A basic univariate analysis reveals the following findings: • There is little difference between Gender empowered and child-care regimes in terms of number of companies implementing this policy. • However, states identified as “Ideal” welfare state regimes had the least number of companies implementing this policy. • At first glance, these policies seem more common in the private sector. • However, private sector companies are overrepresented in the dataset. When broken down by industry, the policies appear more common in the public sector. As the battle for paid parental leave at the national level continues, it is critical to find “stop-gap” solutions that help families maintain employment postpartum in a dual-earner economy. If further research and additional data validates that these policies are more common in the public sector, infant-at-work policies could potentially serve as an important recruitment and retention strategy for government agencies. Finally, this work encourages further research into this and other innovative stop-gap strategies that support maternal employment.

How Did the Pandemic Change Americans' Support for Federal Work-Family Policies?.  Carolyn E. Waldrep, University of Texas, Austin; Barbara J. Risman, University of Illinois, Chicago; Jennifer Glass, University of Texas, Austin; and Kathleen Gerson, New York University

The United States has few public policies to support working families, which left families largely without institutional support in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, other than a temporary program of cash supplements for caregivers. Instead, American families had to rely on private solutions as the pandemic caused disruptions to their childcare, school, or work arrangements, from childcare closures and transitions to remote school, to pandemic-related unemployment and transitions to remote work. In the spring and summer of 2022, we interviewed over one hundred parents of minor children as the pandemic waned, asking about their support for each of five work-family policies: funding of paid leave, childcare subsidy, public preschool, remote work options, and job protections for caregivers. Most respondents support government involvement in each of these policies. Some respondents also shared the extent to which they changed their answers during the pandemic. Opinions did not change dramatically during the pandemic, with the exception of remote work arrangements: many respondents had not considered remote work before the pandemic and established new opinions, largely in support of remote work opportunities, during the pandemic. We will analyze the pandemic experiences of the respondents who indicated any changes or reinforcement of their opinions during the pandemic, considering whether the respondents exited or reduced their employment, whether their children’s schooling or care were disrupted, or both, to understand the impact of the pandemic on respondents’ changing outlooks on work-family policies.

Five Years After the European Work-Life Balance Directive: Bare Minimum or Real Work-Family Support?.  Mara A. Yerkes, Utrecht University; Erick Covilla Hernandez, University of Konstanz; and Jana Javornik, University of Leeds

In 2019, the European Union (EU) implemented the long-awaited Work-Life Balance directive. This legislation was heralded as a crucial impetus for improved work-family policy support, requiring all EU member states to provide fathers access to paid paternity leave as well as parents guaranteed access to parental leave and the right to request flexible working until a child’s eighth birthday. It also provided the first support for working caregivers, with access to unpaid leave. Although the directive was seen as an important first step in giving workers much-needed work-family support, in the years since its implementation, many European countries have struggled to prioritize further work-family policy support. Ongoing crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated policy efforts be directed elsewhere, with growing social inequality as a result. Against this background, we consider the state of work-family policy supports five years following the directive’s implementation. We analyse work-family policy supports in eight European countries (Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom), comparing the policy supports available in 2019 to 2023. We study the extent to which countries go beyond the directive’s minimum requirements to provide real work-family support to workers in contemporary societies. Using an analytical framework conceptually grounded in the capability approach, we show how cross-country differences in policy support reduce or increase the real opportunities workers have to reconcile work and care in meaningful ways. We discuss these findings in light of potential future work-family policy solutions.

Paper Session

Work-Life Boundaries in the Context of Remote and Hybrid Work


Reactive and Proactive Regulation of Work-Nonwork Boundaries.  Shelia Hyde, Texas Womans University; Ariane Froidevaux, University of Texas Arlington; Sabrina Speights, Wheaton College; and Wendy Casper, University of Texas Arlington

Overarching questions/concerns What boundary management behaviors enable effective functioning within and across domains for individuals that work from home? How and why do people actively, or purposefully, switch between integration and segmentation of roles, and vice-versa? How and why do people reactively, or reluctantly, switch between integration and segmentation of roles, and vice-versa? Statement on methods Study 1: We collected qualitative data via online survey (N=103) and interview data (N=27) from first-time remote workers during the summer of 2020. Participants answered questions about their behaviors and positive outcomes associated with sudden remote work, revealing boundary management strategies were important behaviors. Study 2: Interview data (N=15) collected in 2022-2023 further explored how participants who work from home separate and combine the work and nonwork roles. Two authors used the Modified Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR-M) method to code transcripts in both studies, using inductive logic to identify and code data into major domains, categories and subcategories. Important findings (bulleted list) • Study 1: Participants described engaging in segmentation of their work-nonwork roles at times and in integration of these roles at other times, suggestive of cycling boundary management behavior in which people engage in both integration and segmentation iteratively. • Study 1: Further exploration suggested that people engage in active integration, passive integration, and passive segmentation. • Study 2: We have identified four types of proactive cycling: preparing for integration, preparing for segmentation, willing integration during segmentation, and willing segmentation during integration. • Study 2: We have identified two types of reactive cycling: reluctant integration during segmentation, and reluctant segmentation during integration. Implications for research, policy, and/or practice Our research contributes to boundary management literature. Identification of alternating boundary management strategies will contribute to the exploration of potential benefits and risks of switching between integration and segmentation of work and nonwork roles based on the situation. This understanding of agentic boundary management could spark research leading to intervention activities aimed at educating employees regarding proactive boundary management in the pursuit of work-life balance and general well-being.

How Work Flexibility Can Enhance Strain and Conflict Through Telepressure.  Brandon Smit, Bentley University; Nabi Ebrahimi, University of Massachusetts, Lowell; Tamara Montag-Smit, University of Massachusetts, Lowell; Scott Boyar, University of Alabama Birmingham; and Carl Maertz, University of Louisville

Despite the unprecedented growth in employee flexibility in the wake of the pandemic, relatively little is known about the potential drawbacks of the ability to determine where and when to engage in work. Drawing from conservation of resources theory and the self-regulation literature, we test a model that demonstrates how flexibility can actually increase strain, rather than mitigate it. In a three-wave panel of 266 employees from diverse occupations, we find that flexibility can increase telepressure – defined as a sense of preoccupation with work-related messages – but only among individuals with a high future focus. Furthermore, a greater sense of telepressure was linked to both exhaustion and work-family conflict. Indirect effects revealed that for individuals with a high future focus, flexibility increased strain and conflict via greater telepressure. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the idea that flexibility can create unintended and undesirable externalities.

Navigating Through Work and Personal Life: A Daily Diary Exploration of Working From Home and Its Impact On Goal Completion.  Samantha Metselaar, Erasmus University Rotterdam; Jonas De Kerf, KU Leuven; and Laura den Dulk, Erasmus University Rotterdam

Overarching research question and hypotheses Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic working from home has become more prevalent in many organizations across the world. In many countries, working from home is no longer an exclusive perk but a core privilege for all employees (Smite et al., 2023). This is among others due to better-than-expected working from home experiences for a large group of employees, as well as changes in attitudes towards remote workers (Barrero et al., 2021, Smite et al., 2023). So, on the one hand, there is a trend towards working from home to a greater extent. This is facilitated by developments in information and communication technologies, fostering the possibility to conduct an increasing amount of work tasks at distance. Organizations jump in on this opportunity by closing down office buildings to safe costs (Hajal, 2022). In addition, it has been argued that the upside of working from home, among others, concerns the possibility to combine work and personal life. Enabling individuals te meet demands and expectations from these different domains. However, little is known about the day-to-day effects of working from home compared to working at the office, respectively. In this paper, we examine these effects in a post COVID-19 era. We specifically examine the effect of working from home on goal completion in both the work and the personal domain. Hence, our research question is: What is the effect of the day-to-day use of working from home, as opposed to working at the office, on goal completion in the work and personal domain? Based on the existing literature we propose two potential pathways that may explain this relationship. The first pathway posits that working from home reduces interruptions from coworkers, enhancing work-related goal completion. However, this may hinder personal goal completion by keeping individuals deeply focused on work (Kelliher & Anderson, 2010). On the other hand, the second pathway assumes that working from home facilitates the ease to transition between work and personal life, improving personal goal completion (Delanoeije et al., 2019). However, excessive switching between domains may impede work-related goal completion in the personal domain (Kossel, 2016). These pathways are deconstructed in the following hypotheses: H1 At the day level, working from home will be negatively related to work interruptions H2 At the day level, work interruptions will mediate the positive indirect relationship between working from home and work goal completion H3 At the day level, work interruptions will mediate the negative relationship between working from home and personal goal completion H4 At the day level, working from home will be positively related to work-to-home transitions H5 At the day level, work-to-home transitions will mediate the positive relationship between working from home and personal goal completion H6: At the day level, work-to-home transitions will mediate the negative indirect relationship between working from home and work goal completion Moreover, literature suggests that the effects of working from home are also related to the nature of work (Metselaar et al., 2023). To that respect, some jobs are more suitable for working from home than others. In this paper, we will therefore also incorporate the nature of work, by focusing on job interdependency and work scheduling autonomy: H7 Job interdependence will moderate the daily relationship between working from home and work interruptions, so that the relationship will be negative at lower levels of interdependence, whereas it will not be significant at higher levels of interdependence H8 Work scheduling autonomy will moderate the daily relationship between working from home and work-to-home transitions, so that the relationship will be positive at higher levels of autonomy, whereas it will not be significant at lower levels of autonomy Statement on methods For this study, a daily diary study among Dutch employees working in public sector organizations was deployed (N = 290, N = 2610). Employees were recruited via a call that was distributed among a panel of respondents from Flycatcher. A requirement of participation in the study was that employees switched between working from home and working at the office during a regular work week. We started the data collection with a baseline questionnaire in which we measured our trait variables as well as demographics. Then, respondents received a daily questionnaire for 10 consecutive workdays. Preliminary findings Initial descriptive statistics indicate that there is no significant difference between in goal completion at work between office days and working from home days. However, for goal completion in the personal domain we did find a significant difference: goal completion was higher when working from home compared to working at the office. Regarding work interruptions, there were significantly more interruptions on office days than on days respondents work from home. Respondents also make significantly more work-to-home transitions on days they work from home compared to the office. During the next phase, we will conduct multilevel structural equation modeling to test hypotheses.

Exploring the Interplay of Family Supportive Supervisor Behaviors, Work-Home Interference, and Well-Being in the Era of Hybrid Work.  Melanie De Ruiter, Nyenrode Business Universiteit; Martine Coun, Open Universiteit (Open University of the Netherlands); and Pascale Peters, Nyenrode Business Universiteit

Over the past decade, an increasing body of knowledge has accumulated on the employee-level outcomes of family supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSBs). While such studies are invaluable for the current knowledge and understanding of FSSBs and its value for employees, scholars have only just begun to unravel the supervisor-level antecedents of FSSBs. Yet, considering the increased importance of work-family balance and the increased opportunity for hybrid working, it is important to understand what facilitates and hinders supervisors’ engagement in these behaviors. Moreover, following recent interest in the potential undermining role of engaging in certain leadership styles (e.g., servant leadership) on the supervisor’s own health and well-being, it is important to understand whether engaging in FSSBs undermines or fosters a supervisor’s own emotional wellbeing and engagement. To gain a better understanding of the nomological network of FSSBs, we used student-recruited sampling to conduct a quantitative cross-sectional, multi-source study to examine the relationships between supervisor negative work-home interference, employee perceived FSSBs, and supervisor emotional exhaustion and engagement. Moreover, in addition to examining the effect of employee perceived FSSBs on supervisor emotional exhaustion and wellbeing, we also examine the effects on employee emotional exhaustion and wellbeing. Our study aims to contribute to the academic conversation on supervisor antecedents and outcomes of FSSBs. Moreover, we aim to address a recent call for more research on dimensions of FSSBs, by examining whether different dimensions of FSSB are differentially affected by supervisor’s negative work-home interference and whether some dimensions are more important for supervisor and employee wellbeing than others.

Working from Home and Role Blurring: Ideal Worker Norms, Job Pressure, and Organizational Support.  Deniz Yucel, William Paterson University of New Jersey; Philip Badawy, University of Alberta; and Scott Schieman, University of Toronto

The performance of work-related tasks at home is associated with more frequent role blurring—but how do “ideal worker” norms, job pressure, and organizational support modify that association? We test theoretical ideas related to role integration versus segmentation in analyses of the 2016 National Study of the Changing Workforce (NSCW), a national sample of American workers. We observe that frequent performance of work at home is strongly associated with more role blurring activities, and this association is stronger among those with higher levels of job pressure, and weaker among those with more organizational support for work-life balance. In addition, we find that the moderating effect of job pressure on the association between working from home and role blurring is stronger for those with elder care responsibilities but weaker for those with a preschool child and those with more children in the household. These results suggest that the link between working from home and role blurring varies by both work characteristics and organizational support, and that some of these moderations further differ by caregiving responsibilities in divergent ways.

Paper Session

Work-Life Meaning: Conceptualizing the Work-Life Nexus Across the Life Course


Bidding for Connection: How Forms of Sharing Between Parents and Kids Co-Construct Parental Narrative Work Identity.  Elizabeth Adair, California State University, Monterey Bay; Theresa Glomb, University of Minnesota; and Patricia Dahm, University of Kansas

Research questions: • How do parents and children co-create work identity narratives? • How does the co-creation of identity vary by work orientations (if at all)? Methods: We conduct a qualitative, inductive study to examine how parents co-construct work identity narratives together with their children. Our study draws on N = 53 semi-structured interviews including 22 parents (15 mothers, 5 fathers) and 30 school-age children (ages 6-13) belonging to 18 families. Parental interviews were 45-60 minutes; child interviews were 20-30 minutes. Important findings: • Parents share with their children about their work in many ways beyond verbal discussions, with varying degrees of “richness.” • Parents’ work orientations influenced how parents choose to share their work with their children (i.e., telling, showing, demonstrating, or involving). • When parents’ work holds a more central place in their identity such as in the case of a calling as opposed to a job, parents engage in richer and more multifaceted forms of narrative sharing with their children. In turn, these unique sharing strategies preface particular identity coherence patterns, specifically identity diminishment, affirmation, enhancement, or expansion. • Through bids for connection and understanding, parents who initially withheld their work narratives from their children (those with jobs) achieved self-enhancement as children sought and ascribed a deeper sense of meaning to their parents’ work. • Parents who initially sought to affirm their identities through narrative (those with callings), achieved self-expansion through involving children in their work. Implications for research: Our theory elaborates how identity narratives are co-created with close others who relationally identify with one another (i.e., parents and children), answering calls for “future research [to] focus on the role specific others play in identity work” (Caza, Vough, & Puranik, 2018). Our findings extend theory and research on storytelling beyond discourse to include more active narrative forms such as showing, demonstrating, and involving others. In connecting these narrative forms to different work orientations, we respond to calls to deepen understanding of how “narrative forms and narrating processes vary” (Ibarra & Barbulescu, 2010: 135). Implications for practice: Our research can inform parenting practices and provide practical insights for parents on engaging with their children about their work, fostering a more open and constructive dialogue. Families benefit twofold by employing bids for work-related sharing, both enhancing their work-related identities and strengthening familial bonds. For instance, Clark (2002) found that communicating with family about work as an “understood, meaningful experience” increased family cohesion. This work might inform the burgeoning field of “narrative coaching” (Drake, 2017) in which coaches help clients consciously craft their life stories. In narrative coaching, clients work collaboratively with a coach to examine the stories that have shaped their perception of self. Through thoughtful examination of these narratives, they identify and challenge limiting beliefs while aligning their stories with their desired identity. Narrative coaching emphasizes language and storytelling as tools for this development. Our research might provide an additional lever for coaches in working with clients by encouraging them to share work-related narrative identities with children and close others.

Conceptualizing Canada’s Care Economy: A Framework from Statistics Canada.  Dana Wray, Statistics Canada; and Patricia Houle, Statistics Canada

Overarching Questions How can we define and measure Canada’s care economy? This presentation provides an overview of Statistics Canada’s conceptual framework on the care economy. Statement on Methods The conceptual framework was developed using a literature review of the Canadian and international literature on the care economy, as well as consultations with government and non-profit stakeholder organizations, as well as expert researchers. Important Findings -Canada’s care economy is defined as the sector of the economy comprising the provision of paid and unpaid care work for care-dependent groups. -Care-dependent groups include children (who need care because of their young age) and adults (who need care due to long-term health conditions or disabilities). -Care work includes paid or unpaid care, including activities of daily living (or ‘direct’ care) and instrumental activities of daily living (or ‘indirect’ care). -Using the concept of the care economy can provide insights and build knowledge on demographic pressures facing Canada’s care arrangement, such as population aging, declining fertility, high immigration, and the diversification of living arrangements. -A care economy lens for research and practice can shed light on overlooked parts of the care landscape. For example, sandwich caregiving is discussed in the context of a recent Statistics Canada study. Implications for Research, Policy, or Practice The conceptual framework is a tool for research, data collection, and data development – not only at Statistics Canada, but for stakeholders in and outside of government. This framework also points toward a path forward for the use of this concept within the Canadian context as well as in concert with international partners. The framework can serve as a foundation for research, policy, and practice for those working on issues of care or seeking to develop conceptual frameworks for data and research.

Generational Expectations and the Life-Work Continuum (LWC).  Nicholas Beutell, Iona University; Katherina Kuschel, Centrum Graduate Business School and pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú; and Maria-Teresa Lepeley, Global Institute for Quality Education

The LWC is intended to offer a more contemporary perspective on traditional academic research approaches where work, family, and life are treated as separate and contending “domains” perpetuating the obsolete work–family conflict and work-family balance myths by overlooking growing evidence that a human life is holistic and needs to be viewed as a seamless, integrated experience for women and for men. Younger generations have views consistent with the LWC. For the first time in human history, people from five generations are collaborating in the workplace. To a large extent, the preferences of generational cohorts drive trends in LWC. Currently, Millennials are the largest employee group in the US workforce. Millennials along with Gen Z are visibly pushing for increasing the leverage of the LWC more than Baby Boomers did. Younger generations in the labor force value more organizational flexibility that helps them advance their goals, where life interests matter most, and work is but a dimension of their life space. Millennials show preferences for more work autonomy, fewer job restrictions, recognition, increased focus on performance standards and agile organizations that match their needs that help them to find meaning in their lives. Having a life, rather than climbing a corporate ladder and accumulating assets, is central to the life space of this group. Millennials grew up in the always on world so managing life is more seamless for them. The LWC is well-suited to the single largest generation in the US economy. This paper advances and explores these ideas.

The Power of Grief in Life Puzzling.  Jean-Charles Languilaire, JCL Coaching

Individual’s work-life balance evolves during one’s life course. From a boundary perspective, this implies that life domains change, their boundaries shift, their placement and transcendence transform and emotions rising from their interaction adjust. In other words, life puzzling between integration and segmentation is contextual to one’s life course. Literature considers the ideal nature of boundary work to be proactive. However, boundary work may be reactive when events out of one’s control affect individual’s life puzzling processes. This paper shares this view and considers that some external life events are interpreted by individuals as a loss of an established domain. This loss may trigger positive emotions such as relief when it means leaving negative experiences behind. This loss may also trigger negative emotions such as grief when it means leaving positive experiences behind. This paper focuses on external grief-based events like forced retirement, forced job career transition, and even the loss of a family member. This paper argues that the grief sparks off a unique inner journey to reach intrinsic resources. It also uniquely activates one’s social support systems to find extrinsic resources. Both resources are key to “hope and acceptance”, the last emotional grieving stage. This conceptual paper thus first reviews literature about the grief and grief management. Second, it critically scrutinized self-leadership and leadership essential to resilience in adversity context. Finally, the paper combines these two research fields with life-puzzling literature to ultimately explore the power of grief in life puzzling.

Paper Session

Workplace Contextual Influences Across the Life Course: Human Resource Management


Who Engages in Leadership Development Activities? A Three-Wave Study Examining Career-Related and Family-Related Factors.  Tracy Hecht, Concordia University; Kathleen Boies, Concordia University; and Elizabeth Eley, Concordia University

Leader development is a core step on the path to taking up leadership positions, and central to the journey of becoming a more effective leader. In this study, we aimed to illuminate predictors of participation in leadership development activities from three theoretical perspectives. First, drawing on the Kaleidoscope Career Model, we examined the career motives of authenticity, balance, and challenge of men and women in different career stages. Second, drawing on Social Cognitive Career Theory, we examined contextual factors (i.e., perceived costs and benefits of participation in leadership development activities) and career self-efficacy. Third, drawing from life stage theory, we examined the family-related factor of where one stands in the transition to parenthood. Panel data were collected in three waves over 3 months from over 700 individuals, including multiple measurements of the number of, and time spent in, leadership development activities. We used zero-inflated negative binomial regression to analyze these count-based data cross-sectionally and in lagged analyses. In line with our expectations, our preliminary analyses indicated that participation in leadership development activities (both the number of activities and the number of hours spent) were predicted by factors derived from all three theoretical perspectives. There was also some evidence that relations with parenthood transition stage were curvilinear. These results highlight the multiple considerations that individuals may weigh when considering their own leadership development, which has implications for workplaces that aim to develop more effective leaders and for individuals who seek to guide and direct their own leadership journeys.

Managing the Transition to Parenthood in Small and Medium-Sized Workplaces – Pathways to Good Practice.  Bianca Stumbitz, Middlesex University - Business School; Helen Norman, University of Leeds; Emma Banister, University of Manchester - Business School; Amy Burnett, Middlesex University - Business School; and Clarice Santos, Middlesex University - Business School

Becoming a parent is one of the most impactful processes in a person’s working life course. For many expectant and new parents, this time of excitement is accompanied by worries about how best to combine their new parenting role with work. At the same time, smaller employers in particular sometimes feel overwhelmed by the need to support pregnant staff and new parents while continuing to run their business on a day-to-day basis. Although SMEs account for more than 90% of the global business population, most research on the experiences of pregnancy or parenthood and employment focuses on large firms and thereby excludes the experiences of the majority of (parental) workers and their employers. The management of new parenthood in SMEs is different from large firms as they often lack a dedicated Human Resources department and written maternity/paternity policies. This 3-year mixed-methods study seeks to address this knowledge gap by developing recommendations for the management of maternity and paternity in SMEs which work for both parents and employers. The involvement of potential beneficiaries and users (i.e. employers, employees, support organisations and policy makers) in all key stages of the project ensures the research meets their needs and is targeted. We will present interim findings based on in-depth qualitative interviews conducted with employers and employees (both expectant and new parents).

Discourse on Balance: Boundaries and Effort vs Reward.  

For many a change in personal situation, calls in a change in professional situation and vice versa. So, for example a woman who has given birth might not be able to return after the maternity leave to the same job, and when looking to return or for new job after might have certain difficulties. However, a shift to online format of work and flexible work, can bring in a shift in the possibilities of mothers to continue their work possibilities even after a change in personal life. There has been already a sufficient amount of research addressing traditional employment formats, but still room to address non – traditional structures and work from home/ flexible formats. Transition to work from home and flexible work has brought in already significant positive changes, such as increased flexibility, possibility to integrate, elimination of unnecessary efforts like commute, and provides room for well-being in the life domain and global opportunities in the work domain. However, with flexibility also comes in blurred boundary, which can have negative effects, especially for those that have gaps in self-discipline and time management. In this research, I would like to turn to Boundary theory and Effort – Reward Imbalance Model. I would like to perform surveys and literature review to explore concept of boundaries and changes in effort vs reward compartment. I would like to stir discussion about the importance of managing and redefining boundaries as well as objective assessments of efforts and rewards to sustain a healthy work-life balance.

Effects of Work-Family Support and Length of Maternity Leave on First-Time Mothers' Dual Identities.  Yun-Kyoung “Gail” Kim, Salisbury University; Amit Kramer, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaig; and Teresa Cardador, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaig

The influx of women into professional careers in the last four decades represents a move toward a more egalitarian society. However, the underrepresentation of women at senior management levels points to the next frontier in achieving a more egalitarian workplace. Previous research has suggested that women’s dual-identity concerns as both mothers and working professionals may lead to them ‘opting out’ of management positions. Yet, little explanation is provided on how the transformative experience of first-time motherhood influences the conflict between these two identities. [Overarching Questions] This article aims to address the following overarching questions: 1. How does the transformative experience of first-time motherhood influence women's identity conflict? 2. How do women adjust the saliency of their professional identity in response to their work and family experiences during the first maternity leave? 3. How does the length of maternity leave enhance first-time mothers’ positive transformative experience? [Hypotheses] The research model hypothesizes a moderated mediation, proposing that emotional and instrumental support from family and workplace others are negatively associated with identity conflict mediated by identity integration between maternal and professional identities. The effects of support on identity integration are strengthened when the new mother receives longer maternity leave. This study takes an identity transition perspective, examining how a woman’s work and family experience during her first maternity leave influences the way she adjusts the saliency of her professional identity and eventually addresses identity conflict. [Statement on Methods] To investigate the research questions, the methods taken include developing a new measure of identity integration through EFA and CFA based on 202 working mother participants solicited through Amazon Mturk. To test the hypotheses, path analyses by STATA15 are used based on 280 working mother respondents from two-wave surveys on Amazon Mturk. [Important Findings] Here are the key findings: - Identity integration mediates the negative associations between the suggested supports and identity conflict. - Maternity leave length enhances the effects of emotional and instrumental support from workplace others on identity integration. - Maternity leave length does not show a moderation effect for support from family. [Implications] Our study highlights the mediating role of first-time mothers’ maternal-professional identity integration and encourages a shift in perception regarding maternity leave as a positive temporal resource for enhancing the salience of their professional identity. It implies that policymakers may design maternity leave policies to provide emotional and instrumental support for the new mothers’ identity integration as well as to offer sufficient time off, which will support women’s professional success in the long run.

Paper Session

Workplace Contextual Influences Across the Life Course: Non-Standard Work


How Couple's Longitudinal Work Arrangements May Shape Individual Health and Sleep at Middle Adulthood.  Wen-Jui Han, New York University; and Julia Shu-Huah Wang, National Taiwan University

Labor market transformations due to digital and technological advances together with the service economy since the 1980s have subjected more families to precarious work, such as irregular hours and low wages, threatening their economic well-being and health. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1979 and the life course lens, we used sequence analysis to first chart couples' work schedule patterns between ages 22 and 49 (n = 5,263). We focused on nonstandard work schedules for it is a vital indicator of precarious employment. We then used multivariate regression analysis to examine how variations in couples’ joint work arrangements may shape individual health (i.e., physical and mental health) and sleep behaviors (i.e., sleep deprivation, sleep quality, and sleep latency) at age 50 while controlling for rich sociodemographic charateristics. We also explored whether such an association differed by gender, race-ethnicity, and education. Our sequence analyses uncovered five joint work schedule arrangements among couples between ages 22 and 49, demonstrating the heterogeneities of couples' work trajectories. We also found volatile work arrangements (e.g., constantly changing between daytime and nondaytime hours), whether just one or both couples, were associated with significantly poorer physical and mental health and poorer sleep behaviors than their counterparts. Furthermore, females, non-Hispanic Blacks, and lowly educated (e.g., less than high school) were more likely to have poorer health and sleep than their counterparts due to volatile work arrangements. This study advances our understanding of the critical role of employment, suggesting how work has become a vulnerability throughout our lifetime.

Multidimensional Job Precarity and Time-Based Work-Family Balance: Insights From Latent Class Analysis.  MinJee Keh, University of California, Berkeley

Rising labor market precarity significantly affects workers with caregiving responsibilities, yet understanding the relationship between precarious jobs and work-family balance remains fragmented. Many studies focus solely on one aspect of precarious jobs, often ignoring their multi-dimensional characteristics. (i.e., insecure employment, unpredictable work hours, low income, and lack of benefits). Using the pooled 2017-18 American Time Use Survey and the Leave and Job Flexibilities Module, this study utilizes Latent Class Analysis to group employed wage and salary workers with childcare and/or eldercare duties(N= 5,186) into distinct classes of precarity and examine their variances in time-based work-family balance. The analysis identifies four latent classes of workers based on job precarity: Standard Workers, Non-Professional Full-Timers, High-Earning Part-Timers, and Unbenefited Low-Income Workers. Compared to Standard Workers, High-Earning Part-Timers allocate 18 percentage points less of their time to work and care compared to leisure, suggesting less work-family burden. Non-Professional Full-Timers have fewer daily instances of paid work and caregiving episodes compared to other groups(-0.45/day), suggesting clearer boundaries between work and caregiving time. Regarding daily transitions between work and care tasks, High-Earning Part-Timers exhibit fewer switches compared to other groups(-0.08/day), suggesting fewer interruptions in work due to caregiving. Unbenefited Low-Income Workers spend more time working while in the presence of children or elderly parents than Standard Workers(+8.3 minutes/day), indicating the ability to perform work and care simultaneously but experiencing divided attention. These findings underscore the nuanced work-family experiences across worker groups based on precarity, emphasizing the variations in different aspects of work-family balance.

Class Ceiling and Glass Ceiling: How the Interplay Between Gender and Socioeconomic Barriers Holds Women Back in Management.  Tanja van der Lippe, Utrecht University; and Anne-Rigt Poortman, Utrecht University

Women still face a ‘glass ceiling’ in the workplace in that they encounter more barriers than men to their advancing to managerial positions. There is also a ‘class ceiling’, suggesting that people from families with a lower socioeconomic status (SES) also face barriers to achieving high-status and managerial positions within occupations. In this paper we examine whether these two types of inequality reinforce or compensate for each other when it comes to attaining management positions. Compensation implies that the disadvantage of being female is compensated for by having a high SES family, and reinforcement implies that men profit more from a high SES family. We argue that the interplay will vary depending upon societal gender equality, and hypothesize that in countries with low gender equality, the positive effect of having parents with a higher socioeconomic status will be weaker for women than for men (reinforcement), but that this gender difference in the effect of SES family background will reverse (compensation) or disappear in countries with greater gender equality. Hypotheses are tested by means of multi-level analyses using data drawn from the European Social Survey (ESS), which has been conducted every two years in more than 25 countries since 2002. Data are pooled to ensure an adequate number of managers. Advantages of using ESS data include the extensive information provided on mother’s and father’s SES for respondents at age 14 (including education and occupation) and information on respondents’ managerial status. Gender equality in a country is measured using Gender Inequality Index.

“Scarring” vs. “Bruising” Effects of Part-Time Employment on Wages for Women and Men: An Analysis Using Asymmetric Fixed-Effects Models for Germany.  Laila Schmitt, LMU Munich

Overarching questions/concerns This study investigates the impact of part-time employment on individuals' wages over the life course. Despite increased labor force participation, women's employment patterns remain more discontinuous than men's, especially regarding part-time work. Part-time employment potentially contributes to wage trajectory heterogeneity and gender-specific wage disparities. Through a life course perspective, this study examines three effects of part-time work: 1. A possible part-time penalty when switching to part-time work. 2. Potentially lower wage increases during part-time compared to full-time work. 3. A possible "scarring effect" due to individual-specific factors when returning to full-time work if the switch is asymmetrical, or a "bruising effect" due to workplace-specific factors if the effects are symmetrical but in opposite directions. Gender differences in these effects are also investigated, integrating literature on part-time workers' human capital development, work organization, and gendered perceptions of worker commitment to understand their influence on wage dynamics. Going part-time can be a "trap" if there are lower wage increases and scarring, or a "role restriction" that empowers women to work part-time by making wage increases possible but limits men from working part-time by offering no wage increases and causing bruising. Statement on methods Using longitudinal data from the Socio-economic Panel Study (SOEP) covering the years 1984–2020 for Germany, this study employs an asymmetric fixed-effects (AFE) modeling approach. Unlike traditional fixed-effects models, AFE allows separate estimation of transitioning effects from full-time to part-time work and vice versa, overcoming the symmetrical limitations of traditional models that mix estimates of variable increases and decreases. Important findings • Almost one-third of the German workforce is in part-time employment, with a significant gender disparity: half of the women work part-time compared to one in ten men. Women's career patterns have diversified, with more transitions between full-time and part-time roles, while men's patterns have remained relatively stable. • This study challenges the notion of part-time work as a career trap, suggesting instead that it acts as a role restriction. Women experience lower wage growth during part-time than full-time employment but receive a wage premium upon returning to full-time roles, which can compensate for the effect of lower returns to part-time experience. • Gender differences in wage trajectories are evident. Men face large wage "bruising" and lack returns from part-time experience, deterring them from part-time roles and reinforcing traditional gender roles of women as half earners and men as full-time earners. Implications for research, policy and/or practice The findings contribute to the public debate on part-time work and initiatives like the “four-day week”, countering conservative arguments that part-time roles exacerbate skill shortages and are “lazy jobs”. For women, the study highlights wage benefits from skill development during part-time work and emphasizes the need for organizational changes to address perceptions of lower commitment, especially for men. Policies should promote labor market potential and gender equality by standardizing part-time work for both genders, enhancing skill development, and reducing labor costs in part-time employment.

Plenary


Organizer: Ellen Galinsky, Families and Work Institute

Big Ideas Talks


Skills for Success in School, Work, and Life.  Ellen Galinsky, Families and Work Institute



Manufacturing “Care”: What Can We Learn About Care From AI?.  Yang Hu, Lancaster University



Four Challenges to Bridging the Work-Family Divide.  Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard University - Business School


Plenary


Organizer: Ellen Galinsky, Families and Work Institute

Big Ideas Talks


Over Work: How Change Agents are Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for Better Lives.  Brigid Schulte, Better Life Lab at New America



Promoting Safe Work During Pregnancy to Improve Maternal and Infant Health.  Alejandra Ros Pilarz, University of Wisconsin, Madison



The Problems with Following Your Passion.  Erin Cech, University of Michigan.


Plenary


Organizer: Ellen Galinsky, Families and Work Institute

Big Ideas Talks


“I Feel So Lonely I Could Burnout?” Studying Work Loneliness across Time.  Jarrod Haar, Massey University



What If All Fathers in the U.S. Had Paid Paternity Leave?.  Richard Petts, Ball State University



Can Robot Vacuums Save Us All From Housework Drudgery?.  Leah Ruppanner, University of Melbourne


Plenary


Organizer: Ellen Galinsky, Families and Work Institute

Big Ideas Talks


Rethinking Boundary Control Toward Work-life Equality for the Front Line.  Ellen Ernst Kossek, Purdue University



Not My Necessary Evil: 10 Perception Glitches about Work (and How They Hurt Us All).  Scott Schieman, University of Toronto



Tech Imaginaries: How We Think and Feel About Technology.  Ariane Ollier-Malaterre, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) - École des Sciences de la Gestion (ESG)


Plenary


Organizer: Ellen Galinsky, Families and Work Institute

Big Ideas Talks


Decisions that Define Us: The Ripple Effect of Inclusion.  Subha Barry, Seramount



Three Lies We Tell Ourselves About Work-Family Conflict.  Kimberly French, Colorado State University



What Happened to Quality Time? A Kid’s Eye View.  Melissa Milkie, University of Toronto


Plenary


Organizer: Ellen Galinsky, Families and Work Institute

Big Ideas Talks


Reconceiving Merit and Devotion to Work.  Mary Blair-Loy, University of California, San Diego



Why We Need to Reimagine How, When, and Where Work is Done, Together.  Cali Yost, Flex+Strategy Group



Why Policies Must Recognize Care Realities: Insights from the Motherload.  Ameeta Jaga, University of Cape Town


Plenary


Organizer: Ellen Galinsky, Families and Work Institute

Big Ideas Talks


Flexibility Stigma: Why We Think Homeworkers are Slackers and What This Says About Our Work Culture.  Heejung Chung, King&#x27;s College London



How Do We Respond to Care Crises and Polycrisis? Three Lessons from Rachel Carson.  Andrea Doucet, Brock University


Plenary


Organizer: Ellen Galinsky, Families and Work Institute

Presidential Plenary

Details to be announced.

Thematic roundtable with multiple presentations

Gender dynamics, inequality, and outcomes


Organizers: Melanie Lefrancois, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) - École des Sciences de la Gestion (ESG); Mélanie Trottier, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) - École des Sciences de la Gestion (ESG); Jessica Riel, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) - École des Sciences de la Gestion (ESG);

“Research Meets Practice”: How Could We Better Inform Workplace Interventions and Public Policy to Promote Work-Family Balance in Male-Dominated Occupations?

The objective of this session is to bring together researchers, advocates, and practitioners who have tried to understand or transform work-family practices in male-dominated occupations and industries, defined as those comprising 25% or fewer women. These contexts are often associated with jobs in the trades, agriculture, manufacturing, transport, IT, engineering, STEM fields, etc. Working conditions in male-dominated workplaces have been designed for “unencumbered men”, always available for work despite long hours or atypical schedules, probably with a wife to take care of family matters. However, since family responsibilities are still traditionally attributed to women, both mothers and fathers need support in balancing work and family life. These responsibilities may aggravate the difficulties of integrating women workers into sometimes hostile male-dominated environments, but they can also affect men’s career progression because of organizational cultures where social norms value stereotyped parental roles. More knowledge on these populations is still needed to support the development of gender-equitable family policies (e.g. parental/maternity/paternity leave, childcare, etc.), but also employment and labour policies (e.g. control of working time, advance notice of work schedules, attraction and retention of women in male-dominated occupations, etc.) Researchers and social actors will share brief remarks to cover the following questions and engage in a discussion with the participants: what are the knowledge gaps we need to address in order to inform public policy (populations/data/measures)? what are the next steps to develop this necessary knowledge? Four topics will be addressed in this roundtable 1) Work-pregnancy balance and occupational health in the construction industry (Jessica Riel ESG UQAM and Anne-Renée Gravel, TELUQ) 2) Schedules and parenting in male-dominated workplaces (Marianne Lapointe, Conseil d’intervention pour l’accès des femmes au travail (CIAFT, community group for women’s access to work) 3) Union perspectives on atypical schedules in different work contexts (Annie Landry, Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ – Quebec Workers’ Federation) 4) Is the maturity of organizations a predisposing factor for the success of work-family balance interventions in male-dominated workplaces? (Mélanie Trottier and Mélanie Lefrançois, ESG UQAM) The presentations will be followed by a 30-minute discussion moderated by M. Lefrançois ESG UQAM with participants.

Thematic roundtable with multiple presentations

Employer programs and HR management


Organizer: Lonnie Golden, Penn State University - Abington College

Four Day Workweek Redux--Distribution, Issues and Progress

The 4-Day Workweek has spread from pie-in-the-sky idea, to proposal to actual implementation, following the pandemic workplace and labor market. This roundtable will feature at least two of the presenters from the 2022 WFRN, with updates. The first presenter, Wen Fan, in partnership with the 4 Day Week Global campaign, organizes trials of the 4-day workweek with no reduction in pay. Data from pre-, during-, and post-trial data from employees and organizations, from more than 200 companies and 7,000 employees in different countries, shows that an organization-wide, 4-day week schedule has large positive impacts on well-being: mental health, physical health, positive affect, job satisfaction, and burnout. In addition, the larger the reduction in weekly hours individuals achieve, the bigger the well-being benefits. Mediation analyses further show that behavioral changes—sleep and exercise—as well as a substantial increase in employees’ self-reported work ability, partially account for the observed relationship between changes in work hours and changes in well-being. The second presenter, Lonnie Golden Penn State University-Abington, will summarize primary data findings from three surveys fielded in 2022 and 2023 using Qualtrics, in the US and in two states--Illinois and Pennsylvania. It will focus on characteristics of workers currently working four-day workweeks and the gap between this and their preferences, i.e., which workers would like to be working full time but over four (or fewer) days per week? Are there differences between hourly and salaried workers? Parents vs. non-parents? Household income levels? Genders? Do those who report getting their desired workweek also report relatively higher employment quality rating? Does the preference for reduced and/or compressed workweeks reflect relatively higher or lower employment quality, i.e., does the desire for a shorter workweek reflect workers liking their job or disliking their job? More vs. less meaningful work? Do workers who prefer the four day option report experiencing relatively greater work-family conflict? We find that workers express a willingness to sacrifice pay to obtain the four day workweek more so than for any other benefit or working condition. The third presenter, Joe Peck, from the Urban Institute in DC, will explore the differences in time use allocations by hours worked. It distinguishes between "productive" and "nonproductive" (leisure) time repercussions. It finds nuanced differences in the amount of time sacrificed for more work hours by gender, race/ethnicity, part/full time and parental status. Inferences are made for reducing or compressing workweeks. A fourth presenter John Hopkins for Swinburne Uni in Australia, will present their Emerging Four Day Work Week Trends in Australia: New insights based on interviews with Australian firms who have already adopted 4DWW arrangements. The 5th presenter, Maria Foggia from York University (Toronto), will present findings regarding reduced and compressed work weeks and their gendered impacts.


The Preference Gap for the 4-Day Workweek.  Lonnie Golden, Penn State University - Abington College

From three surveys fielded in 2022 and 2023 using Qualtrics, in US and in two states--Illinois and Pennsylvania—it explores the characteristics of workers whose preferences are for a 4-day workweek. Which full time workers prefer fewer work days per week? Which workers indicate a willingness to sacrifice pay for a 4-day workweek? Are there differences between hourly and salaried workers? Parents vs. non-parents? Household income levels? Genders? Do those who report getting matched with their desired workweek also report relatively higher employment quality rating? Does the preference for reduced and/or compressed workweeks reflect relatively higher or lower employment quality, i.e., does the desire for a shorter workweek reflect workers liking their job or disliking their job? More vs. less meaningful work? Do workers who prefer the four day option report experiencing relatively greater work-family conflict? How might we explain the survey finding that workers express a willingness to sacrifice pay to obtain the four day workweek more so than for any other benefit or working condition.

Does work time reduction improve workers' well-being? Evidence from global four-day workweek trials.  Wen Fan, Boston College; Juliet Schor, Boston College; Orla Kelly, University College Dublin; and Guolin Gu, Boston College

Overarching questions/concerns: Time spent on the job is a fundamental aspect of working conditions that influences many aspects of individuals’ lives. Despite growing intervention research on work time reduction, these studies have mainly been limited to public sector employees in Northern Europe or employees in a single company, which limits the generalizability of the results. In this ground-breaking research, we study how an organization-wide four-day workweek intervention—with no reduction in pay—affects workers’ well-being. Statement on methods: Participating organizations undergo pre-trial work reorganization to improve efficiency and collaboration, followed by a six-month four-day workweek trial. We analyze data collected from 2,134 employees in 123 organizations located in six countries before and after the trial. Important findings: - The trial leads to improvements in multiple measures of subjective well-being, including burnout, job satisfaction, positive affect, mental health, and physical health. - Larger reductions in individuals' weekly hours predict greater gains in well-being outcomes. - Mediation analysis indicates that three factors significantly contribute to the relationship between reduced working hours and increased well-being: improvements in self-reported work ability, reductions in sleep problems, and decreased levels of fatigue. Implications for research, policy and/or practice: Contributing to existing research, our study reveals that the well-being benefits of reduced work time are not unique to a particular industry or sector but have broader relevance for many workers across multiple regions. In addition, our study highlights that an organization-wide reduction in job demands can stimulate workers to adjust and optimize their work processes, leading to improved perceived work ability and well-being. Given the dual benefits of perceived productivity and well-being, removing constraints on work time is a promising avenue for the future of work.

Time for What They Will: Changes in Work Hours and Time Spent on Non-Work Activities, 2003-2022.  Joe Peck, Urban Institute

Joe Peck, from the Urban Institute in DC, will explore the differences in time use allocations by hours worked. It distinguishes between "productive" and "nonproductive" (including pure leisure) time repercussions. It finds nuanced differences in the amount of time sacrificed for more work hours by gender, race/ethnicity, part/full time and parental status. Inferences are made for reducing or compressing workweeks.

Reduced and Compressed Work Weeks and Their Gendered Impacts..  Maria Foggia, York University

Questions and Concerns The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic ushered in a rethinking of traditional workplace arrangements. In Canada, shortened and compressed work schedules have been one such response to the changing landscapes of work following the pandemic. Trials across Canada and beyond suggest an array of positive impacts and improvements in workers’ experiences and perceptions of work. Interviews with thirty workplaces operating on reduced and compressed four day arrangements were structured around overarching questions of productivity, performance, retention, improvements in work-life balance, mental and/or physical health, and gendered experiences. In particular, whether a recalibration of work and life through work week reduction or compression could form part of an effective response to social issues within the workplace and beyond. These issues broadly include alleviation of burnout and job stress, domestic and childcare labour disparities between men and women, and improvement of labour market outcomes and economic equality. Methods A literature review was conducted over a one-year period, between July 1st, 2022 and June 30th, 2023. Based on this review, semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirty employers to determine how and if reduced and compressed arrangements responded to overarching questions and concerns. The interview was designed to answer questions related to a broad range of potential benefits and challenges, including but not limited to, improvements in mental and/or physical health, environmental benefits, work-life balance, impacts upon specific groups of workers, and the future of the four day work week based on the participant’s experience. However, participants were not strictly limited to the boundaries of the interview questions, and were welcomed and encouraged to share more if they felt it was important to do so. Approximately one-half of participants were drawn from the private sector, with the other half drawn from the not-for-profit and public sectors. The duration of time since implementing shortened and compressed work schedules ranged from a low of six-months to three decades, with most averaging over a year. Important findings An improvement among women in reduction of burnout and job stress was reported by interview participants. As suggested in the literature review stage, many women participants noted increased utilization of time to engage in labour market activities and career learning opportunities outside of their regular work responsibilities. This included additional training, certification, and mentorship. Parents, specifically mothers, noted a reduction in feelings of guilt from being split between their career, childcare and home responsibilities. Parents reported feelings of achievement in their personal and family lives as a result of increased time off to rest, with some participants reporting feeling like they had more time to work on their interpersonal relationships. Parents were better able to attend to various needs of both themselves and their children, including medical appointments, pick-ups and drop-offs from school and extra-curriculars Many employers were aware and motivated not only by potential productivity and talent recruitment benefits, but equally by the human benefits offered to employees who are parents, employees with disabilities, and employees with medical concerns that require greater flexibility, among many other groups of workers. Compressed work weeks showed only a slight decrease in flexibility for parents compared to reduced work weeks. Out of thirty employers interviewed, only one cited an instance where extended work hours reduced an employee’s ability to complete daycare drop-offs and pick-ups. Implications for research, policy and/or practice The future of the four day work week and other flexible arrangements that reduce work hours suggest an array of human health, interpersonal and social benefits, as well as economic and potential environmental promise. This study examines successes and challenges in trials across Canada, identifying and exploring its impacts upon workers at large and specific groups of workers, including but not limited to, gendered participants. With further exploration, the four day work week can contribute to a future of work that is attuned to human well-being.

Emerging Four Day Work Week Trends in Australia: New Insights.  John Hopkins, Swinburne University of Technology

Emerging Four Day Work Week Trends in Australia: New Insights John Hopkins - Detailed Abstract Overarching questions/concerns The Covid-19 pandemic dramatically changed the way many employees, and employers, think about the location and timing of work. In the aftermath of what many called ‘the world’s biggest work from home experiment’ (Banjo et al., 2020; Moglia et al., 2021), there has been a significant increase in demand for flexible work arrangements (FWA), from employees pursuing a better work-life balance. One such FWA is the 4-day work week, an idea which can be traced back to the 1970s (Coote et al., 2021; Hedges, 1971; Jahal et al., 2024) - when the oil crisis forced companies into reduced work schedules - which is now attracting widespread attention again form firms around the world. The traditional 4-day work week typically takes the form of a ‘compressed week’ where the same number of work hours are compressed over few days. For example, 40 hours worked over 4 days instead of 5, resulting in 4 longer workdays. However, an alternative form of 4-day work week is now emerging called the 100:80:100 model, which not only reduces the number of days an employee works but also the number of overall hours. The 100:80:100 model works on the understanding that employees are paid 100% of their normal wage, for working 80% of their previous number of hours, in exchange for their commitment to maintaining 100% productivity (WEF, 2023). The existence of this 100:80:100 model emerged during a previous research project and provided the motivation for this current investigation. Therefore, we were interested in learning more about this new work model, in an attempt to answer the following research question: RQ1 – What are the key benefits, challenges, and characteristics, of the 100:80:100 model? Statement on methods Guided by the findings and themes identified during a recent scoping review (Jahal et al., 2024), this research adopts a semi-structured interview method, to gain a deeper understanding of the 100:80:100 model from managers who have been involved in leading transitions to this way of working. The investigation consisted of n=12 semi-structured interviews, which were conducted via video conferencing platform Microsoft Teams, between February 2023 and January 2024. Semi-structured interviews were identified as being the appropriate research method for this investigation, due to their versatility and ability to capture both qualitative and quantitative data, and the flexibility they offer in terms of enabling improvised lines of questioning based upon the nature of the responses received from participants. Important findings • The 4-day work week offers a wide range of potential benefits for both employers and employees, • Not restricted to knowledge workers, • Can be implement for client-facing workers, • Costs and/or additional staff may be required, • Planning, piloting, training, and iterating are all considerations for achieving successful 4-day workweek arrangements, • It’s not the 1970s anymore, and the landscape has changed, earlier research is still valid but new studies are needed. Implications for research and practice This research has implications for both academic scholars and practitioners. It is hoped that the key themes and characteristics identified and discussed will inform future researchers and guide them in identifying appropriate research gaps worthy of further investigation, whilst contributing to the limited post-Covid literature available on this topic. With rising demand for flexible work arrangements, these findings offer managers an insight into the potential viability of a 4-day workweek and the type of benefits they might expect, as well as the challenges they are likely to face if they wish to adopt it. The 4-day workweek is a versatile FWA, which can be implemented outside of the realms of traditional knowledge work, to improve the work-life balance of frontline workers who may feel left behind by the increases in workplace flexibility being enjoyed by their office-based colleagues. References Banjo, S., Yap, L., Murphy, C., & Chan, V. (2020). The world’s biggest work-from-home experiment. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-02/coronavirus-forces-world-s-largest-work-from-home-experiment Coote, A., Harper, A., & Stirling, A. (2021). The case for a four-day week. Polity Press Cambridge, UK. Hedges, J. N. (1971). A look at the 4-day workweek. Monthly Labor Review, 94(10), 33-37. Jahal, T., Bardoel, E. A., & Hopkins, J. (2024). Could the 4‐day week work? A scoping review. Asia pacific journal of human resources. Moglia, M., Hopkins, J., & Bardoel, A. (2021). Telework, Hybrid Work and the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals: Towards Policy Coherence. Sustainability, 13(16), 9222. WEF. (2023). The world’s biggest trial of the four day work week has come to an end. These are the results. World Economic Forum Retrieved 10/03/2023 from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/03/four-day-work-week-uk-trial/

Thematic roundtable with multiple presentations


Organizers: Jennifer Fraone, Boston College - Center for Work & Family; Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, Purdue University;

Invited Session: Kanter Award Symposium - Amplifying the Impact of Work-Family Research

We are excited to feature scholars/authors of two of the nominated papers for the 2023 Rosabeth Moss Kanter Award for Excellence in Work-Family Research along with a workplace practitioner providing their perspective on effective workplace supports. The three panelist will present their findings/corporate experience and will participate in a discussion of how to make the researcher - practitioner relationship most impactful. This session will be facilitated by Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth and Jennifer Sabatini Fraone, of Purdue and Boston College, the two academic partners who annually administer the selection process and recognize the winners of the Kanter Award. The authors are: Sarah Thebaud, author of When do work-family policies work? Unpacking the effects of stigma and financial costs for men and women in Work and Occupations, 49(2), 229-263 and Maggie Wan, author of Does work passion influence prosocial behaviors at work and home? Examining the underlying work–family mechanisms in Journal of Organizational Behavior, 43(9), 1516-1534 Christine Pfeiffer, Director WorkLife & Wellbeing at Memorial Sloan Kettering, will offer a practitioner's perspective on how work-life and work-family supports can be most impactful and how research on these topics can help influence workplace policy and programs.


Discussants: Maggie Wan, Texas State;
Sarah Thebaud, UC Santa Barbara;
Christine Pfeiffer, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center;

Thematic roundtable with multiple presentations

Caregiving, childcare, and eldercare


Organizers: Jessica DeGroot, ThirdPath Institute; Scott Behson, Fairleigh Dickinson University;

Leaders, Flexibility, Inclusion and Wellness

To best capture the changing landscape of workplace flexibility and the needs of a multigenerational and diverse workforce, this panel will include both researchers and practitioners with a focus on the role of leaders as change agents in promoting workplace flexibility. The panel will begin by reviewing research that demonstrates the link between supportive work-care policies, such as flexibility, family leave, and childcare support, and an increase in the percentages of Black, Hispanic, and Asian American male and female managers as well as white female managers. Despite these efforts, gender and racioethnic equity still stubbornly persists in organizations and society. We are also witnessing some organizations retreat from a more flexible hybrid approach, and instead return to more rigid norms around where and when work is done. To promote further change, the panel will explore how leaders’ work-care experiences, as well as all change agents’ skills around vulnerability, trust, empathy, and risk-taking are key to promoting further change. Following brief (3-4 minute) comments by a subset of the panelists, we will then break the audience into small groups (one panelist per group), ultimately returning to a full group conversation as a way to create an interactive, forward-looking discussion. We’ll explore how changes at work require advocacy, sponsorship, inclusive polices, and leadership modelling. We’ll also explore how work-life flexibility requires changes both in the workplace and at home – as illustrated by ThirdPath’s work-care champions. Together we will investigate the best new opportunities for creating workplaces that have strong, supportive cultures that recognize employees varied and multidimensional lives across the life cycle.

Thematic roundtable with multiple presentations

Employer programs and HR management


Organizer: Deborah Widiss, Indiana University - Maurer School of Law

Menstruation, Menopause and the Workplace: Promising Practices from Around the World

Roundtable panelists: Marian Baird; Marcy Karin; Vivi Lin; Deborah Widiss Workplaces can be extraordinarily inhospitable to menstruation-related needs, despite the number of workers who experience the menstrual cycle or are in menopause. For example, employees have been refused breaks to access a restroom to address menstrual flow, and then terminated after menstrual blood visibly leaks onto their clothes or the employer’s property. Others have been denied permission to adjust uniform requirements to address hot flashes, or have been subject to harassment or discrimination in response to requests for support. Collectively, such failures to respond to the needs of people who menstruate or are in menopause serve as a significant barrier to ensuring workplace equality. These obstacles are further exacerbated by menstrual shame, stigma, and taboo; a consistent lack of medically-accurate menstrual education; and lived experiences that intersect with disability, race, religion, class, age, and gender identity. Inadequate support for menstruators undermines more general reproductive, LGBTQ+, disability, and racial justice agendas. A growing menstrual equity movement has led to new policies and laws around the world which seek to address these challenges. Some countries now require employers to provide period products in workplace restrooms or for a government-administered product distribution scheme to reduce their cost and thus the impact of purchasing these products. Others mandate that employers offer workplace accommodations for limitations related to menstruation; paid menstrual and/or menopause leave; or a right to ask for workplace flexibility to address these needs. Workplace safety legislation may also require that workers be offered access to restrooms as needed. And some countries provide enhanced protections against discrimination and harassment related to menstruation and menopause. Further, private businesses and public sector employers are adopting menstruation-supportive policies even where not required to do so by law. Trade unions are also advocating and bargaining for improved workplace conditions and entitlements to address reproductive, menstrual and menopause related needs. This roundtable brings together a mix of academic researchers and advocates with expertise on menstrual equity movements and new legal developments in Australia, Canada, England, Indonesia, Scotland, Taiwan, and the United States. They will share emerging evidence on what works and suggest key areas for future research to identify policies that can help ensure that menstruators and people in menopause can fully participate in the workplace.

Thematic roundtable with multiple presentations

Family and medical leave


Organizer: Jeff Hayes, Women’s Bureau - US Department of Labor (DOL)

Understanding Equity in Paid Family and Medical Leave Through Microsimulation Analysis

As of August 2023, policymakers in 13 states and the District of Columbia have taken steps to address the need for paid leave by enacting legislation to provide paid family and medical leave for workers who take leave. The Women’s Bureau at the US Department of Labor (DOL) has funded the Urban Institute to expand understanding of the distributional and equity impacts of paid family and medical leave program designs and related policies. The study focuses on identifying groups who have been traditionally underserved by existing paid leave programs and benefits and identifying policy levers that could improve access to paid leave. Urban will leverage and expand upon DOL’s Worker PLUS model to create a linkage to Urban’s Analysis of Transfers, Taxes, and Income Security (ATTIS) model to study the outcomes of interest. ATTIS can simulate eligibility and benefits for all the major means-tested benefits, including cash assistance (TANF and SSI), federal nutrition programs (SNAP, school lunch, WIC), and other benefits including childcare, energy, and housing subsidies. ATTIS also calculates what families pay in payroll taxes and federal and state income taxes and what they receive in tax credits (including earned income tax credit, child tax credit, child and dependent care tax credit). ATTIS will be used to assess changes in benefits, taxes, and poverty levels (with the Supplemental Poverty Measure) under various paid-leave proposals. The panel discussion will review the study’s findings as outlined in a national policy report and selected state-specific issue briefs (all forthcoming in 2024). Extended comments from a researcher studying work family policy programs for income support and a policy stakeholder reflecting on policy designs for equity will respond to the results ahead of general discussion.


Discussants: Hilary Wething, Economic Policy Institute (EPI);
Aleta Sprague, University of California;

Thematic roundtable with multiple presentations

Caregiving, childcare, and eldercare


Organizer: Lisa Stewart, California State University, Monterey Bay

Work-Family Challenges for Parents of Children With Disabilities – A Cross-National Perspective

We propose a panel discussion that will delve into the challenges and opportunities faced by employed parents of children with disabilities post-Covid. This panel compares the United States, Croatia, and Australia to emphasize the regional disparities in policies, workplace practices, and support systems. This discussion will shed light on parents' unique circumstances in different cultural and regulatory contexts by bringing together a diverse panel of experts. Our panel will consist of a U.S. disability care policy researcher with expertise in U.S. disability policy and legal frameworks, a Croatian researcher who can provide insights into the unique challenges faced by parents in the Croatian context—a researcher with expertise in the Australian system, focusing on policies and support structures and a parent who has successfully navigated the work-family interface for a child with disabilities, offering firsthand experiences and insights—an experienced moderator specializing in disability studies and cross-cultural perspectives. Panel Discussion Objectives: 1. Comparative Insights: The panel discussion will offer a comparative analysis of the experiences of employed parents of children with disabilities in the U.S., Croatia, and Australia, highlighting commonalities and regional distinctions. 2. Policy Implications: Explore the impact of legal and policy frameworks on parental employment, caregiving responsibilities, and access to support services in each of the three regions. 3. Cultural Factors: Discuss the influence of cultural norms, family structures, and societal expectations on these parents' lives and how they differ among the three regions. 4. Support Ecosystems: Assess the availability, effectiveness, and gaps in support services such as childcare, respite care, and therapy options in the U.S., Croatia, and Australia.


Discussants: Claudia Sellmaier, University of Washington;

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations

Location: North America


Organizer: Gabrielle Pepin, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research

Active Labor Market Policies for Families with Children

This session centers around active labor market policies targeted at families with children. The papers examine three policies intended to provide resources to families with children: the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and paid family leave. The authors examine how changes in these programs—via the introduction of new policies or changes in the economic environment—affect vulnerable families’ access to income and caregiving supports. Pepin uses administrative data from the Department of Health and Human Services, along with information from state reports, to examine how the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 and other proposals to strengthen states’ TANF work requirements will affect states’ compliance with federal guidelines. Results will provide evidence on federal and state policies that affect economically disadvantaged families and will point to the future trajectory of their access to the cash assistance safety net. Bellisle uses data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation to examine whether safety-net provisions and familial support attenuated the economic fallout of the Great Recession among postpartum low-income unmarried women. He finds that the Great Recession had a disparate negative impact on the economic well-being of postpartum Black women in particular, though nutrition assistance programs may have attenuated some impacts. Wething uses data from the American Time Use Survey and a staggered difference-in-differences design to explore how state-level paid family leave policies affect maternal time use. Results will provide evidence on the mechanisms underlying parental behavior around the time of childbirth and showcase how public policy can support parents during a precarious time for their health and well-being. Taken together, the papers in this session will speak to promising (or not-so-promising) policy solutions to help families access the supports they need to achieve success at work and at home. The discussion also will touch on issues of income, race, and gender equity.

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations

Intersectionality and multiple identities


Organizers: Nicole Denier, University of Alberta; Yang Hu, Lancaster University;

Artificial Intelligence and Intersectional Inequalities in the Labor Market

The advent and rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) in the labor market – particularly the use of AI in hiring, performance assessment, and promotion processes – have prompted multifaceted concerns regarding AI-related inequalities. In a short time, a substantial body of scholarship has examined the use of AI in high-stakes decisions that shape individual life chances, raising questions about AI’s potential for mitigating, perpetuating, and/or creating new forms of social inequalities. While it has been long established that inequalities often manifest in intersectional forms, for example, across social categories such as gender, sexuality, class, and race/ethnicity, how intersectional inequalities manifest and operate in AI-mediated labor market processes remains scarcely researched. Against this backdrop, this panel brings together four papers to develop distinctive perspectives on the role of AI in (re)producing and/or mitigating intersectionality inequalities in the labor market. The first paper provides an up-to-date view of the current state and long-term trends of intersectional inequalities in the Canadian labor market. The second paper, drawing on in-depth interviews, examines how employers (human resource professionals) and job seekers navigate intersectional inequalities in AI-automated hiring on both the supply and demand sides. Building on the second paper, the third paper reports findings from a vignette experiment examining the views of both employers and job seekers on the role of AI in shaping intersectional labor market inequalities. Diving into the socio-technical interface, the final paper examines how intersectionality is embedded and operationalized in the design of AI algorithms.


Labor Market Trends Over Two Decades in Canada: An Intersectional Perspective.  Alla Konnikov, Concordia University of Edmonton; and Karen D. Hughes, University of Alberta

Following a shift in migration policy that prioritizes skills and human capital, Canadian society has become increasingly diverse, with a growing proportion of first- and second-generation immigrants, many of whom are visible as ethnic and racial minorities. These transformations are shaping the labor market composition, with increased complexity, where some occupations and industries remain fairly homogeneous in terms of ethnicity, race, immigration status, and gender, while others are becoming far more heterogeneous. This uneven transformation results in more complex forms of inequality that converge along the lines of immigration, race/ethnicity, and gender. In the context of this growing complexity, studying labor market segregation using discrete approaches to sex and racial segregation can no longer fully capture the complexity of the labor market landscape, thus necessitating an intersectional approach. This paper employs the intersectionality framework to illuminate the growing heterogeneity of labor market segregation, considering multiple factors including gender, immigration, and visible minority status. Analyzing data from the Canadian Census (2001 and 2021), we map the changing demographic composition of the Canadian labor force and occupations over the past two decades, documenting the growing intersectional complexity of the labor force. This intersectional analysis offers a timely framework and evidence for understanding how growing digitalization and automation may converge with complex labor market inequalities to generate new, intersectional, and algorithmic forms of inequalities.

Between the Supply and Demand Sides: How Employers and Job Seekers Navigate Intersectional Inequalities In AI-Automated Hiring.  Rujun (Ruth) Zhang, University of Alberta; Rebecca Deustch, University of Alberta; and Karen D. Hughes, University of Alberta

How do key actors on both sides of the hiring process – human resource (HR) professionals and job seekers – navigate intersectional inequality and artificial intelligence (AI) automated hiring processes? In this exploratory pilot study, we bring together supply- and demand-side perspectives to aid our understanding of algorithmic hiring and intersectional inequality, drawing on empirical data from interviews with HR professionals and potential job applicants. Our goal is to begin to identify key factors and conceptual dimensions that shape demand- and supply-side understandings of intersectional algorithmic bias. In the interviews with job seekers, we look at the intentional impression-management techniques that participants use in order to present themselves as an “ideal fit” for the desired job post in algorithmic hiring. Previous research has demonstrated that a variety of techniques have been employed by prospective job candidates to mitigate the negative perceived effects of their identity in job-seeking processes. Such techniques may take on new forms as the technological landscape continues to shift. Our methods involve semi-structured interviews with potential job applicants (n=8), complemented by a small number of exploratory interviews with HR professionals. In our interviews with job seekers, we examine job-seeking strategies and job application processes, how participants perceive the use of AI in hiring, and their corresponding adjustments. In our interviews with HR professionals, we examine hiring practices, EDI strategies, and how participants conceptualize the “ideal fit” of prospective candidates. Insights from our in-depth qualitative exploration provide new understandings of the knowledge and practices of people from both sides of the hiring process in “doing” and “undoing” intersectional inequalities in AI-automated hiring processes.

Algorithmic and Intersectional?: Evaluating Intersectional Inequalities in the Context of Digitalized Hiring.  Nicole Denier, University of Alberta; and Yang Hu, Lancaster University

Digital platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) based tools increasingly facilitate both the demand (employer) and supply (worker) sides of hiring, raising concerns about algorithmic biases and changing affordances for employers and job seekers alike. Digital and automated systems have the potential to reproduce, amplify, or mitigate human biases evident within the organizational contexts in which they are implemented. Similarly, job seekers may use novel generative artificial intelligence tools to formulate applications and assist with impression management strategies in ways that may exacerbate or lessen the potential for discrimination. We draw on two studies focusing on different sides of the hiring process to pinpoint ways that gender and racial inequalities may be shaped and reproduced at critical points of hiring and applying. The first study uses an instrumental variable approach to causally identify the relationship between the wording of online job advertisements and aggregate gender and racial labor market inequalities. The second study uses a novel experimental method to identify biases and patterns in language generated by large language models when prompted to produce job applications based on real-life job postings. Taken together, the studies highlight the profound impact of biased language in AI-mediated hiring and job application.

From a word to the world: Towards a holistic ecology of Intersectional AI.  Yang Hu, Lancaster University; and Nicole Denier, University of Alberta

Labor market inequalities are often characterized by intersectional configurations involving mutually constituent and mutually shaping relationships among multiple social categories such as gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity, and class. Theories of intersectionality have long influenced research on work and employment. However, the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) in labor market processes such as hiring, performance assessment, and promotion have not been sufficiently examined through an intersectional lens. This paper addresses this gap by providing a systematic conceptualization of how and why intersectional inequalities may emerge in the design and deployment of AI in labor markets, and what it takes for AI to account for intersectional constellations. The analysis draws primarily on a meta-synthesis of interdisciplinary theories and evidence, supplemented by insights from interviews with human resource practitioners and staff at a globally leading firm developing AI algorithms for hiring, as well as interviews with individual job seekers on their experiences with AI-mediated job applications. In doing so, it problematizes mainstream approaches to intersectionality in AI within the labor market context that focus predominantly on distributive parity across social groups characterized by intersectional identities. This paper conceptualizes "intersectional AI" as a socio-technical ecology comprising multiple actors that occupy distinct positions and engage in interlocking interactions, whose interplays are embedded in unequal power matrices across various levels of society and (often contesting) global contexts. By offering fresh insights into the challenges of tackling intersectional inequalities in AI-mediated labor market processes, this paper develops a multilevel multi-stakeholder and relational framework to guide the development of effective strategies to address intersectional algorithmic inequalities.

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations

Gender dynamics, inequality, and outcomes


Organizers: Matt Piszczek, Wayne State University; Yanick Provost Savard, Université of du Québec à Montréal;

Boundary Control and Work-Family Processes

The term boundary control has first been coined by Kossek and colleagues (2012) and described as “psychological perceptions of the ability to control boundaries” between work and nonwork domains. It emanates from the flourishing literature on boundary and border theories (Ashforth et al., 2000; Clark, 2000). More recently, Rothbard and Ollier-Malaterre (2016) highlighted that research on boundary control is important since it acknowledges power, autonomy, and environment-related issues, which other mainstream boundary constructs (e.g., boundary preferences) do not. Boundary control is thus a critical construct in work-family research. Given its central role in managing the work-family interface, boundary control is likely to play an important part in various work-family processes. The purpose of the symposium is to bring together researchers whose work contributes to our understanding of boundary control in these various processes. Accordingly, this symposium features four papers exploring boundary control from a variety of perspectives and methodologies. Provost Savard and colleagues investigate the role of boundary control and social support in predicting work-from home adjustment with a three-wave study of unionized Canadian workers. Piszczek and colleagues examine how employees' perceptions of HR systems influence their attribution of boundary control to organizational actors using a three-wave sample of US workers. In a mixed methods study, Livingston and McAlpine explore how 220 dual-earner couples negotiate over resources for working from home to navigate and exert control over their work-home boundaries. Finally, Cobb and colleagues conduct a literature review on boundary management person-environment fit, exploring the role of boundary control in understanding fit and how fit contributes to well-being.


Who Gets the Credit and Who Gets the Blame? Making Sense of Employee Boundary Control Attributions.  Matt Piszczek, Wayne State University; Joe Yestrepsky, Wayne State University; Ajay Ponnapalli, Wayne State University; and Sukriti Sharda, Wayne State University

Research suggests that employees engage in a complex sensemaking process about their ability to manage their work-nonwork roles and may attribute this ability to different actors (e.g., supervisors, unions, and organizations themselves). This project examines how employees' beliefs about the motivations of these actors to either improve their performance or well-being shape the effects of actors' behaviors in the workplace. Specifically, this project examines how employees make sense of their boundary control and work-life balance satisfaction. Using a three-wave online panel of approximately 300 employees in a variety of occupations and industries, we test how employees' perceptions about the motivations of their organizations, supervisors, and unions affect whether their ability to balance work and non-work life improves their attitudes toward them.

The Interplay Between Boundary Control and Boundary Management Fit.  Haley Cobb, Louisiana State University; Candice Thomas, Saint Louis University; Rebecca Brossoit, Louisiana State University; Matt Piszczek, Wayne State University; and Cort Rudolph, Wayne State University

Work-family research has begun to integrate perspectives focusing on the individual worker with those that incorporate environmental or contextual factors, such as person-environment fit. Research on boundary management fit is boundary management’s integration of person-environment fit; boundary management fit refers to the alignment between individual, personal factors and environmental, contextual factors as they relate to boundary management. In our systematic review of boundary management fit, boundary control is highlighted as a useful factor for understanding fit and how fit contributes to wellbeing. We suggest that boundary control is beneficial to wellbeing when the organization supports the individual (e.g., when there is alignment between individual boundary control and organizational support for boundary control), and boundary control can help promote individuals’ enactment of their preferred boundary management. Implications for future research and practice will also be discussed.

Negotiating Over Working From Home: The Effects of Couple Congruence in Segmentation Preferences.  Beth Livingston, University of Iowa; and Kristie McAlpine, Rutgers University

Couple, or spousal, negotiation is a process of role arrangement between partners, with the goal of resolving conflict due to multiple role responsibilities (Livingston & Ryu, 2020). The majority of the nascent research on couple negotiation has been studied in the context of larger, anchoring decisions (e.g., decisions over working part time/full time or seeking a promotion; Livingston, 2014; Wong, 2017), but it frequently occurs over smaller, everyday instances of role conflicts (Radcliffe & Cassell, 2014). We draw on a sample of 220 dual-career couples to examine—both qualitatively and quantitatively—how the congruence between partners’ segmentation preferences influences their negotiation over resources related to working from home and, in turn, how these negotiations related to their job engagement. Our findings suggest that congruence in partners’ segmentation preferences leads women, but not men, to increase their use of self-interested, or competitive, negotiation tactics, which is positively related to women’s job engagement. We discuss theoretical implications to the literatures on couple negotiation and boundary theory, as well as practical implications for couples and organizations.

Understanding Work-From-Home Adjustment: The Contribution of Supervisor and Family Social Support and Boundary Control.  Yanick Provost Savard, Université of du Québec à Montréal; Dana Bonnardel, Université of du Québec à Montréal; Élie Pilon, Université of du Québec à Montréal; Annabelle Beauvais-St-Pierre, Université of du Québec à Montréal; Sasha Elbaz, Université of du Québec à Montréal; and Vi Dupont, Université of du Québec à Montréal

Provost Savard and colleagues’ research investigated the role of boundary control and social support in predicting work-from-home adjustment. They conducted a three-wave study with 333 unionized Canadian workers. Mediation analyses suggest that work-supportive family behaviors are related to work-from-home adjustment four months later through boundary control two months later. This was not the case for family-supportive supervisor behavior. These results question the emphasis on work-centered interventions to improve telecommuters experience and instead suggest that more attention should be given to the family context.

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations

Conceptualizing the work-family-life nexus


Organizers: Katherina Kuschel, Centrum Graduate Business School and pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú; Nicholas Beutell, Iona University;

Copreneurial Ventures: Making Business and Family Work.

The symposium includes three presentations and a round of discussion. This symposium stimulates discussion and advance research on the topic of copreneurial ventures as a form of incipient family business. Entrepreneurs (or business owners, or self-employed, freelancers, etc.) is a profile, a type of employment that has been generally understudied in the WF literature. However, entrepreneurship and self-employment is a growing and trending type of employment nowadays. We explore the challenges and opportunities for managing work and family in copreneurial ventures.


Mixing Business and Pleasure: Socioemotional Wealth and Income Levels Among Copreneurs and Business-Owning Couples.  Maria Marshall, Purdue University; Renee Wiatt, Purdue University; Yoon Lee, Utah State University; Margaret Fitzgerald, North Dakota State University; Michael Cheang, University of Hawaii; and Stephen Mukembo, University of Missouri

Copreneurs and couple-owned businesses spend an inordinate amount of time together, but how do these closely intertwined relationships between the owner’s personal and business lives affect the parties involved? This study utilizes a survey of 500 small businesses in the U.S. to explore how business outcomes, both objective and subjective, are influenced by whether the business has a copreneurial structure or is a business-owning couple (compared to non-copreneurial businesses). Other variables of interest such as gender, minority, business age, business industry, and work-family balance are also included. For the objective measure of success, we utilize business income and for the subjective measure of business outcome, we use a scale of socioemotional wealth (SEW). SEW refers to the non-financial goals of the business, including affective commitment to the business and family identity and control. For this study, copreneurs are defined as couples who are: both involved in the day-to-day management of the business, both are employed by the business at least on a part-time basis, and both share empowerment in making business decisions. Business owning couples are couples who are both involved in the day-to-day management of the business but are not jointly making business decisions and are both employed by the business. Preliminary results show that while being a couple-owned business or copreneurial business (compared to non-couple or non-copreneur business) leads to higher levels of socioemotional wealth, it is also associated with lower income. Further studies are needed to investigate the drivers of income and SEW for these businesses.

Copreneurs and Their Use of Adjustment Strategies: A Comparison to Other Forms of Family Businesses.  Margaret Fitzgerald, North Dakota State University; Yoon Lee, Utah State University; Maria Marshall, Purdue University; Renee Wiatt, Purdue University; Michael Cheang, University of Hawaii; and Stephen Mukembo, University of Missouri

El Shoubaki et al. (2022) noted that the lack of consistency in defining copreneurs and couple-owned businesses has led to inconsistent research findings. In this study, data from the 2019 Small Business Values Survey were used to operationalize and compare copreneurs, couple-owned, and non-couple owned family businesses and non-family businesses on their use of adjustment strategies to balance work and family demands. Adjustment strategies are defined as a means of restoring or maintaining an acceptable level of well-being when increased or competing demands are made on resources (Miller et al., 1999; Haynes et al., 1999; Muske et al., 2009). As informed by Sustainable Family Business Theory, these strategies create resilience capacity to deal with disruptions (Haynes et al., 2019). An index of adjustment strategy use was created by summing eight indicators. Descriptive results show the highest use of adjustment strategies by couple-owned family business owners and the lowest by non-family business owners. OLS regression results indicate that all three forms of family businesses used significantly more adjustment strategies than non-family businesses. Owners of larger, older and home-based businesses were more likely to use adjustment strategies. Younger business owners, females, and less educated owners were less likely to use adjustment strategies. This study informs how adjustment strategies may be used to maximize the use of resources to foster business and family sustainability

When is Entrepreneurship a Solution to Work-Family Conflict? A Comparative Study of Aspiring and Actual Entrepreneurs’ Psychological Capital and Social Support.  Mary Hunt, Ave Maria University

The stress of work-family conflict (WFC) arises from the strain of prolonged role demands and depleted resources (Hobfoll & Freedy, 1993) and workers increasingly strive to counteract these stressors. Conservation of Resource theory (Hobfoll, 1988, 1989, 2001) asserts than an individual having control in their affairs, is an effective resource for managing the anticipated stresses of work-family conflict; that is, control of the time and place of work (flexibility), as well as control regarding how the work is done (autonomy). Consequently, workers seek career choices that provide these resource opportunities. Self-employment is often viewed as a desirable solution to alleviate work-family strains as it seems to offer considerable discretion and autonomy (Beutell, 2007). But when does entrepreneurship really work to offset work-family conflict? Two factors that show promise in buffering the experience of stress are the individual attribute of Psychological Capital and a worker’s social support. This paper focuses on how these individual and social factors impact entrepreneurs’ work-family experience and how these actual experiences differ from the expectations of aspiring entrepreneurs. We will explore these relationships for the current self-employed population and compare the perceptions and experiences with those anticipated by aspiring entrepreneurs. We will examine whether those aspiring entrepreneurs are realistic in their expectations of the roles these factors contribute to lessening work-family conflict.

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations

Gender dynamics, inequality, and outcomes


Organizer: Dominique Kost, BI Norwegian Business School

Digital Technologies, Human Resources Practices, and Careers (sponsored by the WFRN special interest group for ‘Work, Family, and Technology’)

We kindly ask that this symposium is scheduled at a different time than the other sessions sponsored by the ‘Work, Family, and Technology’ special interest group to ensure that our members can attend all sessions. Organizational boundaries are becoming increasingly more fluid due to current technological advances. First, mobile technology enables and encourages remote work, which does not confine work to the same physical space (Eurofound, 2020). Second, technology enables organizations to collect more data on their employees and use this data for employee decisions. Tasks previously conducted by managers are now partially and, in some cases, completely performed by decision making systems or algorithms (Gagné et al., 2022). Both technological advances, alone and together, affect work, and HRM in different ways. First, due to increased remote work, HRM tasks that were previously performed face-to-face in a physical space, are now performed online. Second, decision making systems are gradually replacing and supporting HRM tasks (Gagné et al., 2022). For example, in the gig economy, workers are completely managed by algorithms, e.g., automated feedback and task distribution (e.g., Kuhn & Maleki, 2017). In both cases, technology is affecting worker and employee outcomes in different ways. In this session we specifically aim to address how technology and algorithms: (1) change HRM practices – the first paper focuses on virtual onboarding and training to accommodate remote work and the second examines employee electronic surveillance through so called “boss-ware”; (2) affect individuals’ digital capital and career choices - the third paper asks whether there is such thing as a gendered digital gap stemming from women’s part-time employment and the fourth explores career motivations and trajectories in the gig economy.


Virtual vs. F2F Onboarding for New Grads: Best Practices and Impact on Engagement, Perceived Organizational Support, Belongingness and Work-Life Balance..  Kelly Basile, Emmanuel College; Ada Smith, Emmanuel College; and Kaitlyn Gallagher, Emmanuel College

With the substantial post-COVID rise in remote and hybrid working and the increase in technology-enabled HR tools and practices (e.g., Ali, Krsteska, Said & Momin, 2023), new processes and practices by which new employees are formally and informally onboarded into organizations have been introduced (Scott et al., 2022). Onboarding is an important HR function as it is the process by which new employees adjust to the norms and expectations of a new employer. In turn, successful newcomer adjustment leads to “important employee and organizational outcomes such as satisfaction, commitment, turnover, and performance” (Bauer & Erdogan, 2011, p. 51). Onboarding for new graduates is particularly important as they often lack general professional knowledge, experience in professional environments and professional networks that could supplement organizational support during the adjustment process. Therefore, this study examines the impact of virtual onboarding on new graduate role engagement, perceived organizational support, belongingness, and work-life balance. The study employed an online survey of recent college and university graduates who started a new role within the last months and experienced an onboarding process. The sample included participants with in-person only, virtual only and hybrid onboarding practices. The data shows that in-person and hybrid approaches to onboarding correspond to similar levels of employee satisfaction, perceived organizational support and belonging. However, results of a Sobel test suggest that Digital Capital (Ragnedda, Ruiu & Addeo, 2020) mediates the effect of onboarding format on perceptions of belonging for those engaged in fully face-to-face or fully virtual formats.

How Employee Surveillance Technologies Break Psychological Contracts: Function Creep, Invasiveness and Preferences for Segmentation between Work and Life.  Ariane Ollier-Malaterre, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) - École des Sciences de la Gestion (ESG); Xavier Parent-Rocheleau, HEC Montreal; Yanick Provost Savard, Université of du Québec à Montréal; and Sabrina Pellerin, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) - École des Sciences de la Gestion (ESG)

Employee surveillance technologies are tools (sometimes called “bossware”) used by employers to monitor employee behaviours and productivity. Examples include GPS and other geolocation devices, cameras, audio recording of phone calls, content analysis of emails, instant messages, or TEAMS conversations, tracking of internet searches, keyboard strokes, mouse movements and online status, and screenshots of workstations and intermitted photos. Although research has documented the deleterious effects of such surveillance on employee stress and work engagement, little is known about how employees perceive surveillance and about the mechanisms that lead to such negative outcomes. In this research, we examine two important facets of workplace surveillance, transparency, and function creep. We analyze how they may predict invasiveness perceptions and psychological contract with the organization, depending on employees’ preferences to segment their work and personal life. We test a moderated mediation model on a sample of 175 unionized employees in Quebec. Function creep concerns (but not transparency) at time 1 was positively related to invasiveness at time 1, which in turn, was positively associated with psychological contract breach at time 2; the indirect effect of function creep on psychological contract breach through invasiveness was significant. Moreover, the relationship between invasiveness and psychological contract breach was stronger at higher levels of segmentation preference. Transparency, rather than directly reducing invasiveness perceptions, reduced function creep concerns. Our findings suggest that psychological contract breach may result from improper use of surveillance tools and that this relationship may vary according to individual factors.

Identifying Career Trajectories in the Gig Economy: From Professional Career Path to Antagonistic.  Dominique Kost, BI Norwegian Business School; and Christian Fieseler, BI Norwegian Business School

Individuals' entry into the gig economy is a complex phenomenon, influenced by an array of reasons, divergent career perspectives, and diverse skill sets. Notably, the preference for a long-term career pathway in the gig economy is frequently dictated by personal motivations and unique life circumstances. Factors such as the availability of other professional opportunities in one's locale, or whether the gig arrangement serves as a supplemental addition to other life and employment opportunities, play crucial roles. Such attributes of gig economy workers are instrumental in shaping their individual career paths (Duggan et al., 2022). We examine emerging career pathways, its antecedents, and intersections in the gig economy, and discuss the motivations driving gig workers and the career attitudes, as well as other career-related traits defining their career paths. We propose a framework based on the degree of career boundaries and suggest three potential career trajectories within the gig economy: antagonistic (i.e., disgruntlement towards present status and future possibilities in one’s career), non-committed (i.e., gig work as a stopgap), and entrepreneurial (i.e., gig work as career growth opportunity). We postulate that individual career adaptability and career attitudes, boundaryless and protean career attitudes, towards leveraging gig economy opportunities play a crucial role in overcoming potential career impediments and shaping each person’s career trajectory within this context. Understanding these trajectories is critical for shaping future policies and support initiatives, ensuring the gig economy becomes a genuinely empowering work platform rather than a last resort for those with limited options.

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations

Conceptualizing the work-family-life nexus


Organizers: Vanessa Conzon, Boston College; Julie Yen, Harvard University;

Diversity Dynamics: Unraveling the Impact of Technological and Social Shifts on Workplace Equality

This session focuses on how technological and social changes shape inequality and diversity in the workplace and work/life interface. The four papers will interrogate how AI’s rise, new workplace policies and regulations, and changing social norms affect gender equality and work-life conflict: • “Changing the workweek: shorter or more flexible?” by Julie Yen* (Harvard) draws on a qualitative, inductive study of a software start-up to compare how a 4-day workweek vs. a flexible hours policy shaped the experiences and work-life boundary management strategies of workers. • “Overloaded: Gender Inequality and the Regulation of Overwork in South Korea” by Ohjae Gowen* (Harvard) investigates the impact of a regulatory change on men’s household labor time. Capitalizing on the 52 maximum weekly work-hour rule introduced in South Korea in 2018, this paper examines the causal effect of overwork regulation. • “Changes in Hiring Discrimination Against Stay-at-Home Fathers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Online Field Experiments, 2019-2021” by Julia Melin* (Dartmouth) and Jennifer Merluzzi (George Washington) investigates how the COVID-19 pandemic changed hiring discrimination against stay-at-home fathers. • “Cracking the Code: How Women Managers’ AI Use Shapes Perceptions of their Work Performance” by Vanessa Conzon* (Boston College) and Alexandra Feldberg* (Harvard) weds status characteristics theory and theories of science and technology studies to predict how their colleagues perceive women managers’ work performance when they use AI. Judith Clair (Boston College) is the discussant, and will provide thoughts on the papers. We hope to further understanding about how inequality and diversity are shaped by technology and society.


Discussants: Danna Greenberg, Babson College;

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations

Conceptualizing the work-family-life nexus


Organizers: Anna M. Stertz, RWTH Aachen University; Bettina S. Wiese, RWTH Aachen University;

Dual-Earner Couples and the Work-Family Interface: Understanding Dynamics from a Dyadic Perspective

The work-family interface has become a recognized field of research in various disciplines such as psychology and sociology. However, most work-family research is based on individuals rather than couples. This neglects the fact that not only are work and family intertwined spheres of life, but that the actors in these spheres of life are also interdependent. The session addresses this issue by bringing together four empirical studies with a dyadic perspective on dual-earner couples. Based on data collected in Hong Kong, the first study analyzes the effects of sharing work-related events with one’s partner on both partners’ short- and long-term well-being and relationship satisfaction. Couples’ decisions at the work-family interface are examined in the next three studies. A study conducted in Germany shows how the career commitment of both parents affects couples’ decisions to take parental leave. Using population-representative data from the U. S., the next presentation examines differences in how same-sex and mixed-sex couples pool their income and associations with relationship quality and stability. Finally, again with data collected in the U.S., a "work-family reflection" intervention to optimize decision making by dual-earner couples is presented, including results from an experimental evaluation study. Understanding the dynamics of dual-earner couples is important for scholars in the work-family field as well as for practitioners. It is a challenging endeavor, both theoretically and methodologically, as studies with couples place higher demands on research designs and statistical modeling techniques. This symposium highlights the benefits of taking on this challenge.


Dual-Earner Couples’ Sharing of Work-Related Events: Effects on Relational and Personal Well-Being.  Yue Yang Sun, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen; Tianyuan Li, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Anna M. Stertz, RWTH Aachen University; and Bettina S. Wiese, RWTH Aachen University

With the increasing attention paid to personal growth and self-expressive goals in modern marriages, dual-earner couples’ sharing of work-related events with the partner can be of real essence in promoting mutual support for each other’s personal growth, and this could thereby contribute to both partners’ relational and personal well-being. In the current study, a total of 102 heterosexual dual-earner couples were recruited from communities in Hong Kong, with wives’ average age being 41.8 (SD = 9.8) and husbands’ average age being 44.0 (SD = 10.4). The duration of the marriage ranged from 0.25 to 35.33 years, with an average of 13.87 years (SD = 10.63). They completed a pre-test survey, a 14-day daily diary study, and a follow-up survey one year later. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model was adopted to analyze the dyadic effects of sharing positive and negative work-related events on relationship satisfaction and personal well-being on the same day and one year later. In general, the sharing of both positive and negative work-related events had beneficial effects on the outcomes. Specifically, sharing positive work-related events had more immediate effects on both partners’ relationship satisfaction, while sharing negative work-related events benefitted relationship satisfaction more in the long run. Also, wives’ sharing had more immediate effects on both partners’ relational and personal well-being, while husbands’ sharing had more long-term effects on the partner’s personal well-being. The findings highlight the importance of work-related sharing in dual-earner couples and the need to differentiate its short-term and long-term effects.

How Both Parents’ Career Commitment Affects Couples’ Decisions About Parental Leave.  Anna M. Stertz, RWTH Aachen University; and Bettina S. Wiese, RWTH Aachen University

This study examines couples’ parental leave decisions from a psychological perspective combining career and relationship research. We investigate (a) how a partner’s career commitment influences this partner’s leave length (actor effect), (b) how one partner’s career commitment influences the other partner’s leave length (partner effect), and (c) how the interaction of both partners’ career commitment influences the mother’s and the father’s leave length (interaction effect). We analyzed longitudinal dyadic data (N = 365 heterosexual couples mainly from Germany) collected during pregnancy to 18 months postpartum using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. Overall, we found similar patterns of actor and partner effects for mothers and fathers. The more career-committed a partner, the shorter the leave of this partner. The more career-committed one partner, the longer the leave of the other partner. For fathers, we also found an interaction effect: in couples where the mother was highly career-committed but the father was not, fathers took the longest parental leave. In contrast, if the father was highly career-committed, he took a short leave regardless of the mother’s career commitment. Thus, mothers seem to be willing to become more involved in the family in favor of their partner’s career ambitions, but fathers do so only if they themselves do not have a high level of career commitment. The study highlights that a view of career commitment limited to individuals does not do justice to dual-earner couples. Here, a dyadic perspective contributes to a deeper understanding of couples’ career-related decisions in the early-family phase.

Financial Integration Variation Among Same-Gender and Mixed-Gender Couples.  Joanna R. Pepin, University of Toronto; and Chandler Fairbanks, University at Buffalo (SUNY)

Overarching questions/concerns: Married mixed-gender couples are more likely to report they ‘put all of their money together’ compared with married same-gender couples. Our first aim is to determine whether this gap is accounted for by variation in demographic characteristics, such as dissimilar work-family arrangements. Our second aim considers whether differences in financial pooling associated with relationship stability and quality vary by the gender composition of the couple. Statement on methods: We use the 2020–2021 data from the National Couples’ Health and Time Study (NCHAT), a nationally representative sample of U.S. couples aged 20–60 (N = 3348). Our dependent variable is a survey question asking respondents whether they (1) We keep all of our money separately, (2) Put some money together, or (3) Put all of our money together. Based on the gender of the respondent and their partner, we constructed a couple-type variable with four categories: (1) Man with woman, (2) Woman with man, (3) Man with man, and (4) Woman with woman. Relationship stability and quality were measured using legal marital status (cohabiting or married) and three relationship scales: dissatisfaction, instability, and negativity. We run a series of logistic regression models predicting full financial integration, focusing on the effects of marital status, work-family arrangements, and three relationship scales. Next, we interact couple-type with marital status and the three scales of relationship stability and quality. Important findings: • Same-gender couples were substantially less likely than mixed-gender couples to report full financial pooling, even after adjusting for demographic characteristics, relationship stability, and relationship quality. • At average levels of dissatisfaction, instability, and negativity, woman-woman couples remained less likely than mixed-gender couples to report full financial pooling. • Odds of pooling money were significantly lower with greater dissatisfaction and instability, with one exception. Among men partnered with men, higher levels of dissatisfaction were associated with greater odds of pooling money. • Negativity and pooling money were positively associated for all couple-types. Implications for research, policy and/or practice: Same-gender couples’ reduced likelihood of pooling their finances compared with mixed-gender couples are not explained by demographic differences, nor necessarily indicative of lower relationship stability and quality. We demonstrate that using mixed-gender couples’ level of financial integration as a reference point may provide misleading interpretations of the stability and relationship quality among same-gender couples. We also argue that relationship stability and quality might be differently associated with financial integration amongst all couples.

Work-Family Reflection: A Decision-Making Intervention for Dual-Earner Couples.  Courtney Masterson, University of San Francisco- School of Management

In this experimental study, we test the effects of a “work-family reflection” intervention on dual-earner couple’s engagement in collaborative and effortful decision-making processes when faced with events at the intersection of their work and family lives—such as a promotion, relocating to a new city, or becoming the primary caregiver for an aging parent. March (1994: 14) explains that “Decisions are framed by beliefs that define the problem to be addressed, the information that must be collected, and the dimensions that must be evaluated.” We propose that when dual-earner couples reflect upon the constellation of their work and family roles, goals, and experiences, they are more likely to frame decisions in a way that captures the full picture of their lives as workers and family members. When they pause to consciously think about, analyze, and question the past as a means to generate greater knowledge and consciousness (Ardelt & Grunwald, 2018), they may be more likely to frame the work-family event at hand as necessitating a “we” decision (vs. me) and as one that require their attention, effort, and collaboration. Extant research suggests that reflection may help a couple to slow down the decision-making process to better understand one another’s perspectives and, ultimately, resist gendered or power-based scripts in decision-making (Gerace et al., 2017). In the proposed session, we will present the work-family reflection intervention and share results from the pilot experimental study.

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations

College and university work-family-life programs and policies


Organizers: Mona Zanhour, California State University, Long Beach; Sabrina Speights, Wheaton College;

Early Career Network- INVITED SESSION: Navigating the Early Career Stage: Insights From the Early Career Network SIG

Our WFRN community network- Early Career Network- is proposing a third instalment of this panel discussion where researchers, from multiple career stages and fields, share their lessons learned and insights as pertaining to research, managing the tenure track stress, balancing teaching and research, venturing into non-academic jobs, and navigating the many other early career challenges. Research has shown that informal mentoring is particularly important for career success (Greenhaus, 2011), something this panel seeks to provide. Moreover, the pandemic and the ensuing changes made early career issues even more salient, placing additional constraints and strain to the already stressful journey of early career scholarship. The proposed panel discussion will begin with short talks from each of the panelists, providing a brief overview of their career path to date. The moderator will then guide panelists in a discussion of several common topics relevant to early career scholars. For example, potential topics to be discussed will include: issues and challenges related to obtaining research grants; building a network of mentors; planning for writing and research during the semester’s ebbs and flows, decisions related to publishing research; developing new collaborations; balancing teaching and research; and the process of obtaining tenure. The facilitators will generate a list of questions prior to the conference which will be shared with panelists prior to the event and used to guide discussion. Sufficient time will also be allotted during the scheduled panel discussion to allow for questions from the audience.

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations

Family complexity, dynamics, and wellbeing


Organizers: Sophie Mathieu, Vanier Institute of the Family; Margo Hilbrecht, Vanier Institute of the Family;

Exploring Family Wellbeing Through the Lens of Family Work: Job Characteristics and Inequalities in Diverse Families in Canada

Organizers: Sophie Mathieu and Margo Hilbrecht, Vanier Institute of the Family The Vanier Institute of the Family has developed the Family Diversities and Wellbeing Framework to advance understanding of families in all their diversities and to motivate knowledge creation to improve family wellbeing. The framework uses three lenses – Family Structure, Family Work, and Family Identity – to shine a light on key diversities experienced by families. In this session, we use the Family Work lens to discuss how different job characteristics affect the structure of inequalities among families. We ask: 1- How do job characteristics shape the structure of inequality within and between families in their (in)ability to integrate work and other life domains? 2- How do job characteristics help or hinder access to services and benefits (such as childcare and paid parental leave) for families? 3- What are the outcomes of job characteristics and employer requirements on the wellbeing of families? We view family wellbeing as having three dimensions: material (what people have), relational (their social connections) and subjective (their sense of the fit between their aspirations and their experiences). 4- What are some of the promising work-related avenues and/or policy solutions to increase the wellbeing of families with diverse employment characteristics? Three panelists are invited to address these questions. Dr. Heidi Cramm (Queen's University) will provide insights from her research on public safety personal employees and military families. Dr. Kim de Laat (University of Waterloo) will discuss the experience of Information technology immigrant workers with remote work. Dr. Diane-Gabrielle Tremblay (TÉLUQ university) will draw on her research on the work-life (im)balance of lawyers in Québec. Note: This is an invited session.

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations

Flexible work arrangements


Organizer: Heejung Chung, King&#x27;s College London

Flexibility Stigma, and Career Outcomes of Working From Home: The Role of Organisational and National Contexts

One of the silver linings of the COVID-19 pandemic has been that it has normalised working from home (WFH) and other remote working practices in many countries. For example, although approximately one out of seven or eight workers across Europe or the US have been WFH prior to the pandemic, this rose to up to half of the working population during the peak of the pandemic and settled to approximately ⅓ of all employees by 2021-2022. Despite this steep rise, we see that stigmatised views against flexible workers still prevail. Homeworkers are perceived as being less productive, committed, and/or motivated, resulting in negative career outcomes. What is more, stigmatised views against homeworkers are returning, as many large companies are being asked to return to office, cease to work from home. Such stigmatised views against homeworkers not only hinder take up of WFH and other flexible working arrangements, but also result in digital presenteeism and overwork tendencies among homeworkers. This may be especially the case for women, parents and other marginalised workers who may already face bias against their work capacities. This session brings together four papers using data from across Europe and North America that explore flexibility stigma against homeworkers, its variation across the homeworkers’ gender and parental status, and the outcomes of stigmatised views against homeworkers - namely on overwork behaviours and perceived career outcomes. One key factor all papers examine is the role of national and organisational contexts. We know that much of the stigmatised views against homeworkers are based on the normative views around the ‘ideal worker’ namely what constitutes productive working behaviours. Papers then ask how different organisational contexts may change such normative views to remove stigma against homeworkers, and ensure that potential unintended negative outcomes of homeworking are mitigated. This is done through using innovative methodologies such as experimental vignette surveys, and through exploring the variation of patterns across different country contexts using unique cross-national comparative data sets. All data used is from the ‘post-lockdown’ periods of late 2021-2023.


Work From Home and the Exaggeration of the Norm of the Ideal Worker: A Comparative Perspective.  Anja Abendroth, Bielefeld University; and Antje Schwarz, Bielefeld University

Overarching questions/concerns Blurred boundaries between work and personal life have been described as one of the risks of work from home. One explanation is that this form of flexible working does not only serve flexibility interests of employees but also of employers to make employees more available for work irrespectively of time and place. This implies an exaggeration of the norm of the ideal worker - with more pronounced organizational expectations to work overtime and to be responsive to work even outside regular working hours. Followingly, this research investigates whether work from home is likely to go hand in hand with experienced expectations to work overtime and to be responsive to work even outside regular working hours among employees. Taking on a comparative perspective, we additionally investigate the prevalence of trust, work centrality and work-life supportive policies across European countries. We argue that their prevalence are differently relevant for the three common explanations for an exaggeration of ideal worker expectations among employees who work from home: flexibility stigmas, self-exploitation and gift exchange dynamics. Statement on methods Analyses are based on the the European Social Survey Round 10 and multi-level analyses. Important finding Context matters: Low prevalence of trust and high prevalence of work centrality in a society increase the likelihood that employees who work from home experience high ideal worker norm expectations. Implications for research, policy and/or practice Our study highlights the importance to contextualize implications of work from home beyond the policy context.

Working From Home During the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Perception of Change In Career Prospects Among Parents.  Anna Kurowska, University of Warsaw; and Agnieszka Kasperska, University of Warsaw

The COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed significant changes, not only in the prevalence of home-based work but also in attitudes toward this mode of working (Parker, Horowitz & Minkin, 2022). This recent transition presents an opportunity to alleviate the stigma surrounding flexible work arrangements. The long-standing notion/belief that individuals utilizing such arrangements, especially for family-related reasons, are less productive and committed (Chung, 2020) has constrained the career advancement of telecommuting employees, notably those with children. Nevertheless, a question remains open whether the experience of working from home during the pandemic has changed anything in this matter. In our study, we explore the relationship between work-from-home experiences during the pandemic and the perception of changes in career prospects among parents. We use the Familydemic Harmonized Dataset (Kurowska et al 2023) consisting of minimum of 2,000 parents with dependent children across Canada, Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden, and the United States, collected in June to September 2021. Our findings indicate that both mothers and fathers, who continued to work from home throughout the pandemic had substantially higher predicted probability of reporting improved career prospects than those who worked solely in the office. Among mothers who commenced working from home during the pandemic, the connection between telecommuting and the perception of changed career prospects was less straightforward. Our research reveals that the favorable correlation between continued home-based work and the perception of career advancement dissipates for mothers who had children at home for more than six months due to childcare closures during the pandemic.

Career Penalties For Flexible Working: How Work Culture Shapes Managerial Attitudes.  Anna Matysiak, University of Warsaw; Ewa Cukrowska-Torzewska, University of Warsaw; and Agnieszka Kasperska, University of Warsaw

Work from home (WFH) has become an integral part of the professional lives of many people across the globe. Yet, its impact on career progression is still not entirely understood. This article explores how WFH affects workers’ careers from the gender perspective in the post-pandemic context of the United Kingdom (UK). More specifically, we study how WFH impacts workers’ opportunities for promotion and salary increase as well as employers’ assessment of workers’ commitment level and competencies. We also investigate whether the observed effects vary depending on the presence of the ideal worker norms (i.e. high work devotion and centrality) and work-family reconciliation measures in the company. We use data from an online survey experiment fielded between July and December 2022 among 1,000 managers in the UK. The findings indicate that employees who WFH are less likely to be considered for promotion and salary increase, and more likely to be negatively evaluated than on-site workers. These results pertain only to organisations that have more demanding organisational cultures, namely those with stronger ideal worker norms and fewer work-family reconciliation policies. Importantly, both men and women who operate in firms with more demanding organisational cultures and engage in WFH experience career penalties, however, they are substantially larger for men. Our findings underline the importance of organisational settings in the impact of flexible working arrangements on careers.

Flexibility Stigma Against Home Workers in the UK : How Normalising Homeworking Can Remove Stigma Especially for the Disadvantaged Workers.  Heejung Chung, King&#x27;s College London; and Senhu Wang, National University of Singapore

Despite the steep rise in homeworking practices across the world, stigmatised views against homeworkers still exists and are slowly coming back as evidenced by employers’ request for workers to return to office. The question arises, whose homeworking is stigmatised more, whether the number of days worked from home matter, and most importantly how organisational contexts can shift these views. On one hand mother’s WFH is likely to result in a steeper stigma due to employers’ assumptions around how mothers use WFH. On the other hand, father’s homeworking may be seen as a stronger violation of their roles as breadwinners. What is more normalising homeworking for all workers can help shifts bias against homeworkers, as it is more likely to be linked to smart working practices and productivity outcomes. Drawing from the UK Household Panel Survey Understanding society innovation panel, this study uses a factorial vignette experiment to examine flexibility stigma against homeworkers working 1-2 days a week from home versus 3-4 days against those who work from the office. We also explore whether these perceptions vary depending on the homeworkers’ gender-parenthood status and across various organisational contexts – namely normalisation of homeworking via through practice (% of workers homeworking) and policy (existence of homeworking policies), and whether gendered policies (only for mothers, or parents vs for all workers) make a difference. WFH is associated with lower levels of perceived work commitment, productivity, team spirit and promotion opportunities. However, normalisation of homeworking through policy and practice helps mitigate this bias.

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations

Caregiving, childcare, and eldercare


Organizer: Ellen Ernst Kossek, Purdue University

Fostering Family Supportive Work Scheduling (Or Not): Links To Family & Work Outcomes

The literature on family supportive workplaces is rapidly growing, yet gaps remain on how to improve the effectiveness of organizational support for family roles, especially work scheduling and time off practices, which is this symposium’s focus. First, working caregivers (parents, adult carers) face ongoing multi-faceted challenges in controlling work schedules to support participation in family roles related to their and their children’s school activities, breastfeeding, and using paid sick and family leave policies. Secondly, research on the family supportive work scheduling is fragmented across disciplines with some scholars mainly examining work and employee-related issues, and others focusing on family, parent and child issues. To foster integration of multiple forms of family supportive work scheduling, we include two papers from social work and/or education researchers focusing on the effects of work schedules on child and parent involvement in schools, two papers from I-O psychologists and management scholars focusing on the effectiveness of training interventions designed to increase organizational support of paid family (maternity/paternity) or sick leave policies, and a paper from management and sociological researchers on support for breastfeeding as mothers return to work. Kess Ballentine will present, “Exploring the Relationship between Parental Work Schedules and their Children’s School Attendance.” She analyzes subgroup differences in school attendance by family type and each parent’s schedule. Alejandra Ros Pilarz will present, “Are Parental Nonstandard Work Schedules a Barrier to Their School Involvement.” The paper examines the impact of nonstandard, variable, and/or flexible schedules on parent involvement in school for their first graders using ECSL-K data. She examines subgroup analyses by family structure, maternal education, race/ethnicity, gender differences in schedule types. The paper, "Leaders and Leaves: Validating and Evaluating a New Measure of Family Supportive Supervisor Behaviors for Family and Sick Leave,” includes the validation results from longitudinal NIH-funded Randomized field experiment. In “Examining the link between parental leave support and work outcomes: Data Insights from the Parental Leave Transition Assessment (PLTA)™,” Amy Beacom explores organizational parental leave factors associated with employee perceptions of support across organizational levels, and parental leave risk mitigation such as negative and/or discriminatory employee experiences and turnover intentions. Patrizia Kokot-Blamey presents her paper with Sara Masoud on “The role of organisational support policies and leave entitlements in mediating the relationship between religion, breastfeeding and employment in Qatar.” Their paper examines the problems women face upon return to work and the role of organisational support break and time off polices in managing the juxtaposed expectations of being a good mother according to religious beliefs and an ‘ideal worker.’ Our discussant is Dr. Leslie Hammer, who is well-recognized on the occupational health dynamics of organizations supporting work scheduling for family needs.


Are Parental Nonstandard Work Schedules A Barrier to Their School Involvement?.  Kess Ballentine, Wayne State University; and Alejandra Ros Pilarz, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Overarching Questions Parents’ work schedules shape how families spend their time and child and family wellbeing. Working during nonstandard times, particular evening and night shifts, and experiencing unstable and unpredictable schedules are associated with parents spending less time engaged with their children and with adverse child cognitive and socioemotional outcomes. Yet, less is known about how parental work schedules matter for parents’ involvement with children’s schools, a key predictor of children’s academic achievement and socioemotional wellbeing. In this study, we address this knowledge gap by estimating associations between parental work schedules and their school involvement. Our measure of work schedules captures regularly working during nonstandard times as well as employer- and employee-driven variable schedules. By using a more nuanced measure of variable work schedules, our study helps to disentangle the differential effects of different types of schedule variability. Based on prior research, we expect that, relative to a daytime shift, working a regular evening or night shift or an employer-set variable schedule will be associated with less parental school involvement, whereas working a flexible variable schedule will be associated with more involvement. Method We use data from the ECLS-K 2011, a nationally representative sample of kindergarteners in the 2010-2011 school year. Our sample includes 6,047 children who lived with their mother and in households with all parents employed. Parental work schedules were measured as: regular day shift, regular evening shift, regular night shift, a variable shift set by employer, and a flexible variable shift determined by the parent. Parental involvement includes three measures: a binary variable for volunteering in the classroom or school; a count variable for the total number of events that parents attended during the school year; and a binary variable for whether the parent regularly communicates with other parents from their child’s classroom to capture connections with other parents. To examine work-related barriers to involvement, we examine whether parents report inconvenient meeting times or inability to get off work as barriers to participation in school activities. We use logit (for binary outcomes) and negative binomial (for count outcomes) regression models, controlling for mothers’ work hours and occupation and child and family sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., age, education). Our primary analyses focus on mothers’ work schedules, and we also examine heterogeneity by family structure and parent gender by estimating models restricted to single-mother families and, separately, models restricted to two-parent families that include measures of maternal and paternal work schedules. Key Findings • In our sample, 83% of mothers worked a standard, daytime schedule, 4.4% worked an evening schedule, 2.9% worked a night schedule, 4.8% worked an employer-set variable schedule, and 4.6% worked a flexible variable schedule. • Mothers who worked a flexible variable schedule were more likely to volunteer (7.8 percentage points; 13% increase), attended 2.4 more school events (0.22 standard deviation increase), and were more likely to regularly communicate with other parents from their child’s classroom (5.6 percentage points; 9% increase) compared to mothers who worked a standard, daytime schedule. These mothers were also less likely to report that inability to get off work was a barrier to their school involvement, suggesting that having a flexible variable schedule increased their time availability for being involved. • Mothers who worked a night shift attended 1.1 fewer total school events (0.10 standard deviation decrease) compared to mothers who worked a standard, daytime schedule. These mothers were also less likely to report that inability to get off work was a barrier to their school involvement, suggesting that the association between night shifts and attending fewer events operates via pathways other than mothers’ time availability, such as poorer mental health. Neither working a regular evening schedule nor employer-set variable schedule was associated with school involvement. • We found limited evidence of heterogeneity in these associations by family structure or parent gender. Implications These findings highlight the importance of work schedule flexibility for parents’ ability to balance work and family demands and provide additional evidence of the potential harmful effects of night schedules for family wellbeing. Our finding that the associations between schedule variability and parental school involvement depends on whether the employer or the parent determines the schedule underscores the need for future research to examine the role of workers’ control over their schedule in shaping child and family wellbeing. Our study lends support for policies that increase workers’ control and flexibility over when they work, such as fair scheduling laws. These laws promote access to an accurate and ample number of hours, prohibitions of back-to-back shifts, advance notice of schedules, and rights of employees to refuse or request shifts. This research also has implications for school administrators, teachers, and school staff to increase parental involvement by adapting their opportunities for involvement to be inclusive of parents who work nights and inflexible schedules. For example, school staff could provide ample advance notice for all involvement opportunities and systematically schedule involvement opportunities at different times to ensure that, regardless of their schedule type, parents can attend school events and meetings.

Leaders and Leaves: Validating and Evaluating a New Measure of Paid Family Supportive Supervisor Behaviors for Family and Sick Leave.  Ellen Ernst Kossek, Purdue University; Katie Lawson, Ball State University; Leslie Hammer, Oregon Health & Science University; Todd Bodner, Portland State University; MacKenna Perry, Pacific Research and Evaluation; Jiayun Xu, Purdue University; and Shalene Allen, Portland State University

Overarching Questions & Concerns Supporting working caregivers of children and adults is a defining public health issue of the 21st century (CDC, 2019). Given caregivers represent three-fourths of the U.S. workforce (Goldstein, 2022), it is vital to improve family supportive workplaces particularly supporting leave policies (Thebaud & Pedulla, 2022). Although state and city mandates are growing, the U.S. lacks national paid leave. Only unpaid leave is mandated, which many employees cannot afford to take (BLS, 2023b). Available to one-fourth of the workforce, the U.S. relies on employers to voluntarily offer paid leaves (Lester et al., 2020). Paid leaves reduce turnover, enhance productivity, child health, and gender equality; yet they are underutilized due to unsupportive workplace cultures (Davison, & Blackburn, 2023). Supervisor support is an important predictor of employees accessing flexibility policies, as. supervisors serve as gatekeepers (Kossek et al., 2023). Yet we lack rigorous studies to measure and evaluate interventions to enhance supervisor support for leaves. This study is the first to: develop and validate a measure of family supportive supervisor behaviors for paid family and sick leave policies (FSSB-LP); test its predictive validity on employee outcomes including Family Supportive Supervisor Behaviors (FSSBs)(Hammer et al., 2013); and develop and evaluate the effectiveness of an organizational intervention designed to increase perceptions of FFSB-LP in a randomized clinical trial (RCT). Our contributions are: validating the FSSB-LP measure to extend the FFSB literature (Hammer et al, 2013) to specific policy support, developing and evaluating an organizational intervention with an integrative model comparing personal and work outcomes and using a rigorous cluster-randomized design, which is often lacking in work-family and leadership studies. We draw on previous theory on linkages between employee perceptions of supervisor support for the family role (Hammer et al., 2011; Kossek et al., 2011) and employee outcomes. Studies find the availability of work-life benefits correlates with commitment (Casper & Harris, 2008), but has been under-integrated with supervisor interventions. Drawing on interviews with benefits experts, we validated a new measure of FFSB-LP extending FSSB (Hammer et al., 2011). We assumed perceptions of emotional support, role modeling, instrumental support and creative management should be adapted toward specific support for leaves. Additionally we included content from research on under-utilization including fear of repercussions and feeling pressured to work during leave. We believed FFSB-LP would predict lower WFC and job satisfaction, even when controlling for general FSSB. Next we designed a supervisor training intervention to improve employee perceptions of the new measure and evaluate its effectiveness. Equipping supervisors with how to support leaves will provide psychological contextual resources. A meta-analysis (Guo et al., 2023) indicates FSSBs linkages to personal and work outcomes may have different theoretical rationale Comparing the resource view (Bakker & Demerouti, 2014) (assuming that supervisor support reduces WFC), with the organizational support view (Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002) (assuming a positive social exchange), they argue that the resource view is linked more to personal outcomes and the organizational support view relates to work outcomes). Consistent with this theorizing, we predict that training supervisors to support leave use will foster a work-life supportive context (Hammer et al., 2011; Kossek et al., 2023) fostering improved organizational commitment, job satisfaction and health. Studies show responsibility for managing caregiving intersects with gender, (BLS, 2023b), taking a toll on caregivers’ health and job outcomes. We expected that the intervention will have stronger effects for women and those with elder and childcare responsibilities. Hypothesis 1: Compared to the control group, the intervention group’s employees will report improved FSSB, FFSB-LP, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and health perceptions of psychological distress and general health at Time 2 and 3. Hypothesis 2: Women and caregivers, will be most likely to experience improved study outcomes from having supervisors exposed to the intervention. Hypothesis 3: The effects of the intervention on employee outcomes at Time 3 will be mediated by FSSB-LP at Time 2 such that employees randomized to the intervention will report improved support and improved outcomes post-intervention. Statement on Methods Data were collected via employee surveys from two U.S. universities at three time points (baseline, 3 months, 5-months) in a randomized organizational clinical trial. University 1 (intervention group) included 630 employees (76% women, 60% married, 47 % with childcare and 36.5% with eldercare responsibilities). University 2 (the control group) included 293 employees (72% women, 66 % married, 38% with childcare and 33.5% with eldercare responsibilities). After the baseline survey supervisors in the intervention organization were invited to participate in two 45-minute online training modules designed to teach supportive behaviors for leaves, with follow- up activities (behavior tracking, webinar). Half (n=174 , 47%) of the intervention group supervisors participated. Three and five months after baseline, employees completed follow-up surveys. Important Findings • Results of a multilevel confirmatory factory analysis using baseline data found the 12 item, 6-subscale measure of FSSB-LP fit the data well at both organizations, and the second-order factor loadings supported the use of a total score of the six dimensions. • Results of multi-level regression showed evidence of incremental validity beyond general FSSB. Controlling for general FSSB, FSSB-LP significantly predicted lower levels of WFC and FWC and job satisfaction. • To assess the effectiveness of the RCT, main and moderated intervention effects were analyzed via two-level ANCOVA modeling. H1 & H2ab were partially supported. The intervention showed a significant increase in FFSB-LP (Time 3); job satisfaction (time 2) and organizational commitment (Time 2,3) and had greater benefits for women and caregivers. Women had a significant increase in affective commitment at Time 3. Employees managing childcare demands or sandwiched care (elder/child) reported improved job satisfaction at Time 3. Child caregivers also improved general FSSB and health at Time 3. H3 regarding mediation was not supported. Implications for Research, Policy & Practice Our study conceptualizes and validates a measure to supervisor support for leaves (easily adapted for unpaid leaves). It demonstrates causal benefits of an evidence-based supervisor training on FSSB-LP for employees and firms. Organizations need to go beyond offering leave policies, to focus on support for implementation and use by training supervisors

Examining the Link Between Parental Leave Support and Work Outcomes: Data Insights From the Parental Leave Transition Assessment (PLTA)™.  Amy Pytlovany, Center for Parental Leave Leadership; and Amy Beacom, Center for Parental Leave Leadership

Overarching questions/concerns: The parental leave transition (preparing, during, returning) is a pivotal life event characterized by dynamic challenges and adjustments affecting new parent employees, their teams, supervisors, HR professionals, and organizations. Our research investigates the importance of Parental Leave Work Culture (PLWC) in shaping the parental leave experience and related organizational outcomes. Methods: This study examines data collected from the Parental Leave Transition Assessment (PLTA)™: a comprehensive self-assessment tool designed to explore six key areas that shape the parental leave experience. The PLTA, administered online to all RETAIN Parental Leave Coaching™ clients, (and the accompanying PLTA Report) serves as an invaluable resource for new parents and their coaches. Important findings: ● PLWC significantly impacts employee outcomes including access to parental leave resources, perinatal mental health concerns, health and safety concerns; missed opportunities for promotions and training, incidents of inappropriate comments at work related to pregnancy/leave, and return-to- work intentions. ● Manager experience with leave is shown to be an important factor influencing PLWC and its related outcomes, particularly those proximal to parental leave (e.g., knowledge of parental leave resources and perinatal mental health concerns). Implications for research, policy, and/or practice: Our research emphasizes the pivotal role of organizational support in the parental leave experience, with particular focus on PLWC and manager experience with leave. These findings strongly advocate for the implementation of clearly communicated policies and supportive practices (including manager training) that enable equitable access to positive leave experiences. Through these efforts, organizations can better integrate their parental leave programs with other HRM strategies to elevate employee wellbeing and organizational performance, and to mitigate risks, including turnover and potential litigation.

The Role of Organisational Support Policies and Leave Entitlements In Mediating the Relationship Between Religion, Breastfeeding and Employment in Qatar.  Sara Masoud, Qatar University; Patrizia Kokot-Blamey, Queen Mary University of London; Grace James, University of Reading; and Evelyn Fenton, University of Reading

The role of organisational support policies and leave entitlements in mediating the relationship between religion, breastfeeding and employment in Qatar Presenting Author: Patrizia Kokot-Blamey Overarching questions/concerns There is consistent evidence of the long- and short-term health as well as wider benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and child (Wiciński et al., 2020) following birth and beyond the first year of a child’s life. For example, researchers in the medical sciences argue that breastfeeding can prevent serious illnesses and death, and that the lives of over 800,000 children (or approximating 13% of all deaths in children under two) and 20,000 mothers around the world could be saved annually if they were breastfed optimally in the first two years of their lives (Victora et al., 2016). Islam is the state religion of Qatar. The word ‘breastfeeding’ is repeated in the Holy Quran 14 times, in seven Surahs and eight verses. Fatoohi (2012) reports that the Quran mandates that every newborn infant has a right to be breastfed. Subsequently, as Islam serves as the lens through which Muslims understand and view the world, instructions from the Quran are deemed influential in determining the breastfeeding practices adopted by working mothers in Muslim countries, including Qatar. The two-year period specified in the Quran has also been supported by research and e.g. the World Health Organisation (WHO), which recommends that all children be breastfed for two years, with exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, and more than eight times per day for the first three months of the infant’s life (Bayyenat et al., 2014). On the one hand, there is a significant correlation between religion and adhering to religious practice regularly and breastfeeding duration. On the other hand, returning to employment is a primary reason for breastfeeding cessation among new mothers (Al-Katufi et al., 2020). This makes it a key concern for policy makers and those working in public health. Qatar is an oil-based economy (Witt, De Castr et al, 2018), looking to diversify and to strengthen its private sector and engaging more Qatari citizens, both women and men, in the labour force (Felder and Vuollo, 2008) to replace expatriate professionals holding critical positions, and thus decrease its dependence on foreign labour. Qatar currently has the fastest growing rate of increase in women’s labour force participation, and the highest proportion of women in its labour force in the MENA region, at 57% (The World Bank, 2020). This empirical research focuses on understanding how professional women in Qatar experience the juxtaposition of working in a increasingly capitalist labour market with only minimal leave entitlements (50 and 60 days leave in private and public sector respectively) on the one hand, yet becoming mothers in a cultural context which emphasises the importance of breastfeeding one’s child for at least two years, in accordance with Qur’anic instructions, on the other hand. Statement on Methods The research draws on interview data with fifty Qatari women who returned to work whilst breastfeeding their infants, following a feminist research design (see e.g. Letherby, 2003). Thirty-five of the participants worked in the public sector and 15 worked in the private sector. The participants' ages ranged from 23 to 44 years. All participants were married, and 16 of them were first-time mothers. Most of the participants (35 mothers) were working full-time and 22 of them held a bachelor’s degree while nine held a post-graduate degree, and 4 had a High School degree. Evaluation of the seniority levels of the participants showed that they held both senior and junior positions in their workplaces. Thematic data analysis was used to process the data and develop the resulting themes and understanding (Braun and Clarke, 2014). Important findings: • The findings unpick the dilemmas the women face upon return to work and the role of organisational support polices in the absence of significant leave entitlements to either help or complicate meeting the juxtaposed expectations and norms related to what constitutes an ‘ideal worker’ (Acker, 2006; Lee, 2018) and what constitutes a ‘good Muslim mother’. • For example, while women have a right to nursing hours in the child’s first year, these are in practice organised around employers’ needs and neither align with the babies' often unpredictable nursing habits and needs, nor the equally unpredictable needs of mothers to either breastfeed or pump regularly to sustain supply. In addition, the absence of a clear regulatory frame to ensure nursing/pumping needs, within a context where sex-segregated workplaces are common, and where management positions remain male-dominated, meant that the women felt unable to voice their needs and advocate for the needs of their children. • As a result, women pumped in toilets, with many ceasing to breastfeed early, resulting in resentment towards employers, but also stress, and, in some cases, poor physical and mental health outcomes. • In one case, a mother felt compelled to leave her child in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to return to work in time and facilitate employment security. • The accounts portrayed an entrapment in a cultural context that, we show, critically extends, and aggravates the cultural paradox Hays’ (1996) described in her seminal work on intensive mothering, where women are expected to be both full-time workers and yet available mothers. • The data shows that the centrality of Qatari mothers in the provision of care to infants is elevated by religious doctrine in Qatar, and yet undermined by the need to return to work after only two months, with organisational support policies at best further complicating their desire to breastfeed their children to meet their own expectations and beliefs. Implications for Research/Policy or Practice The study is of interest to a wider audience, where liberal approaches to feminism have traditionally argued in favour of comparatively shorter leave entitlements to limit women’s skill depreciation (e.g. see critical discussion on this by Kittay, 1999), and adopts a matricentric and ethics of care feminist approach instead (O’Reilly, 2006; Stephens, 2012; Kittay, 1999), centring the embodied needs of mothers and infants within the employment sphere.

Discussants: Susan Lambert, University of Chicago;

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations

Caregiving, childcare, and eldercare


Organizer: Andrea Doucet, Brock University

How Did We Get Here, and Where Are We Going? Lessons From Canada About the Progress, Pitfalls, and Politics of Care/Work Policies

As a federal system, Canada balances a complex policy architecture of different provincial, territorial and federal jurisdictions over the key care/work policies and services (including childcare, parental leaves and care leaves, and employment policies) that directly impact the everyday lives and opportunities of diverse Canadian families. This panel brings together a cross-generational group of experts with experience that spans five decades of research, advocacy, and social movements. We share lessons learned to date on the progress, pitfalls, and politics of developing inclusive and equitable childcare, parental leaves, and employment policies for diverse populations in Canada. Note: This is an invited session by the Reimagining Care/Work Policies project (contact: Andrea Doucet) and the Vanier Institute of the Family Panelists: Childcare: Martha Friendly, Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU) and Susan Prentice (University of Manitoba) Parental leaves: Andrea Doucet (Brock University), Sophie Mathieu (Vanier Institute of the Family), Lindsey McKay (Thompson Rivers University) Employment policies: Sylvia Fuller (University of British Columbia) and Donna Lero (University of Guelph)

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations


Organizer: Julie Miller, AARP

Invited Session: Insights from Champions of Age Diversity at Work

The workforce is more generationally diverse than it has ever been, with five generations currently in the workforce. As AARP’s Global Longevity Economy Report (2022) describes, representation of workers ages 55 and older has risen dramatically over the last two decades and is expected to continue to increase over the next decade, with 55-plus representation in the workforce reaching 24.6% by 2031. With the rise of the multigenerational workforce, people of all ages are viewing work and retirement differently than they ever have before. Along with changing expectations for workers come changing perspectives for employers. This session will bring together AARP-affiliated champions of age diversity at work, including: Lona Choi-Allum, representing AARP’s Work & Jobs Research Carly Roszkowski or Heather Tinsley Fix, representing AARP’s Employer Pledge Program Christina Matz, Co-Director of The Boston College Center on Aging and Work, a Knowledge Partner of AARP’s Living Learning and Earning Longer Collaborative Together, presenters will outline recent data trends and insights focused on global employers of workers at midlife and beyond as well as well as the bottom-line benefits organizations can realize from their multigenerational workforces. Presenters will also describe actionable implications stemming from multiple AARP initiatives that help companies improve policies and practices that support a multigenerational workforce, combat ageism in workforce contexts, and bring greater visibility to companies that foster age-inclusive workforces.


Discussants: Julie Miller, AARP;

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations

Gender dynamics, inequality, and outcomes


Organizer: Molly Schmidt, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Mediated Realities

Our paper session, "Mediated Realities," explores the profound influence of social media, mass media, and pop culture on our perceptions of the intersections of work and life. The papers on this panel attempt to unravel the intricate interplay between work and family in contemporary society. This research delves into the struggle of characters striving to embody the ideal roles of worker, mother, and/or partner while confronting blurred boundaries and mixed messages, compelling a close examination of societal norms and expectations relating to the discursive creation of identities across work and life. The following papers collectively examine how characters portrayed in pop cultural mediate our perceptions and shape our reality: The Barbie Movie (2023) offers a structurational view of Ken's identity formation and implications for challenging and reifying gender norms. Ted Lasso provides a way to view divorce and support found in the workplace. The Intern explores age and gender expectations and implications for those in a role reversal situation.


Discussants: Candice Ruh, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee;
Molly Schmidt, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee;
Misornu Nartey, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee;

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations

Caregiving, childcare, and eldercare


Organizer: Lisa Stewart, California State University, Monterey Bay

Navigating the Work-Family Interface in a Post-Covid World: A Comparative Symposium on Employed Parents of Children with Disabilities in the U.S., Croatia, and Australia

The intersection of work and family life has undergone significant changes since the COVID-19 pandemic, and this impact is even more profound for employed parents of children with disabilities. As parents strive to balance their professional responsibilities with exceptional caregiving duties, they face unique challenges and opportunities due to changes in the location of work and the delivery of services. This symposium aims to explore and compare the experiences of employed parents of children with disabilities across three countries: the United States, Croatia, and Australia. The primary goal of this symposium is to facilitate a cross-cultural exchange of knowledge and insights into the changing dynamics of the work-family interface for this demographic. By bringing together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and advocates, we hope to shed light on the following key areas: 1. Workplace Practices: Exploring workplace policies and practices that promote work-life balance and inclusivity for parents of children with disabilities. Are there variations in employer support and accommodations across the three countries? 2. Support Services: Assessing the availability and effectiveness of support services, such as childcare, respite care, and therapy options, in these regions. What are the gaps in service provision, and how can they be addressed? 3. Well-being and Health: Examining the physical and mental health outcomes of employed parents of children with disabilities. How do disparities in community service systems impact the well-being of these families?


The Effect of Covid-19 on Community Resources and Its Impact on Health Outcomes of Parents Caring for Children with Mental Health Disabilities.  Claudia Sellmaier, University of Washington; Lisa Stewart, California State University, Monterey Bay; Marin Henderson-Postner, Portland State University; Jessica Lukefahr, Portland State University; and Eileen Brennan, Portland State University

This current study used the 2021 U.S. National Survey of Children’s Health to examined how the pandemic affected both medical care and school and day care services, and how these changes affected the physical and mental health of mothers and fathers caring for a child with or without a current mental health disability. The study included 41,862 children without a mental health disability (13,164 male carer respondents/27,371 female carer respondents) and 8,052 children with a mental health disability (1,882 male carer respondents/5,952 female carer respondents). Mental health disabilities included a diagnosis of depression, anxiety, behavioral health concerns, and ADHD/ADD. There were significant differences in the number of children with MHD who missed a medical check-up because of COVID-19 compared to children without a MHD (35.3% and 25.8%, respectively). Significantly more children with MHD also reported closed schools and daycares because of the pandemic compared to children without MHD (43.6% and 36.0% respectively). Mothers reported significantly worse physical and mental health than fathers, and parents caring for a child with MHD reported lower physical and mental health scores. Missing medical check-ups, closed schools/daycares, and caring for a child with MHD negatively correlated with physical and mental health outcomes for both male and female carers. The presentation will discuss these findings and present relevant research, policy, and practice implications.

The Well-Being of Employed Parents of Children with Disabilities - Assessments in the Croatian Context.  Ana Simunic, University of Zadar; Andrea Tokić, University of Zadar; Matilda Nikolić Ivanišević, University of Zadar; Jelena Ombla, University of Zadar; Lisa Stewart, California State University, Monterey Bay; and Theresa Brown, Georgian Court University

This study aimed to examine the well-being and perceptions of employed parents of children with a disability (up to 19 years old) regarding different life domains and the society in Croatia, qualitatively and quantitatively. The qualitative study, a semi-structured in-depth interview, was conducted on 25 employed parents of a child with a disability. The quantitative study was conducted with an online survey, formed based on the qualitative data. It included parents of a child with a disability who were employed (n=196), unemployed (n=572), and formal caregivers (n=186), for comparison. The parents emphasized the importance of various forms of formal and informal support, not being stigmatized in different domains, and manifested resilience and optimism in their reports. The results indicate that employed parents have better general health and life satisfaction than unemployed parents and formal caregivers. At the same time, there was no difference between the groups in mental health assessments. Also, employed parents report a significantly higher number of sources of social support compared to unemployed and parents with childcare rights. They also received a higher overall level of support from all sources compared to those who were unemployed but have yet to be compared to formal caregivers. The obtained results point to the positive role of employment on the well-being of parents of children with disabilities, regardless of the degree of the child's disability. However, there are also indications of the need to facilitate the manners of being acknowledged about and obtaining different forms of rightful formal support.

Parents of Children with Disabilities: The Role of Support in Shaping Work-Caregiving Conflict and Enrichment.  Hugh Bainbridge, University of New South Wales; and Abner Weng Cheong Poon, University of New South Wales

Contextual support (from service providers, workplaces, family, friends) is an important resource that helps parents manage the conflicting demands of employment and caregiving for a child with a disability. There is limited clarity however on how the relationship between specific caregiving features and work-caregiving conflict/enrichment is shaped by this support. The study addresses this gap via a survey of parents of a child with a disability or long-term health condition. The study draws upon the linked responses of parents who responded to two national surveys conducted in 2020 and 2022 in Australia. These surveys were undertaken by a collaboration of representative bodies in each state and territory that provide support and advocacy services on behalf of unpaid caregivers. Parents were employed and cared for a child who was 21 years of age or younger. The analyses outline how conflict and enrichment associated with combining employment and caregiving roles affected outcomes (i.e., job satisfaction, turnover intentions, work-life satisfaction, beliefs about the positive aspects of caring, mental health, personal well-being). Overall, the findings outline how the relationship between caregiving characteristics and work-caregiving conflict/enrichment and follow-on outcomes are influenced by access to contextual support.

Discussants: Lisa Stewart, California State University, Monterey Bay;

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations

Family and medical leave


Organizer: Aleta Sprague, University of California

Paid Family and Medical Leave Policy Design: Approaches for Advancing Equitable Access Across U.S. States and Globally

To realize its full health and economic benefits, paid family and medical leave must reach all workers. However, details of policy design–including eligibility requirements, the wage replacement rate, and inclusion of self-employed workers–can significantly limit leave access and undermine equity. For example, only half of U.S. private sector workers qualify for unpaid FMLA leave, and Latinx workers are disproportionately ineligible because of their employer’s size. Bringing together new analyses of U.S. national survey data as well as newly updated policy data on all 193 U.N. countries and every U.S. state with paid leave, this session would present three papers examining paid leave policy design and its implications for overall coverage and equitable access: (1) An analysis of state-level paid medical leave policies in the U.S., which uses a newly created policy database to measure how policy choices around eligibility criteria, job protection, and wage replacement shape access overall and across race, gender, and education level; (2) An analysis of state-level paid parental leave policies in the U.S., which likewise measures leave accessibility and affordability while also examining how policy design shapes the administrative complexity of accessing leave and leave’s potential to advance or inhibit gender equity in infant caregiving, and (3) An analysis of paid family and medical leave policies in all 193 UN countries, which uses new globally comparative data on leave policy design to contextualize U.S. policy choices and identify feasible policy models for providing adequate and accessible paid leave to all workers.


Paid Leave for Personal and Family Illness: Impacts of State Policy Design on Coverage and Access by Race, Gender, and Education Level.  Aleta Sprague, University of California; Alison Earle, University of California; Amy Raub, WORLD Policy Analysis Center; and Jody Heymann, UCLA- WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Context: Paid leave for serious personal and family illnesses can significantly improve health outcomes. With no federal paid family and medical leave (PFML) policy, states are increasingly adopting their own. Yet eligibility criteria for paid leave and job protection, alongside benefit adequacy, vary markedly across states, affecting coverage and equity. Methods: We analyzed eligibility for paid leave and job protection across race/ethnicity, gender, and education level using the U.S. Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement and a database we developed of state-level PFML policies. We measured affordability of leave by analyzing whether a worker’s wages during leave would lower their family income below half the state median family income adjusted for family size. Findings: Minimum earnings, tenure, and hours rules disproportionately exclude workers with less than a high school education and women from paid leave and job protection. Minimum firm size substantially and disproportionately excludes workers with less education and Latinx workers from job protection. Coverage disparities vary across states. Leave is consistently less affordable for Black and Latinx workers. Conclusions: All states that have passed PFML have importantly increased coverage. To reduce remaining gaps and inequities, states should lower or eliminate minimum firm size, tenure, and hours requirements; raise wage replacement rates; and ensure full job protection.

U.S. Leave Policies in Global Context: A Comparative Analysis of Paid Family and Medical Leave in 193 Countries.  Gonzalo Moreno, University of California; Amy Raub, WORLD Policy Analysis Center; Alison Earle, University of California; Aleta Sprague, University of California; and Jody Heymann, UCLA- WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Paid family and medical leave plays a critical role in supporting health, gender equality, and households’ economic security during a major illness or after the birth of a child. However, the U.S. has no national paid leave policy, and even unpaid leave via the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 is inaccessible and/or unaffordable for over half of U.S. workers. As U.S. states are increasingly passing their own leave laws–and advocates continue to push for a federal policy–comparative data can yield insights into more inclusive policy design. This paper draws on a comprehensive new dataset on paid leave from the WORLD Policy Analysis Center at the University of California Los Angeles, and will provide an overview of comparative country approaches to providing three critical types of leave across the lifecourse: 1) Paid parental leave, including maternity leave, paternity leave, and shared parental leave; 2) Paid leave to meet children’s health needs; and 3) Paid leave to meet adult family members’ health needs To understand the evolution of each of these policy areas in response to the pandemic, we will present pre- and post-2020 data; for each of these policy areas, we will further provide comprehensive information on the different elements that are crucial to leave policy design, such as, for example, leave length, replacement payments, incentives for gender-equal leave-taking, and eligibility criteria for workers and for care recipients. To understand trends across regions and socioeconomic contexts, we will disaggregate all data by region and income level.

Are State-Level Paid Parental Leave Policies Equitable? Measuring Accessibility, Affordability, and Administrative Complexity.  Alison Earle, University of California; Aleta Sprague, University of California; Amy Raub, WORLD Policy Analysis Center; and Jody Heymann, UCLA- WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Thirteen states and D.C. have adopted paid parental leave policies, helping to fill a critical void in federal law. However, parents seeking to access leave often have to navigate complex and inconsistent eligibility criteria embodied in up to three different pieces of legislation. This complexity reflects, in part, the piecemeal fashion in which state leave policies were enacted over time, and the initial emphasis only on birth mothers’ medical needs. While more recent policymaking has taken a broader view of family caregiving, many contemporary state leave policies continue to bifurcate needs: medical and/or disability leave is typically provided after birth and for high-risk pregnancies, while “bonding” or caregiving leave is provided to care for a newborn baby or adopted child—often through separate legislation. States have also expanded and iterated on these different kinds of leave over time, including the income replacement rates of leave and whether it is job-protected. This paper analyzes state-level approaches to parental and birth-related paid leave that matter to equity, including: (1) the duration of leave, and whether it is adequate to support both health and economic needs before and after birth; (2) the gender equitability of leave, as reflected in the total amount of leave provided to birthing parents compared to non-birthing parents; and (3) whether leave is both affordable and job-protected, which shapes leave accessibility across race and class. We further examine the administrative complexity of state leave policies, including the extent to which families must navigate multiple and conflicting eligibility criteria.

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations

Men’s roles, contributions, and responsibilities


Organizer: Richard Petts, Ball State University

The Future of Fatherhood

The focus of this session is to bring together a group of fatherhood scholars to consider what the future holds for fatherhood in families, workplaces, and the intersection between the two. The format of this session will be a panel discussion, such that questions generated by the moderator and audience will serve as the focus of the discussion. Some overarching questions that will be considered in this session include: • What will fatherhood and father involvement look like in the next 10, 20, 30 years? Will fathers continue to make progress toward greater involvement and equity at home (and if so, how/why)? How might this vary for different groups of fathers? • What will work look like for fathers in the future? Are fathers increasingly pushing back to employers to have greater flexibility, paid leave, etc. to be more involved at home? How is this being received by employers? • How might changes in structural/workplace supports change the culture and conduct of fatherhood? More states have enacted paid family leave policies and working from home remains elevated - are we seeing these lead to changes in fathers?

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations

Conceptualizing the work-family-life nexus


Organizers: Elise Jones, U.S. Coast Guard Academy; Alexandra Rheinhardt, University of Connecticut;

The Role of Relational Partners in Work Identities and Career Decisions

While significant work has been conducted at the work-life interface for some time, only recently have scholars begun to directly examine the role of relational partners in one’s work identities and career decisions. We seek to shed light on this relationship by bringing together four papers around this theme. Rheinhardt and colleagues’ paper focuses on a sample of professionals (primarily women) who suffered professional identity loss in the wake of taking a career break to trail their spouses who were completing an international MBA. The authors find that those prioritizing their relational identity were less likely to hold onto their professional identity. Conversely, Jones’s paper examines how significant others play a more beneficial role in one’s career, serving as identity partners who support, encourage, and collaborate with a loved one to facilitate their construction of a worker identity. Pletneva examines how the loss of one’s relationship with a close relational partner impacts one’s work identity by prompting identity humanizing toward self and others which, in turn, can influence career changes. Focusing on less proximate relational partners, Raineri and colleagues explore the impact of CEO parental status on employees’ career decisions. Their findings suggest that employees are more likely to take parental leave and to subsequently leave the firm when the CEO is a parent, suggesting a relational influence on career decisions. Taken together, these papers demonstrate the significant influence that seemingly non-career-related relationships and aspects of relationships have on one’s career decisions and work identities.


Relational Visibility and Professional Invisibility?: Collateral Transitions and Career Imprinting in the Trailing Spouse Experience.  

This paper builds theory on collateral transitions—transitions induced by another person’s transition—tracing the career narratives of 55 professionals-cum-“trailing spouses” (47 women, 8 men; 174 interviews and LinkedIn data across 8-10 years) who uprooted to support their significant others during a year-long MBA program. We find that core to collateral transition experiences is a decentered “relational other” role (defining the person by their association), implicating relational visibility and concomitant individual invisibility. At The School of Business (TSB), the “partner” relational other role reflected and propagated an historical gendered imprint: female, family-focused, and thus professionally irrelevant (i.e., professionally invisible). Our data show informants following three experience pathways—adapting to, disregarding, and capitalizing on the relational other role; narratives post-TSB suggest that these related to growing relational visibility / professional invisibility, maintenance of professional visibility, and enhanced professional visibility, respectively. We theorize individuals’ career imprinting susceptibility as moderating the different experience pathways. Our findings shed light on career breaks as differently impacting women who “take turns” with their significant others, and men as benefitting from support roles whose gendered assumptions liberate rather than constrain them. We discuss how our research advances scholars’ and practitioners’ understanding of collateral transitions, women’s careers, and career imprinting.

Against the Odds: The Role of Identity Partner Husbands in the Construction of Women’s Counternormative Worker Identity.  Elise Jones, U.S. Coast Guard Academy

Although scholars have long recognized that identities are inherently relational, the literature is relatively silent on the role of interpersonal relationships in identity construction. In this study I address the role of an identity partner – a person who plays a significant role in an individual’s identity construction – in the construction of a counternormative identity. I conducted a broader inductive, qualitative study with 50 working mother professionals who, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, were socialized from their youth to devote full time to caregiving and rather than pursuing careers. In individual interviews with 27 of these women and their husbands, I discovered that husbands shape women’s identity construction by both facilitating and impeding a worker identity that deviates from the norms of women’s faith community. While men acted primarily as identity partners by validating, cultivating, and collaborating a worker identity that is counternormative in the context of the women’s faith, some impeded women’s worker identities by engaging in deprioritizing and moderating approaches. The findings of this study illuminate the role of an identity partner in identity construction processes and the importance of expanding the context in which identity construction is examined.

From Grieving to Career Change: How Personal, Grief-Inducing Events Affect Work Identity.  Lidiia Pletneva, London School of Economics

Building on an inductive, qualitative study of employees who experienced grief-inducing events such as the termination of a significant relationship as the result of bereavement or the breakup of a strong, committed partnership, this paper explores how and with what consequences such events affect identity and work identity in particular. Using the results of 55 in-depth interviews, I develop a conceptual model of the impact of personal, grief-inducing events on work identity. I find that these events prompt identity humanizing that can take two paths: toward self (in both work and life domains) and toward others (in both work and life domains). Such processes were induced by affective, cognitive, and relational triggers generated by grief-inducing events. In turn, identity humanizing leads to the reallocation of work-life balance resources, career path change, or job crafting behavior. This paper advances theorizing on identity, the meaning of work, and the work-life interface.

The Impact of CEO Parenthood Status on Flexible Work Policies and Employee Leave and Turnover Decisions.  Christina Hymer, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

This study examines how CEOs’ parental status shapes employee decisions around parental leave. Drawing on Work-Life Events Theory and Upper Echelons Theory, we argue that CEOs who have children are more likely to draw on their life experiences as a working parent to enact flexible work policies than CEOs who do not have children. In turn, we theorize that employees will feel empowered by these flexible work policies to take parental leave, thereby increasing their organization’s rate of leave-taking employees, and return to the firm following their leave period, lowering the organization’s turnover rates of leave-taking employees. We draw upon publicly available information on CEOs and survey data from the Australian government to test our hypotheses. We apply a time-lagged multilevel mediation model with a sample of 278 CEOs within 218 Australian firms from 2017 through 2020. Our analyses support our partially mediated theoretical model, such that CEO parental status leads to more flexible work policies, which then lead to higher rates of employees taking parental leave. In contrast to our theory, however, we find a similar partially-mediated relationship wherein CEO parental status leads to flexible work policies, which then lead to increased employee turnover rates following parental leave, rather than decreased turnover as we predicted. Taken together, our findings advance research on CEOs’ impact on policies and outcomes pertaining to their firm’s workplace environment, which not only contributes to the diversity, equity, and inclusion literature but also have considerable practical implications for firms in their talent management efforts.

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations

Flexible work arrangements


Organizers: Katherina Kuschel, Centrum Graduate Business School and pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú; Nicholas Beutell, Iona University;

Thriving and Growing Despite It All: Women Entrepreneurs in Growing Economies

The symposium will focus on the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in South America and India. The symposium includes four presentations and a round of discussion. The first presentation, “Gender wage gap in Chilean microenterprises,” will explore the extent of the gender wage gap in Chile and its impact on women entrepreneurs. The presentation will also discuss the factors that contribute to the wage gap and suggest ways to address it. The second presentation, “Female entrepreneurs’ representation on Mother’s Day: An Instagram image analysis,” will examine how female entrepreneurs are represented on social media during Mother’s Day. The presentation will analyze Instagram images to determine how female entrepreneurs are portrayed and whether there are any differences in the representation of their businesses. The third presentation, “Women entrepreneurs’ self-presentation in social networking sites during the scale-up process,” will investigate how women entrepreneurs present themselves on social networking sites during the process of internationalization of the startup. The presentation will examine the strategies used by women entrepreneurs to promote their businesses and the challenges they face in doing so. The fourth study qualitatively examines the Work-Family Boundary Management among Indian women entrepreneurs. Overall, the symposium will provide valuable insights into the experiences of women entrepreneurs in Chile and Peru and the challenges they face. It will also offer suggestions for addressing these challenges and promoting strategies for women in business, making some recommendations for public policies, as well.


Gender Wage Gap in Chilean Microenterprises.  Valeria Scapini, Universidad Central de Chile; Rocío Ruiz-Martínez, Universitat Rovira i Virgili - SBRLab - Social &amp; Business Research Laboratory Group; and Rodrigo Calderón, Universidad de Valparaíso

Entrepreneurship is considered as one of the main drivers of economic growth. However, informality, low contribution to employment and a gender wage gap to the detriment of women are characteristic of micro entrepreneurship in Latin America. The objective of this paper is to study the variables that affect the wage gap of microenterprises in Chile. From information on socioeconomic characteristics of the microentrepreneur population benefited by a government program between 2013 and 2016, an ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model was estimated to study the relationship between socioeconomic variables and income level. The results show that, in general, women are related to lower levels of sales and sales per hour of work performed. On the other hand, being the head of household is related to higher levels of sales and sales per hour of work, as well as having a level of formalization in the business. These results should motivate the generation of higher levels of business formalization. The article requires the use of the gender perspective as a fundamental element in the research. Finally, the results may be useful for the elaboration of public policies and future research. Keywords: Microentrepreneurship, Gender Gap, Economic Growth, Formalization, Linear regression model.

Analyzing Instagram Images: Examining the Representation of Female Entrepreneurs on Mother’s Day.  Katherina Kuschel, Centrum Graduate Business School and pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú; and Ruth Powosino, CENTRUM Católica Graduate Business School and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

International Mother’s Day recognizes the work as mothers, and it is also an opportunity to increase sales. How are female entrepreneurs being represented online? We analyzed more than 2000 images related to the hashtags #(mama)emprendedora and #mompreneur, as some of the most trending hashtags during 2023 Mother’s Day. The visual content revealed complex ways in which images contribute to online self-presentation as a mother and entrepreneur. We found differences in the use of the hashtags. Latin American female entrepreneurs engage in motivational messages, greetings, and financial education, while U.S. female entrepreneurs show their well curated family pictures and their products. Family images have higher engagement from the followers. Keywords: Female entrepreneurs, mumpreneurs, self-presentation, Instagram, Mother’s Day

Women Entrepreneurs’ Self-Presentation in Social Networking Sites During the Scale-Up Process.  Ruth Powosino, CENTRUM Católica Graduate Business School and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú; and Katherina Kuschel, Centrum Graduate Business School and pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

Previous literature has found that women entrepreneurs participate less often than their male counterparts in networking activities. However, women seem to use networks while they are expanding their businesses abroad. The scaleup is a process that conveys a disruptive change in the way of doing business, not only because the size and structure change, but also because the audience/stakeholders change. The aim of this project is to explore the changes in women’s entrepreneurial identity and how this is reflected in self-presentation in (virtual) social networks and identify the strategies for internationalization success. We will conduct a qualitative study reviewing online profiles of and interviewing 15 Latin American women founders in the process of scaling up their business. The data will be analyzed using a case study method and constant comparison approach. Expected results include: 1) The “when” of changing the entrepreneurial identity occurs before the process of internationalization, gradually after a series of fundraising events. 2) The “who”: other people are involved in advising how the entrepreneur has to be presented online. 3) “What” elements of the personal brand do change during the internationalization process of a startup? We expect that aspects of the identity are modified, and that is reflected in the personal brand that is presented in social networks, considering the social norms (e.g., feminine modesty, aesthetics, charisma) and current norms in virtual social networks (catchy statements, visuals, frequency of messages, transparency). This new knowledge will advance the self-presenting and self-promoting competencies of women in business.

Work-Family Boundary Management Among Women Entrepreneurs: A Moderated Mediation Model.  Jasmine Banu, SwaaS Systems Private Limited; and Rupashree Baral, Indian Institute of Technology Madras

While entrepreneurship provides women the desired autonomy and flexibility, having a challenging career like entrepreneurship can impose additional workloads and mental strain, making it demanding for them to achieve a work-life balance. Building on the tenets of the work-home resource (W-HR) model and boundary theory, this study tested the impact of boundary preference toward integration on subjective well-being through actual boundary enactment and work-to-family enrichment as mediators, moderated by the problem-focused coping strategy. Results of structural equation modelling with data from 446 women entrepreneurs collected in two waves from various districts of Tamil Nadu, one of the southern states of India, reveal that the study participants do not see business and family demands as competing entities. Instead, they accept the role demands and prefer to integrate the boundaries. Women entrepreneurs utilize the resources gained through work to enrich their family roles. Moreover, to organize themselves within the roles and to offset additive role burdens, they have mastered several problem-focused coping strategies, such as active operational planning, prioritizing, self-regulatory activities, etc., to achieve subjective well-being. This study concludes that boundary management is crucial for managing the role expectations imposed on women entrepreneurs and enhancing their subjective well-being. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed. Keywords: Women entrepreneurs; Work-family boundary management; Work-life integration; Problem-focused coping strategies; Subjective well-being; India

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations

Aging and retirement


Organizers: Heidi Cramm, Queens University; Marilyn Cox, Queen&#x27;s University; Deborah Norris, Mount Saint Vincent University;

Towards Understanding the Dynamics of Defence and Public Safety Personnel Families

The nature and cumulative demands imposed on families of defence and public safety (DPS) personnel are substantial and distinct from the general population. DPS families must balance the non-negotiable elements of these occupations with the challenges of family life, a process that can impact family well-being. Despite these realities, the contributions of DPS families are not well understood. Previous work has identified logistics, mobility, risks, and identities as representative of the distinct and convergent aspects of DPS family life. Dr. Deborah Norris will discuss the role of Garnet Families, a network created to support DPS families and summarize the four lifestyle dimensions that shape the lives of DPS families. Promoting awareness of these dimensions and their consequent demands underscores the cumulative demands that put DPS families at risk, necessitating a coordinated response from governments, organizations, and communities. Part of that response is the PSPNET Families Wellbeing Hub (www.pspnetfamilies.ca). An online, upstream, mental health initiative launched in December 2022, PSPNET Families begins to address the unique challenges associated with the four lifestyle dimensions. Melissa Richardson, a research assistant on this project will discuss the iterative, consultative process used to create the digital hub which offers information, strategies/skill-building exercises, and an internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy course. She will reflect on the successes and ongoing improvements. Feedback has shown that there is a need for PSPNET Families, and has provided directions for future development (e.g., targeted resources for adolescents, parents of adult children who are public safety personnel (PSP), and life after service). Our research team has been responding to the feedback from the launch of PSPNET Families and is focused on filling the gaps. Marilyn Cox will summarize the results of a scoping review on the transition from PSP occupations. A heightened job commitment required to fulfill an essential emergency service role and the absence of this critical role is a significant adjustment for those who leave the occupation. Research is limited on these experiences, and there are questions about how this transition impacts the long-term health and wellbeing of both PSP and their families. The objective of this review is to guide further inquiry by summarizing what is known about PSP as they transition from public service work.


Public Safety Personnel Life After Service: A Scoping Review.  Marilyn Cox, Queen&#x27;s University

Overarching Questions/Concerns Exiting a public safety occupation (e.g., paramedics, police, firefighters) and entering retirement or alternate employment is unique in many ways. Public safety personnel accept the heightened risks and demands associated with essential emergency services and make personal sacrifices and adjustments to accommodate the requirements of the job – consequently, the absence of this intense role requires further adjustment. Preliminary searches showed that little is known about the experiences of public safety personnel who leave their professions for various reasons including age-related mandatory retirement, forced retirement due to illness or injury, and voluntary early retirement. The nature of the exit and the support, planning, and resources provided by the organization to facilitate the transition may have implications for the health and wellbeing of former public safety personnel, particularly those impacted by job-related illness or injury. Lacking a coherent body of research on the transition of public safety personnel to retirement, a scoping review provided an overview of existing evidence, identified gaps in the literature, and is guiding future research. The research asked: What does existing literature tell us about the experiences of public safety personnel as they transition from the public safety career to retirement or other employment? The concept of “retirement” was applied broadly indicating a permanent departure from public safety work for any reason (e.g., forced: mandatory, illness, or injury; voluntary: age-related normative, early retirement, resignation), and inclusive of both those who exit the paid workforce and those who leave to pursue other employment. Statement on Methods The methodology for scoping reviews outlined in the five-stage framework by Arksey and O’Malley (2005) was followed by identifying the research question, developing search strategies, selecting papers, charting the data, and reporting the results. Search strategies were developed in consultation with two librarians, one within social science and the other within health science. To access a wider range of databases, online searches were conducted through three universities. Seven online databases were searched for both peer-reviewed articles and grey literature, and abstracts were independently screened by two reviewers to determine which articles would move to full-text screening with conflicts resolved by a third reviewer. Database searches were complemented with hand searches of reference lists from papers selected during abstract screening. Articles were included that focused on workers from any public safety sector who had left the profession; health workers (i.e., emergency in hospital) and military personnel (except Canadian coast guard and RCMP) were excluded. The study sample or target population was either preretirement (perceptions or preplanning) or retired from a public safety profession. In cases where public safety personnel were preretirement, the reference to retirement was explicitly stated. Forced retirement including mandatory and medical retirement, as well as voluntary retirement including age-related normative retirement, early retirement, and resignations were relevant contextual factors. Articles that explicitly addressed psychosocial aspects of the transition were the focus and epidemiological studies, policy briefs, and retrospective retiree accounts directed at recruitment and retention were excluded. Papers meeting initial inclusion criteria underwent full-text screening. The selected papers were exported into MAXQDA for full-text analysis. Segments of text relevant to the research question were identified through a process of open coding which allowed themes and sub-themes to emerge. Visual tools in MAXQDA were used to illustrate connections and conceptualize the overarching themes. Summaries of the emerging themes, sub-themes, and variables (i.e. date of publication, study and sample characteristics) generated a final report to inform further research. Important Findings Abstract screening of 5,801 papers yielded 128 studies for full-text screening which included seven papers found through hand searching. Forty-five papers were accepted by at least two of three reviewers for data extraction and analysis. High-level themes emerged including: • cumulative and lasting occupational impacts • separation from occupational identity and culture • social buffering and protective factors Sub-themes included: • trauma exposure, stigma, maladaptive coping, work-family conflict, physical health • over-identification, loss of peer support, adjusting to civilian culture, abandonment, occupational symbols • pre-planning, career satisfaction, financial security, social support, family wellbeing, bridge employment, leisure interests The implications and explicit recommendations derived from the literature included: • pre- and post-transition programming • screening throughout career • facilitation of gradual exits • continued connections (organization / peers) • encouragement of other interests (mentorship) Limitations of the existing body of research were also stated emphasizing: • a lack of diversity in participant samples • concerns about social-desirability bias • a need for longitudinal studies (pre- and post-transition) Implications for research, policy and/or practice Having a plan, a network of family and friends, bridge employment and/or hobbies and interests, and financial security were factors associated with a positive retirement transition for public safety personnel which warrant further inquiry. Research is limited on the experiences of transitioning public safety personnel and longitudinal studies are needed to understand the perceptions and preparedness of workers both pre- and post-transition. Resources to address issues associated with identity, social support, and the cumulative and long-term effects of trauma exposure are needed to enhance the health and wellbeing of retirees. Existing research suggests that financial planning is often the focus of retirement programming undertaken by organizations. The role of organizations needs to be more fully understood and the extent and effectiveness of existing retirement policies and practices evaluated. Workers exposed to heightened risks and demands throughout their careers to provide essential emergency services merit public support and tailored resources. An appreciation of the all-consuming nature of public safety occupations and an understanding of the experiences of workers during the retirement transition is needed to develop acceptable transition programs, shape retirement processes and policies, and provide ongoing mental health support to public safety personnel both pre- and post-transition.

Discussants: Deborah Norris, Mount Saint Vincent University;

Thematic session of multiple paper presentations

Flexible work arrangements


Organizers: Kaumudi Misra, California State University, East Bay; Angela Grotto, Montclair State University;

Work-Life Boundary Management in a Technology-Driven Work Era: Enablers of Performance and Well-Being (sponsored by the WFRN special interest group for 'Work, Family and Technology')

We kindly ask that this symposium is scheduled at a different time than the other sessions sponsored by the ‘Work, Family, and Technology’ special interest group to ensure that our members can attend all sessions. The boundaries surrounding work and personal life are more fluid than ever and will only continue to become more blurred with constant advancements in communicative technologies, increasingly flexible jobs, and the normalizing of remote work (Golden & Geisler, 2007; Kossek & Distelberg, 2009; Allen et al., 2021; Urbanavičiūtė, et al., 2023). To date, much of the boundary management literature has focused on individual and organizational efforts to establish and actively maintain a semblance of boundaries between work and personal life, with the goal of keeping life organized (Kreiner, 2006; Kreiner et al., 2009; Kossek et al., 2012; Pianese et al., 2023). Yet, in the era of remote and flexible work and constant major technological advancements, rather than resisting the blurring of boundaries, it may be more effective to embrace it. Thus, it becomes critical for organizations to facilitate effective work-life management for employees, and for individuals to find ways to thrive in this remote work era. Furthermore, managers have a responsibility to help their employees navigate blurred work-life boundaries and succeed in spite of it. Therefore, enablement of effective work-life boundary management in the age of remote work requires a multi-level approach. The papers in this session address enablers of effective work-life boundary management at the organizational, manager, and individual level. The first paper addresses organizational flexibility policies as a means for employees to gain control over their work-life boundaries and, based on two studies, inequalities in such control across occupations, gender, and cultures. The second paper introduces a new construct - technology-assisted supplement work (TASW) fairness. Since TASW is typically not covered by a formal contract or directly compensated, it is important that organizations ensure TASW is equitable, which in turn may give rise to positive work outcomes (personal initiative) and mitigate negative work outcomes (work withdrawal). The third paper recognizes managers as having a critical role in setting boundaries for their teams, and qualitatively explores cross-cultural differences in managers’ boundary and interruption management tactics. The fourth paper focuses on how individuals can navigate the challenges of remote/hybrid work, particularly heightened techno-stress which may negatively impact employee well-being and performance. Specifically, they explore remote work self-efficacy as a way to potentially mitigate the negative effects of techno-stress and improve worker outcomes.


Effective Boundary Control and Equality Outcomes: Moving to the Future.  Ellen Ernst Kossek, Purdue University

Work is becoming more digitalized and intensified, due to rising connectivity. This is changing boundaries between work and personal life, causing employees and organizations to experience boundary control tensions. One strategy organizations are implementing involves experimenting with redesigning work to allow more flexibility. Employees are also seeking new boundary management strategies. Unfortunately, flexible work means different things to different people in different job contexts across job levels (workers, managers), creating challenges for research and practice. To advance alignment, I suggest conceptualizing flexibility policies as a means to have different forms of control over the work role boundary. I encourage researchers to effectively measure the mixed consequences of the differential availability and use of flexibility and its varying boundary control challenges for different workers across occupations, gender, and cultures. I argue that the ability to have control over the work and nonwork boundary is a rising form of job inequality. In particular, virtuality is a double-edged sword for women, which I illustrate with results from intervention studies. The first study is on the flexstyle leadership training assessment of boundary management styles, i.e., the varied strategies individuals prefer to manage work-life boundaries. Individuals can be clustered into separators, integrators, and cyclers who vary in boundary control and identity alignment, and work/nonwork outcomes. (Kossek, 2016; Kossek & Lautsch, 2008, 2012). I also share results from recent studies on professionals, drawing on STEM faculty samples and focusing on the gendered consequences of disrupted boundaries, and conclude with future research directions.

How and When TASW-Fairness Influence Personal Initiative and Work Withdrawal: The Role of Conscientiousness and Neuroticism.  Sunjin Pak, California State University, Bakersfield; Amit Kramer, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaig; and Boreum Ju, California State University, Bakersfield

Employees increasingly conduct supplemental work outside the work domain using information and communication technologies, such as laptops, smartphones, or other mobile devices. This work is not covered by a formal contract or being directly compensated. While different studies have addressed technology-assisted supplemental work (TASW) using fairness-related research questions, very limited work addressed this theoretically, grouping these questions under the overarching “fairness” framework. To address this, we propose the concept of TASW-fairness and use conservation of resources theory to examine the relationship of TASW-fairness with two resources-investment strategies: acquiring new resources (personal initiative behaviors) and conserving resources reserves (work withdrawal behaviors). We also examine whether energy mediates these relationships. We collected a sample of 728 U.S. employees and found support for the mediation hypotheses. When employees perceive TASW as fair (unfair), they report higher (lower) energy levels and are thus likely to conduct personal initiative (work withdrawal) behaviors. As individual differences may alter the relationship between perceived fairness and energy, we test a moderated-mediation model with conscientiousness and neuroticism as moderators of the indirect relationships of TASW-fairness with personal initiative and work withdrawal behaviors. We find that among highly conscientious employees, the relationship between TASW-fairness and personal initiative is more pronounced, and the link between TASW-fairness and work withdrawal behavior diminishes.

A Qualitative Study of Cross-Cultural Differences in Manager Experiences With After-Hours Interruptions From Work.  Angela Grotto, Montclair State University; Kaumudi Misra, California State University, East Bay; and Ronit Waismel-Manor, The Open University, Israel

Role theory suggests that culture shapes identification with work and nonwork roles; such differences may shape experiences with after-hour interruptions from work and tactics for establishing boundaries. Yet, cross-cultural differences remain largely unexplored in the boundary management literature. Boundary management research also rarely focuses on managers or has not distinguished the experiences of managers from employees. Yet, the manager experience is likely unique, given power differences and their responsibility to set interruption norms for their team members while adhering to their bosses’ norms. Consequently, there is a lack of understanding of the tactics that managers use to establish and communicate boundaries. This qualitative study is part of a larger study in which we examine cross-cultural differences in manager experiences with after-hour interruptions from work. Interviews with managers from Israel and India revealed differences in role identification, expectations and thresholds for interruptions, responses to interruptions, and boundary management tactics (for themselves and their employees). Additionally, themes of power and gender emerged in relation to boundary setting and communication. Since power distance and gender differentiation vary across cultures and are relevant in workplace interactions, such as interruption, we will explore these cultural values in a survey study.

Discussants: Kaumudi Misra, California State University, East Bay;
Angela Grotto, Montclair State University;

Workshop

Conceptualizing the work-family-life nexus


Organizers: Heidi Cramm, Queens University; Melissa Richardson, Queens University; Lauren Roberts, Queens University; Lisa Vaters, Queens University; Margaret Campbell, Queens University; Vanier Institute of the Family;

Embracing Interdisciplinarity In Work-Family Research: Implications Across the Research Life Cycle

Interdisciplinary collaboration is increasingly recognized as vital for advancing knowledge and social changes. As complex social problems tend to transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries, interdisciplinary approaches have become essential for addressing these issues comprehensively. Interdisciplinarity plays a pivotal role in families research as it offers a comprehensive approach to understanding the complexities of familial relationships and dynamics. By adopting an interdisciplinary approach researchers can better examine families from various angles, considering not only individual and relational factors but also broader contextual influences such as culture, policy, and socioeconomic status. Furthermore, by integrating insights from multiple disciplines, researchers can offer more holistic and nuanced explanations of family processes and outcomes, ultimately contributing to more effective interventions and policies that support family well-being. Ultimately, fostering a culture of interdisciplinarity is vital to promoting innovation and collaboration, advancing new knowledge, and addressing the range of complex social problems we face. This workshop seeks to explore the benefits and challenges of interdisciplinarity in families research, with a particular focus on mentorship and career development across the academic trajectory. The Families Matter Research Group (FMRG) is an example of successful interdisciplinary collaboration in family research. Comprising researchers from diverse fields such as family science, epidemiology, sociology, and occupational therapy, FMRG exemplifies the potential inherent to bridging disciplinary boundaries. During this workshop, FMRG researchers positioned across different career stages will discuss the influence that interdisciplinary mentorship has had on their scholarly journeys. Through panel discussions and moderated small group discussions, participants will have the opportunity to explore the opportunities for strengthening families research through interdisciplinary mentorship. The workshop aims to foster dialogue and collaboration among participants, deepening connections and broadening perspectives within family research. By exchanging ideas and sharing experiences, participants will be encouraged to consider new avenues for interdisciplinary inquiry and explore the potential for future collaborations. Participants will gain valuable insight on the role of mentorship in nurturing interdisciplinary approaches to family research. Confirmed mentors for the workshop include Dr. Deborah Norris, Dr. Heidi Cramm, and Dr. Margaret Campbell, with expertise spanning various disciplines. Likewise, confirmed mentees include emerging scholars such as Melissa Richardson, Lauren Roberts, and Lisa Vaters, who represent the next generation of interdisciplinary researchers poised to make significant contributions to the field. Following the workshop, the facilitators will compile a summary of the discussions, highlighting key insights and recommendations pertaining to mentorship and interdisciplinary research in the context of families research. This summary will serve as a resource for participants, offering guidance for fostering We welcome researchers at all career stages to come and explore the transformative potential of interdisciplinarity and to cultivate connections that can lead to collaborations and scholarly growth.


Discussants: Margaret Campbell, Queens University; Vanier Institute of the Family;

Workshop

Conceptualizing the work-family-life nexus


Organizer: Susan Lambert, University of Chicago

Getting A New Perspective On (Work)Life: Updating Conceptualizations of the Work-Life Interface to Incorporate Diverse Experiences and Growing Inequality

Our conceptual frameworks have not kept pace with changes to work or family, and our field continues to favor conventional work and family arrangements and the Global North. The goal of this workshop is to spark conversation among work-life researchers and practitioners about ways we can expand perspectives on the work-life interface to encompass the experiences of workers and families in diverse circumstances and nations. To seed discussion, the workshop will begin with brief overviews from researchers engaged in updating conceptualizations of the work-life nexus, either by expanding current theory or by applying perspectives from other disciplines. Ellen Kossek will summarize developments in the conceptualization of boundary management that improve its usefulness for understanding the mixed consequences of new forms of work. Ameeta Jaga will then introduce the concept of work-family entanglement, a concept derived from the experiences of working families in the Global South that questions the assumptions of control and separation embedded in notions of boundary management. To highlight how perspectives from other disciplines may be used to reveal neglected work-life issues, Sydney Colussi will summarize how legal perspectives have helped reveal new sites for work-life scholarship and policy on reproductive health, and Erin Carreon will explain how theories of racialized organizations might be fruitfully applied to expose sites of inequality at the work-life interface. The majority of the workshop will be devoted to discussion among all attendees on ways to increase the inclusiveness of our field and the fit between our theories and the peoples we study.

Workshop

Location: Asia


Organizer: Adriana Rasip, Empowered Families Initiative

Investing in the Aspirations of Lower-Income Families in Urban Singapore

Empowered Families Initiative (EFI) is a developmental initiative that aims to look into ‘investing’ in plans of lower-income families in Singapore to support them in improving their life circumstances. These plans encompass (but are not limited to) employment/business, skills upgrading, savings, and expansion of social capital. EFI is customised based according to the families’ aspirations, including work aspirations. It leverages on the families’ strengths and rewards families based on their motivation and enterprise to build assets for their future, whilst decreasing their liabilities. Families will have access to funds and links to non-monetary support networks, based on their goals to better their lives. Another essential part of this initiative is that families will be brought together at regular group meetings for mutual support, encouragement, and accountability, to strengthen their social capital, resilience, and empowerment. EFI also works with like-minded partners in support of equipping families to furthering their goals. From EFI’s current iteration, families have successfully cleared their arrears, accumulated savings, upskill themselves and develop their own businesses - all of which goes towards improving their quality of lives. EFI has also been featured by the OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation (OECD OPSI) as an innovative case study. In this workshop, the speakers will share findings from their impact evaluation of the first EFI prototype based on the qualitative interviews with the families onboard this initiative and (un)learnings as social service practitioners. Some of the learnings include: 1. Reframing social assistance as investments in the potential of the family and their aspirations creates a shift in narrative: family as agents of change rather than passive recipients towards creating possibilities and co-producing a dignified approach in enabling families to overcome poverty 2. Giving families autonomy to allocate resources according to their goals is crucial in enabling their agency in creating change and possibilities for themselves, rather than being stuck in a poverty cycle 3. In order for this initiative to happen, it is underpinned by a shift in the mindset and positionality of practitioners/professionals as enablers and facilitators rather than helpers. Entailing this is the unlearning of old, traditional ways of gatekeeping resources and controlling how low-income families should use these resources. 4. Reducing bandwidth tax and ring-fencing financial resources for families’ aspirations help them to focus on their aspirations and goals to better their lives


Discussants: Adriana Rasip, Empowered Families Initiative;

Workshop

Gender dynamics, inequality, and outcomes


Organizers: Liana Sayer, University of Maryland, College Park; Sarah Flood, University of Minnesota;

IPUMS Time Use: Using the Eating and Health Module to Study Inequality Across Diverse Families

This workshop aims to promote awareness of and expertise in the IPUMS Time Use data archive, particularly the newly released American Time Use Survey (ATUS) Eating and Health module (EHM). IPUMS Time Use facilitates user access to data from respondent, household, and time diary activity files and simplifies the production of a data file suitable for analysis. It allows researchers to select study populations; to create measures of time in user-defined activity aggregations; and to request customized data files in in a variety of formats. The ATUS EHM was collected in 2006-2008, 2014-2016, and 2022. The module contains information about who usually does food shopping and meal preparation, where food is purchased, and daily and weekly measures of eating, drinking, and exercise behaviors. In 2022, the EHM module also includes data on shopping and food shopping enjoyment and the use of online platforms to purchase groceries. The workshop will provide an overview of the web-based data access and documentation system; an overview of how ATUS EHM data can be used in research on health behaviors, parenting food practices, food insecurity, and topics of interest to participants; and a hands-on demonstration of the IPUMS Time Use data extraction system (for example, see www.atusdata.org). Workshop participants will also be provided with information about online resources. The audience for the workshop includes graduate students, early career faculty, family leave focused researchers, and public policy/applied researchers. Workshop participants will learn about and develop expertise in the ATUS and EHM, data of broad interest to the WFRN community.

Workshop

College and university work-family-life programs and policies


Organizers: Courtney Masterson, University of San Francisco- School of Management; Danna Greenberg, Babson College; Jamie Ladge, Northeastern University;

Looking Within: Reimagining the Work/Life Experience of Academics as Work/Family Scholars and Higher-Education Leaders

Work/life scholars have increasingly turned their attention inward to examine the challenges of academic life. Academic careers are most often defined by a rigid, linear hierarchy that is rooted in masculine norms that require deprioritization of home and family responsibilities (Ward & Wolf-Wendel, 2012). Many universities lack comprehensive family leave policies or flexible career opportunities that might support work/family thriving (Berheide et al., 2022; Gabriel et al., 2023; Philipsen et al., 2017). This can especially impact women’s academic careers as they shoulder the majority of caregiving at home and at work. As work/life scholars we are not just generating an understanding of this phenomenon, we are simultaneously experiencing these dilemmas in our own careers and in our own higher-education institutions. In this workshop, we seek to bring together work/life scholars and those who serve in academic leadership roles (e.g. deans, associate deans, department heads, PhD coordinators, center directors, promotion and tenure committee, etc.) to co-create solutions and lead a cultural change around work/life navigation in academia. The workshop will be facilitated by leading global work/life scholars who also serve as academic leaders. The workshop will begin with a brief overview of the academic work/life context before moving into break-out groups to discuss dilemmas and brainstorm solutions and promising practices. We hope this session will build a network of work/life scholars who will lead the way in building institutions in which academics can simultaneously thrive in their scholarly and family lives. REFERENCES: Berheide, C. W., Watanabe, M., Falci, C., Borland, E., Bates, D. C., & Anderson-Hanley, C. (2022). Gender, type of higher education institution, and faculty work-life integration in the United States. Community, Work and Family 25(4), 444-463. Gabriel, A.S., Allen, T.D., Devers, C.E., Eby, L.T., Gilson, L.L.,... & Rosen, C.C. (2023). A call to action: Taking the untenable out of women professors’ pregnancy, postpartum, and caregiving demands. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 16(2), 187-210. Philipsen, M., Case, S., Oetama-Paul, A., & Sugiyama, K. (2017). Academic womanhood across career stages: A work-in-life perspective on what was, is, and could be. Community, Work and Family, 20(5), 623-644. Ward, K., & Wolf-Wendel, L. (2012). Academic motherhood: How faculty manage work and family. Rutgers University Press.

Workshop

Conceptualizing the work-family-life nexus


Organizers: Alexandra Beauregard, Birkbeck, University of London; Kaumudi Misra, California State University, East Bay; Ariane Ollier-Malaterre, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) - École des Sciences de la Gestion (ESG);

Technology, Work and Family Networking Community Research Incubator

This is a Professional Development Workshop organized by the WFRN special interest group for Work, Family and Technology . As such, we kindly ask that this symposium is scheduled at a different time than the other sessions sponsored by the ‘Work, Family, and Technology’ special interest group to ensure that our members can attend all sessions. Workshop leaders: • Alexandra Beauregard, Birkbeck, University of London (a.beauregard@bbk.ac.uk) • Kaumudi Misra, California State University East Bay (kaumudi.misra@csueastbay.edu) • Ariane Ollier Malaterre, Université du Québec à Montréal (ollier.ariane@uqam.ca) Workshop goals: This workshop provides an opportunity to continue to craft a collective research program for members of the Technology, Work and Family Networking Community. As a more structured alternative to the regular Networking Community meeting, it enables the Networking Community leaders to facilitate research collaborations among members by helping researchers from a range of career stages, disciplines and geographical locations connect with one another and discover synergies or shared interests. The intended outcome is a program for collaborative research activities, such as data collection, journal articles, special issues, edited books, grant applications, action research, or practitioner outreach. This would be the fourth Research Incubator; the first ran in 2018 and was well attended, resulting in many connections made, the second was a virtual event in October 2021, and the last one was at the WFRN 2022 Meetings, once again very well attended resulting in multiple research collaborations. An additional goal for this research incubator series has been to evaluate previous workshops. We plan to continue the evaluation this year by surveying repeat attendees about projects initiated during the 2018, 2021 and 2022 workshops. Questions designed to stimulate dialogue will be introduced by the workshop leaders. Broadly speaking, these will attempt to elicit answers to the query, “What do we need to know about technology in the context of work and family that we don’t currently know?” Ideas discussed in small groups will be collated by workshop leaders and presented to the room. Different ideas will be allocated to different tables, with participants assigning themselves to their chosen table(s) to find potential collaborators and discuss approaches to the given topic. Tables can then feed back to the overall group. Workshop leaders will circulate the output to attendees following the conclusion of the conference. Workshop participants: The Technology, Work and Family Networking Community Leadership team will participate in the workshop. While the workshop will be promoted via the Networking Community’s social media accounts and mailing list, we also welcome conference attendees who are not currently Networking Community members but who have an interest in technology, work and family.


Discussants: Alexandra Beauregard, Birkbeck, University of London;
Kaumudi Misra, California State University, East Bay;
Ariane Ollier-Malaterre, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) - École des Sciences de la Gestion (ESG);

Workshop

Caregiving, childcare, and eldercare


Organizer: Marie Gendron, Le conseil de gestion de l’assurance parentale (The Management Board of Parental insurance) – The Québec Government

The Economic Impact of Parental Leave: The Québec Experience

This workshop will focus on the observed economic effects of the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP), particularly on employment income of women. How are women’s earnings affected after the leave? Is there a motherhood penalty? Is it the same in a heterosexual couple as in a homosexual couple of women? How has this penalty evolved over time, if at all? The workshop will also be an opportunity to discuss the effects of the new QPIP provisions introduced by Bill 51, An Act mainly aimed at improving the flexibility of the parental insurance plan and promoting family-work balance. Note that the QPIP came into force in 2006 when the province of Quebec withdrew from the Canadian federal employment insurance system and established its own parental insurance plan. The Quebec plan is very progressive and has enlarged eligibility for parental leave benefits, increased the income replacement rate, raised the cap on maximum benefits, established a 5-week “daddy quota” of paid leave for fathers, and implemented a bonus for parents who share the leave more equally.

Workshop

Conceptualizing the work-family-life nexus


Organizer: Shweta Singh, Loyola University, Chicago

Woman Worker in Emerging Economies: Comparing India Chile and Nigeria

“[Global Work and Family Issues in Emerging Economies Networking Community] INVITED SESSION”. Context: Women working across formal or informal sectors in the Emerging Economies of India, Chile, and Nigeria and can be representative of the larger continents of Asia, Latin America, and Africa. According to a McKinsey report from 2015, gender parity could lead to 12 trillion more dollars annually, especially in India and parts of Latin America. The role of women in emerging economies and their impact on work needs more attention. At the same time, their inclusion in national and global GDP is growing and being recognized as essential. Work is important for the SDGs, especially SDG 8, which emphasizes gender sensitivity in employment. A broad gender equity paradigm centers on the larger sustainability goal. Concepts and theories from developed economies shape the world of work for women in emerging economies. The emphasis remains on women's labor force participation and not on its larger context. Empowering women through work ignores the complexity and dynamic social realities of emerging economies. Objectives: This workshop session will apply a systematic review approach and statistical comparison to orient the participants to five facets of women worker identity and work conditions in emerging economies. The first part will focus on women's working conditions in these emerging economies. Second facet will be to examine worker identity of women employed in formal and informal work sectors within these emerging economies. In the third segment, we will discuss the obstacles women encounter in the workplace, such as the glass ceiling, labor returns, and discrimination and harassment. The fourth facet will identify coaching needs for women in a global emerging economy. The workshop will explore why women work and how work affects women's relationships and caregiving at home. Process: The workshop will comprise a presentation using AV support and a discussion section. Learning Outcomes: By the end of the Session, the participants will be able to 1. Grasp the nuances of the world of women and work in emerging economies. 2. Investigate the social and economic justice norms that contribute to gender disparity in emerging economies. 3. Understand the role of women in global production and status of women along SDG 8. 4. Analyze the experiences of those who work for income in emerging economies. 5. Comprehend the differences in operationalizing work concepts in emerging economies.

Workshop

Conceptualizing the work-family-life nexus


Organizers: Linda Duxbury, Carleton University; Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, Purdue University;

Work-Family Research in the 21st Century and Beyond

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A SINGLE PRESENTATION. WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO IT AS A ROUNDTABLE OR A WORKSHOP BECAUSE WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE DISCUSSION WITH THE AUDIENCE. WE COULDN'T SEE HOW THAT COULD HAPPEN IN AN INDIVIDUAL PAPER PROPOSAL. BUT WE REALIZE WE ARE NOT REALLY CONFORMING TO WHAT IS EXPECTED FOR WORKSHOPS OR ROUNDTABLES. WE WELCOME YOUR SUGGESTIONS. SHELLEY AND LINDA Defining what is considered work-family research today is no easy task. The phrase ‘work-family balance’ was probably first used in the UK in the late 1970s, and in the US in the mid-1980s. The composition of both work and family spheres has, however, changed significantly since the discipline was first introduced. Modern technology and the “always on” culture common in many countries has blurred the line between work and family domains. The recent pandemic has shifted what is considered possible with respect to both work time and workplace. Over the past few decades there has been an explosion of research on the relationships between work and non-work life. Post-pandemic with many people feeling stressed and not “balanced” and the world of work in flux it is time to look at how we conceptualize and study work-family balance. In this session we present the results of a Delphi study intended to initiate a discussion within the work-family research community on how we as work-family researchers envision work-family research now and into the future. The Delphi methodology is a problem-solving technique where answers to a question are determined by sending multiple rounds of questionnaires to a group of experts – in this case all WFRN members. The Delphi approach facilitates dialogue between geographically separated experts while serving as an effective means for learning. In this session we summarize our informants’ responses to the following questions: What do scholars mean when they say that they are “work-family” researchers? What impact does the researcher’s discipline and nationality have on how they conceptualize work-family research?

Workshop

Family and medical leave


Organizer: Jeff Hayes, Women’s Bureau - US Department of Labor (DOL)

Workshop: Worker PLUS for Simulating Paid Family and Medical Leave in the U.S.

The Worker Paid Leave Usage Simulation (Worker PLUS) is an open-source simulation tool that can be used by researchers and federal, state, and local policy makers to estimate the effects of various worker leave scenarios and policy options on worker leave-taking behavior, and to estimate the benefits paid as well as costs of administering any given program. Worker PLUS model employs public microdata from the Department of Labor’s 2018 Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Employee Survey to train models for individual-level leave needs and behaviors. Using paid leave program parameters as input, the model simulates specific leave-taking behavior and outcomes using demographic data from the five-year American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS). The simulation engines have been developed in both Python and R, two of the most popular open-source programming languages, and the model code is fully transparent and publicly available to facilitate future data updates and model development. The model offers a graphical interface for increased accessibility by non-technical users. The model is flexible and has been applied to new paid family and medical leave proposals nationally and in states including Massachusetts, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Minnesota, and Maine with a variety of benefit designs. It has also been used for looking at benefit expansions or providing leave to select workforces such as state or county employees. The workshop will demonstrate the model, explore built-in post-analysis displays, and describe the output microdata files providing opportunity for estimating additional distributional impacts of a paid leave policy.