Employee relations, Volume 29, Number 4, What work? What life? What balance?: critical reflections on the work-life balance debate

In: Employee Relations - Issue 4, Volume 29

In: Employee relations v. 29, no. 4

Abstract

The articulation of work and life, cast as work-life balance, has become a key feature of much current government, practitioner and academic debate. The main message of this debate is the need for "good work-life balance". However, the debate and subsequent policy are too often based on assumptions about work and life derived from blunt readings of empirical data or misconceptions about employee attitudes to work and life. What is required therefore is analysis that explores the back-story to work-life balance debate as well as the operation of work-life balance policies. Compiling critical re