ABSTRACT
The concept of ‘work-life balance’ is seemingly ubiquitous in discussions about employment in the twenty-first century in the UK. In the context of an associated decline of the full-time standard working week, flexible employment, working time and the reconciliation of work and family life have become central issues of current policy and academic debate in the UK (Cousins and Tang 2004). Kingsmill (2001) argues that up until relatively recently employers have tended to see their employees as either ‘breadwinners’ or ‘homemakers’. This way of seeing the world has meant that employers have typically faced little pressure to address the needs of those who wish to combine both of these in some form or another. However, the ‘war for talent’ has refocused their attention (Croner Consulting 2004a). Whether the so-called ‘business case’ for work-life balance policies is a sufficiently solid base is arguable, and this is discussed below. Whether work-life balance policies are wholly advantageous for women is also the subject of argument, again discussed below. It appears likely that such policies may be beneficial for employers in terms of recruitment and retention, but there is growing evidence that they may be negative for employees in terms of their progression (Crompton et al. 2003). In four contrasted organizations studied by Crompton et al., high-level ‘career’ jobs demanded full-time working, with long hours, not the profile that may be the result of taking advantage of flexible working policies. It may therefore be possible to argue, in the context of more women than men taking up these measures, that these forms of working actually reinforce gender inequalities.
