Chapter 8 Gender and Work life Balance
DOI: 10.23912/978-1-910158-78-4-2915 | ISBN: 978-1-910158-78-4 |
Published: January 2016 | Component type: chapter |
Published in: Enterprise and its Business Environment | Parent DOI: 10.23912/978-1-910158-78-4-2851 |
Abstract
The concept of work-life balance is an increasingly important issue in today’s society as a result of changing labour demographics. The traditional 9-5 working week cannot cater for all workers and many employers recognise this. Research from the CIPD (2012) indicates that 96% of employers in the UK offer some form of work-life balance practice, with part-time working (88%) and homeworking (54%) being the most common arrangements offered. Despite the increased interest in the work-life balance, there is ambiguity around what work-life balance is. Much of the confusion comes from a lack of agreement over what constitutes ‘work’, and what is ‘life’. This chapter explains the concept of work-life balance, the measures organizations can take to support the work-life balance of its members and the potential benefits and barriers associated with their implementation. The chapter also considers the role of gender in work-life balance, as women are more likely than men to use a work-life balance policy, with 77% working flexibly in some way (CIPD, 2012).
Sample content
Contributors
- Steven Glasgow (Author)
- Katherine Sang (Author)
For the source title:
- Norin Arshed, Heriot-Watt University (Editor) http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6775-1840
- Julie McFarlane, Heriot-Watt University (Editor) http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2612-9836
- Robert MacIntosh, Heriot-Watt University (Editor) http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7333-0201
Cite as
Glasgow & Sang, 2016
Glasgow, S. & Sang, K. (2016) "Chapter 8 Gender and Work life Balance" In: Arshed, N., McFarlane, J. & MacIntosh, R. (ed) . Oxford: Goodfellow Publishers http://dx.doi.org/10.23912/978-1-910158-78-4-2915
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