In recent years the study of work and family issues has expanded from a focus on men's unemployment, women's employment, and two-career couples to more complex issues of economics, structural and psychological characteristics of work, enactment of multiple roles, the work/family cycle, combined effects of partners' work role characteristics, and…

This study assessed how corporate culture affects men's involvement with their families. Found Swedish companies to be "father friendly," but few companies had systematically revamped their policies to support fatherhood; most men made moderate use of family-leave benefits. Implications are drawn for policymaking in Sweden and the United…

Examined the extent and nature of employer workplace initiatives based on interviews with New Orleans (Louisiana) employers. Bolstered other research findings of progress but continued limited workplace implementations of formal, family-supportive programs. Found modifications of formal and informal policies extended organizational family…

Discusses recent changes in industry practices designed to make worklife more accommodating to family life. Cites examples of companies which are establishing new work schedules (flex-time, four-day weeks), providing counseling services and day care, and giving increased consideration to family impact when making job transfer decisions. (SJL)

Driven by a competitive environment with other employers to maintain a quality workforce, businesses are increasingly becoming aware of the necessity to assist employees with programs and services regarding family needs. Unfortunately, most small to medium size companies are either ignorant of the necessity for family friendly services or lack the…

Articles collected in this book address issues arising from the fact that the American workforce is increasingly composed of parents. Included in the collection are short newspaper and magazine selections as well as longer magazine articles and book chapters. These materials provide primary sources documenting an historical movement of social…

Examined employer reluctance to consider and/or implement innovations by assessing the relationship between selected demographic features of companies and the receptiveness of these companies to the introduction of innovative changes, as reported by company officials. Found demographic and other features influenced company officials' willingness…

This book, written jointly by a working professional couple, looks at the reality of two-career marriages and explores strategies to help couples develop optimally in their careers and in their personal lives. The book is organized in three sections. The first section examines the challenges facing working couples--their role expectations and…

The focus of the Working Parents Project (WPP) has been on how families adapt and function in relation to workplace policies, with particular attention given to the participation of parents in contexts of child care and socialization, including education-related activities. This report builds on previous data from the WPP by expanding the sample…

The competing demands of the workplace and the home have intensified over the last 25 years as the nation has experienced dramatic social and economic changes affecting businesses, employees, and families. In 1993, Congress passed the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to provide a national policy that supports families in their efforts to strike…

This book examines the lives of America's working families from all social classes and ethnic groups and the familial obligations they must deal with, arguing that there is a widening gap between the demands of the workplace and the well-being of America's families. Chapter one provides an overview of the problems of longer work days, outdated…

This kit is designed to help employers understand the range of family needs emerging in the workplace and the numerous options for a company response. An introduction discusses the need for child care services, dependent care problems, and how employers respond and benefit. Sections address the following: selecting the right option in relation to…

This document contains papers in which 12 experienced gender specialists examine the various developments and elements affecting women's participation as equal players in the workplace and propose actions and policies promoting sex equity in the workplace. The following papers are included: "Preface" (Mary Chinery-Hesse); "Introduction " (Eugenia…

This book provides a comprehensive examination of the rise of free agent workers, how free agency is transforming the lives of free agents and those around them, problems encountered by free agents, and the future of free agency. The following are among the topics discussed in the book's 19 chapters: (1) the numbers and nuances of free agency; (2)…