Reducing Work-Life Conflict: What Works? What Doesn't?

January 2008

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Table of Contents

• Acknowledgements
• Foreword
• Chapter One: Introduction
  • 1.1 Background
  • 1.2 Objectives of the Research
  • 1.3 Why Do We Need a Study Like This One?
    
• Chapter Two: Methodology
  • 2.1 Who Responded to the National Work-Life Conflict Study?
  • 2.2 Methodology
  • 2.3 Statistical Analysis
    • 2.3.1 Frequencies
    • 2.3.2 ANOVA
• Chapter Three: Reducing Work-Life Conflict: What Can Organizations Do?
  • 3.1 Why Do Canadian Organizations Need to Focus on Work-Life Balance?
  • 3.2 Alternative Work Arrangements
    • 3.2.1 Measurement of Alternative Work Arrangements in This Study
    • 3.2.2 Use of Alternative Work Arrangements in Canadian Firms
    • 3.2.3 And So What? The Link Between the Use of Alterative Work Arrangements and Work-Life Conflict
  • 3.3 Perceived Flexibility
    • 3.3.1 How Much Flexibility Do Canadian Employees Actually Have Over Their Work Day?
    • 3.3.2 The Impact of Gender, Job Type and Dependent Care on Perceived Flexibility
    • 3.3.3 And So What? What Is the Relationship Between Perceived Flexibility and Work-Life Balance?
      • 3.3.3.1 Impact of Perceived Flexibility (Total Measure) on Work-Life Conflict
      • 3.3.3.2 Impact of the Different Forms of Flexibility on Work-Life Conflict
  • 3.4 Supportive Managers
    • 3.4.1 Are Managers in Canada's Largest Organizations Supportive of Their Employees?
    • 3.4.2 And So What? Are Employees Who Work for a Supportive Manager Better Able to Cope with Work-Life Conflict?
      • 3.4.2.1 Impact of Supportive Manager (Total Measure) on Work-Life Conflict
      • 3.4.2.2 Impact of the Different Supportive Behaviours
    • 3.4.3 And So What? How Important Is the Link Between Working for a Non-Supportive Manager and Work-Life Conflict?
      • 3.4.3.1 Impact of Non-Supportive Management (Total Measure) on Work-Life Conflict
      • 3.4.3.2 Impact of the Different Supportive Behaviours
  • 3.5 Family-Friendly Benefits and Supports
    • 3.5.1 Are Canadian Firms "Family Friendly?"
  • 3.6 How Can Employers Help Employees Balance Work and Family?
• Chapter Four: Reducing Work-Life Conflict? What Can Employees Do?
  • 4.1 How Do Canadian Employees Cope with Stress?
  • 4.2 Coping with Work-Life Conflict: What Should Employees Do?
  • 4.3 Work-Life Conflict and the Decision to Have Children
  • 4.4 Off-Shifting Child Care
  • 4.5 What Can Employees Do to Increase Work-Life Balance?
    
• Chapter Five: Reducing Work-Life Conflict? What Can Families Do?
  • 5.1 How Do Canadian Employees Cope with Stress?
  • 5.2 Coping with Work-Life Conflict: What Should Families Do?
  • 5.3 What Strategies Can Canadian Families Use to Increase Work-Life Balance?
• Chapter Six: Conclusions and Recommendations
  • 6.1 Coping with Work-Life Conflict: What Can Canadian Organizations Do?
    • 6.1.1 Benchmark Data on the Availability of Family-Friendly Policies and Practices in Canada
    • 6.1.2 How Do Gender, Job Type and Dependent Care Status Affect the Use/Perceived Availability of Organizational Supports?
    • 6.1.3 What Can Organizations Do to Help Employees Cope with Work-Life Conflict?
      • 6.1.3.1 Coping with Role Overload
      • 6.1.3.2 Coping with Work-to-Family Interference
      • 6.1.3.3 Coping with Family-to-Work Interference
      • 6.1.3.4 Coping with Caregiver Strain
  • 6.2 Coping with Work-Life Conflict: What Can Canadian Employees Do?
    • 6.2.1 Benchmark Data on the Use of Personal Coping Strategies in Canada
    • 6.2.2 How Do Gender, Job Type and Dependent Care Status Affect the Use of Personal Coping Strategies?
    • 6.2.3 Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Various Individual Coping Strategies
      • 6.2.3.1 Coping with Role Overload
      • 6.2.3.2 Coping with Work-to-Family Interference
      • 6.2.3.3 Coping with Family-to-Work Interference
      • 6.2.3.4 Coping with Caregiver Strain
  • 6.3 Coping with Work-Life Conflict? What Can Canadian Families Do?
    • 6.3.1 Benchmark Data on the Use of Personal Coping Strategies in Canada
    • 6.3.2 How Do Gender, Job Type and Dependent Care Status Affect the Use/Perceived Availability of Organizational Supports?
    • 6.3.3 Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Various Family-Based Coping Strategies
      • 6.3.3.1 Coping with Role Overload
      • 6.3.3.2 Coping with Work-to-Family Interference
      • 6.3.3.3 Coping with Family-to-Work Interference
      • 6.3.3.4 Coping with Caregiver Strain
  • 6.4 Recommendations
• References
  • Appendix A: Reports Coming from the 2001 National Work-Life Study
  • Appendix B: Work Arrangement and Work-Life Conflict
  • Appendix C: Perceived Flexibility and Work-Life Conflict
  • Appendix D: Impact of Management Behaviour on Work-Life Conflict
  • Appendix E: Impact of Supportive Benefits on Work-Life Conflict
  • Appendix F: Impact of Coping Strategies on Work-Life Conflict
  • Appendix G: Impact of Family Coping Strategies on Work-Life Conflict
  • Appendix H: Summary of Key Findings with Respect to Role Overload
  • Appendix I: Summary of Key Findings with Respect to Work-to-Family Interference
  • Appendix J: Summary of Key Findings with Respect to Family-to-Work Interference
  • Appendix K: Summary of Key Findings with Respect to Caregiver Strain