Authors: Ilse Laurijssen Ignace Glorieux
Publish Date: 2012/05/01
Volume: 112, Issue: 1, Pages: 1-17
Abstract
In this article we consider the consequences of workfamily reconciliation in terms of the extent to which the adjustment of the labour market career to family demands by women contributes to a better worklife balance Using the Flemish SONARdata we analyse how changes in work and family conditions between the age of 26 and 29 are related to changes in feelings of time pressure among young working women More specifically by using crosslagged models and synchronous effects panel models we analyse 1 how family and work conditions affect feelings of time pressure as well as 2 reverse effects which may point to working career adjustment strategies of coping with time pressure Our results show that of all the considered changes in working conditions following family formation ie having children only the reduction of working hours seems to improve workfamily balance ie reduces the experience of time pressure Parttime work is both a response to high time pressure and effectively lowers time pressure The effect of parttime work is not affected by concomitant changes in the type of paid work rather work characteristics that increase time pressure increase the probability of reconciling work with family life by reducing the number of work hours
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