Family Structure, Employee Role Strain and Work-Family Balance

Leora Lawton, University of California, Berkeley
David Tulkin, Alliant International University

This study investigates the relationship between employer policies and family structure on conflicts between work and family. Using data from workforce module of the 2006 General Social Survey, we use ordinal and multinomial logistic regression models to explore the importance of work-family balance policies regarding flexibility: telecommuting, adjusting one’s schedule, and ability to be absent from work for family needs. We examine these policies considering family structure, that is, for employees with and without children, and for married and non-married employees. Results indicate that the presence of children in the household is the most important family structure factor, regardless of marital status, such that having children increased the likelihood of work-family conflict. Of the three family-friendly policies, enabling employees to leave work for family needs and events is the most important for increasing work-family balance. Suggestions for other employer policies are provided.