The Consequences of a Work-Family (Im)balance: From the Point of View of Employers and Employees


  •  Nina Tomazevic    
  •  Tatjana Kozjek    
  •  Janez Stare    

Abstract

Finding the right balance between the different spheres of life of an individual, especially in the case of balancing work and family, requires a variety of measures and good cooperation from all stakeholders–employees, employers, trade unions, local communities and the state. A work-family balance (WFB) has a number of positive consequences, while an imbalance will have negative consequences for both employees and the organisations and society in general. The aim of this paper is to present the results of two studies comparing the positive consequences of WFB and the negative consequences of a work-family imbalance as perceived by employers and employees in Slovenia. The results of the surveys showed, firstly, that employers and employees recognize similar (but not identical) consequences of WFB, secondly, that the WFB of employees is better in companies where both stakeholders share a similar perception of consequences, and thirdly, that the perception of negative consequences of poor WFB differs the most between the organizations offering employees good possibilities for WFB and the organizations in which managers invested little or no effort in helping their employees balance their work and family lives.



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