WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN A LOW-INCOME NEIGHBOURHOOD

Lead Research Organisation: London School of Economics and Political Science
Department Name: Social Policy

Abstract

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Publications

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Dean, H (2006) Work-life balance in a low-income neighbourhood

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Dean, H (2008) Social Policy Review 20

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Hartley Dean (author) (2007) Tipping the balance : the problematic nature of work-life balance in a low-income neighbourhood in Journal of social policy

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Hartley Dean (author) (2007) Poor parents? : the realities of work-life-balance in a low-income neighbourhood in Benefits

 
Description The main findings were as follows:
• Participants generally supported the idea of work-life balance, but many were sceptical as to whether it could ever be achieved. Stress and long hours were thought to be unavoidable in some jobs, or else income and prospects had to be forgone in order to obtain 'family friendly' working conditions.
• If they had it, participants greatly valued the kind of flexibility at work that enabled them to attend to their children's needs and family responsibilities. Generally, however, they were not aware of their rights at work - to request parental leave or a change of hours, for example. Or else they lacked the confidence to exercise such rights.
• Critical to achieving such flexibility was whether participants had a manager whom they regarded as 'understanding'. However, styles and standards of management can vary hugely not only between but even within the same employing organisation and many managers were unhelpful and unfairly demanding.
• Despite working, many participants were necessarily highly dependent on social security benefits and/or tax credits. Virtually none of the participants properly understood their entitlements to income maintenance and some were not claiming everything they were entitled to. Several had had adverse experiences of the benefits and particularly the new tax credit system - including problems with overpayments that left them frightened now to claim.
• Many participants would have preferred to be working fewer hours for better wages and none considered that they were being paid what they were worth. Implicitly and often explicitly their preference was for more adequate wages rather than government top-ups.
• By and large participants would prefer to care for their own children or to make informal childcare arrangements with family or friends. None the less, several parents had made wholly satisfactory arrangements with formal childcare providers. There were concerns among many participants about the accessibility, affordability and reliability of formal childcare and the fragmented nature of provision made choosing difficult.
• It emerged that the participants wanted more job opportunities and better pay; better and more consistent managers; more accessible and reliable childcare (especially in the early mornings and during school holidays); more efficient benefits and tax credit administration; more extensive and effective advice and information provision in relation both to employment and benefits rights.
Exploitation Route It is to be hoped that research of this nature might inform policy makers and employers as to the likely or possible affects of existing work-life balance strategies as they affect lower-income working families. In present circumstances, the likelihood of the findings affecting UK policy in relation to income maintenance and childcare seem slender, but argument about the business case agenda versus the corporate social responsibility agenda is one that may have purchase and may help inform the tone of policy makers' injunctions and the approach adopted by employers. Future research should perhaps focus less on proving or disproving the business case for work-life balance and more upon the social benefits
Sectors Communities and Social Services/Policy

Other
 
Description The findings were widely circulated to and expressly acknowledged by a variety of policy, labour market and community actors (as detailed in report to ESRC). However, no firm evidence of their direct influence over such actors is available.