Practices of dual earner couples successfully balancing work and family

• Published in: Journal of family and economic issues Vol. 27; no. 2; pp. 207 - 234
• Main Authors: HADDOCK, Shelley A, ZIMMERMAN, Toni Schindler, ZIEMBA, Scott J, LYNESS, Kevin P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer 01.06.2006; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Costs; Demographics; Dual career couples; Earnings; Employees; Employment; Families & family life; Family studies; Flexibility; Flexible hours of work; Household economics; Labor force; Middle class; Opportunity cost; Sexuality. Marriage. Family relations; Sociology; Sociology of the family. Age groups; Studies; Success factors; Trade-off; Wages; Women; Work environment; Work life balance; Work place; Working life; opportunity costs; tradeoffs; Dual earner family; Family Life; work-family balance; Couple; dual-earner; Strategy; couples
• ISSN: 1058-0476; 1573-3475
• DOI: 10.1007/s10834-006-9014-y

Researchers have long explored conflict and strain in dual-career couples. Recently, the focus has begun to shift toward documenting the adaptive strategies of dual-earner couples in balancing family and work. The current study investigates workplace practices perceived as supportive in balancing work and family. Respondents were middle-class, dual-earner couples (N=47) who described themselves as successful in balancing family and work. These supportive practices include: flexible work scheduling, non-traditional work hours, professional/job autonomy, working from home, supportive supervisors, supportive colleagues and supervisees, and the ability to set firm boundaries around work. Additionally, many participants describe their efforts to actively secure employment at workplaces that offered family-friendly alternatives, and describe the tradeoffs they are willing to make. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]