Fragile Families in Quebec and the Rest of Canada: A Comparison of Parental Work-Life Balance Satisfaction

Abstract

We address how social policies and cultural context impact the association of marital status with parental work-life balance satisfaction. To accomplish this goal, we examine how this association differs between the francophone province of Quebec and the Rest of Canada (all other provinces combined), as these regions have distinct cultures and family-related social policies. The study uses a sample of 15,870 working parents with at least one dependent child from the Canadian General Social Surveys of 2010 to 2016. Using multivariate regression, we compare satisfaction with their work-life balance among cohabiting, divorced, and single parents with that of their married counterparts. The results indicate significant work-life balance satisfaction advantages for married mothers across Canada, except in the province of Quebec. For fathers, no consistent marital status-related gap is found, regardless of the region of residence. Various implications are discussed, and venues for further research are proposed.