Supporting parents: The effects of work-family policies on within-person productivity trends

Abstract

Although multiple theories illustrate how policies affect work outcomes, theory and research do not fully explicate how work-family policies impact within-person job performance, especially after the birth of a child. To address these gaps, we examined the productivity trends (i.e., slopes) of 151 parents (n = 1,842 years) before and after the birth of their children. Then, we analyzed the impact of availability and use of onsite childcare and a flexible work arrangement on those productivity trends, along with examining gender differences in these effects. Our results suggest that productivity trends do not change after the birth of the first or second child for men or women. The availability of either work-family policy did not relate to productivity trends, whereas the use of onsite childcare after the birth of a child increased productivity trends and the flexibility work arrangement decreased productivity trends. Supplemental analyses demonstrate the robustness of the findings. Our work strengthens the theoretical understanding of human resource management policies and contributes critical insights for organizations and their performance management systems.