Work–Family Balance and Public Policy: A cross-country perspective

Abstract

The issue of work–family balance has acquired rising prominence on the public policy agenda parallel to the feminization of the labour force in many countries around the world. Ipek Ilkkaracan draws upon case studies on seven OECD member countries in order to explore the variety of work–family balance environments and public policy debates that have emerged in these countries. She underlines the importance of an integrated approach to the development of both time-related work–family reconciliation policies such as care leave, its gender distribution and work hours, as well as provision and subsidization of care services. She also identifies strategies for moving the public policy agenda forward both in the North and the South pointing to the multitude of social and economic objectives that work–family balance policies serve.