Extending Work-Life Balance Initiatives

Abstract

In the last decade, we have seen strong growth in published scholarly and practitionerfocused research on work-life balance initiatives which are implemented in organisations to assist employees with managing their work and non-work demands. Correspondingly, the goal of this book chapter is twofold. First, we seek to take stock of existing scholarly and practitioner-focused research conducted on work-life balance initiatives, and in so doing, provide a comprehensive understanding of the impacts of work-life balance initiatives on organisations and employees. Second, we contend that despite increased scholarly and practitioner attention on work-life balance initiatives, there remains a significant gap between the provision and promise of work-life balance initiatives and their actual uptake and outcomes. We also discuss how the nature of these issues has changed in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and what this means for work-life balance initiatives going forward. Finally, we propose several areas to extend existing work-life balance initiatives, which we hope can enhance the effectiveness and intended positive outcomes of work-life balance initiatives.