Helping with the Kids? How Family-Friendly Workplaces Affect Parental Well-Being and Behavior

Abstract

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Abstract Despite political efforts, balancing work and family life is still challenging. This paper provides novel evidence on the effect of firm level interventions that seek to reduce the work-life conflict. The focus is on how a specific workplace policy, namely childcare support, affects the well-being, working time, and caring behavior of mothers with young children. We exploit the fact that since the mid 2000s an increasing number of employers have become proactive and implemented more family-friendly workplaces. These changes over time allow us to identify causal effects of childcare support using a difference-in-differences approach combined with matching. Based on a large panel dataset on families with children in Germany (FiD), we find evidence pointing to welfare enhancing effects of childcare support, as it strongly increases both childcare satisfaction and job satisfaction. In particular mothers who worked limited hours before the introduction, possibly due to constraints, increase their working time and use formal care more intensively. Satisfaction levels are also more strongly affected if mothers are career-orientated. In comparison, flexible work schedules, another family-friendly policy, only affect job satisfaction. Paternal well-being and behavior is not affected by the workplace policy. Terms of use: Documents inJEL Classification: I31, J13, J22, J28

Works councils and organizational gender policies in Germany

“…Finally, now that the role of works councils on the provision of family-friendly and equal opportunity practices has been examined, it would be interesting to analyze if works councils also have an influence on the outcomes of these practices for the economic performance of establishments and the well-being of employees. For Germany, there is evidence that family-friendly and equal opportunity practices can be indeed effective (Huffman et al 2017, Lauber andStorck 2019). This gives rise to the question of whether the outcomes of the practices depend on the presence of a works council.…”

“…The gender differences in labour market outcomes give rise to the question of what factors lead employers to provide family-friendly practices and to implement policies promoting equal opportunities of men and women. For Germany, there is evidence that family-friendly and equal opportunity practices are associated with higher well-being of working mothers (Lauber and Storck 2019) and lower gender inequality within establishments (Huffman et al 2017). Thus, it is important to understand the factors influencing the provision of these organizational gender policies (OGPs).…”

Works Councils and Organizational Gender Policies in Germany

“…Finally, now that the role of works councils on the provision of family-friendly and equal opportunity practices has been examined, it would be interesting to analyze if works councils also have an influence on the outcomes of these practices for the economic performance of establishments and the well-being of employees. For Germany, there is evidence that family-friendly and equal opportunity practices can be indeed effective (Huffman et al 2017, Lauber andStorck 2019). This gives rise to the question of whether the outcomes of the practices depends on the presence of a works council.…”

“…The gender differences in labor market outcomes give rise to the question of what factors lead employers to provide family-friendly practices and to implement policies promoting equal opportunities of men and women. For Germany, there is evidence that familyfriendly and equal opportunity practices are associated with higher well-being of working mothers (Lauber and Storck 2019) and lower gender inequality within establishments (Huffman et al 2017). Thus, it is important to understand the factors influencing the provision of these organizational gender policies (OGPs).…”

Mapping Access to Affordable Early Childhood Education and Care: Methodology and Application to Community Advocacy

“…Furthermore, such programs partially offset the negative impacts of poverty and other risk factors on early school success (Barnett 2011;Magnuson et al 2004;Phillips et al 2017). ECE participation is associated with lower rates of grade retention and special education placement in middle school; increased high school graduation rates, achievement test onsite childcare, childcare vouchers and childcare savings accounts are associated with higher employee job satisfaction, productivity, and loyalty; reduced absenteeism and turnover; and serve as an effective recruitment tool (Anderson and Geldenhuys 2011;Bright Horizons Family Solutions 2013;Friedman 2001;Lauber and Storck 2016). Providing childcare benefits can result in cost-savings to companies and have sometimes been associated with higher profits, stock values, and organizational performance (Gammage et al 2019;Lee and Hong 2011;Shellenback 2004).…”