Introduction: What work? What life? What balance?: Critical reflections on the work-life balance debate

Citation

Eikhof DR, Warhurst C & Haunschild A (2007) Introduction: What work? What life? What balance?: Critical reflections on the work-life balance debate. Employee Relations, 29 (4), pp. 325-333. https://doi.org/10.1108/01425450710839452

Abstract
This article discusses the themes and issues covered in the articles included in this issue of "Employee Relations." The main issue covered is "work-life balance." The debate over what constitutes or leads to a good work-life balance focuses on several questionable assumptions and perceptions: that work is experienced as negative, with long hours; that life is equated with caring for children which tends to focus work-life balance provisions on women; and that work and life are separable and need to be separate. The authors conclude that the debate over work-life balance needs to move towards a more holistic understanding of life, assuming that life is a positive experience and that individuals prefer to work

Keywords
3; BALANCE; Caring; Children; debate; email; EMPLOYEES; Employment; experience; families; FAMILY; focus; Holistic; Human resource management; INDIVIDUALS; ISSUES; Labour; LIFE; Management; NEED; needs; NUMBER; OF-LIFE; ORGANIZATION; Perception; Perceptions; PROVISION; QUALITY; QUALITY of life; QUALITY of work life; QUALITY-OF-LIFE; Reflection; Research; Resource management; scottish; Stirling; understanding; universities; Women; WOMEN employees; work; WORK ethic; work life; WORK-life balance

Journal
Employee Relations: Volume 29, Issue 4