This paper theorizes the interplay of public and organizational policies by investigating whether the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) shifted patterns of gender inequality within U.S. workplaces. Did this leave law increase women’s representation in positions of authority (moving more women into management jobs)? We argue that the impact of public policies will vary by organizational context, hypothesizing different effects by organizations’ points of departure—the corporate policies in place when public policy changes. Analyzing establishment-level panel data from approximately 800 U.S. private-sector establishments in 1990–1997, we found that women’s representation in managerial positions increased in the years immediately after the FMLA. Importantly, women’s representation in management increased the most in workplaces that provided more generous leave benefits even before the FMLA. The increase in managerial representation was most prominent for women of color. Consistent with relational inequality theory, these findings suggest that women may find it easier to make claims for leave and for career advancement when both legal and organizational policies lend legitimacy to their claims. More broadly, this study points to the need to explicitly evaluate how policy impacts vary by organizational norms and commitments.

中文翻译：

---

出发点：家庭休假政策和美国工作场所管理层中的女性代表


本文通过调查《家庭和医疗休假法案》（FMLA）是否改变了美国工作场所内的性别不平等模式，对公共政策和组织政策之间的相互作用进行了理论分析。这项休假法是否增加了女性在权力职位上的代表性（让更多女性进入管理岗位）？我们认为，公共政策的影响会因组织环境而异，并假设组织的出发点（公共政策发生变化时制定的企业政策）会产生不同的影响。通过分析 1990 年至 1997 年约 800 个美国私营企业的企业级面板数据，我们发现，在 FMLA 实施后的几年里，女性在管理职位中的比例有所增加。重要的是，即使在 FMLA 之前，在提供更慷慨休假福利的工作场所，女性在管理层中的代表性增加最多。管理人员代表性的增加在有色人种女性中最为突出。与关系不平等理论一致，这些发现表明，当法律和组织政策赋予女性的主张合法性时，女性可能会更容易提出休假和职业晋升的主张。更广泛地说，这项研究指出需要明确评估政策影响如何因组织规范和承诺而变化。