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：

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出发点：家庭休假政策和美国工作场所女性在管理层中的代表性


本文通过调查《家庭和医疗休假法》（FMLA） 是否改变了美国工作场所的性别不平等模式，将公共和组织政策的相互作用理论化。这是否增加了女性在权威职位上的代表性（让更多女性进入管理工作）？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（当公共政策发生变化时，公司政策）会产生不同的影响。分析了 800 年至 1990 年大约 1997 家美国私营部门机构的机构级面板数据，我们发现在 FMLA 之后的几年里，女性在管理职位中的代表性有所增加。重要的是，在 FMLA 之前就提供更慷慨的休假福利的工作场所，女性在管理层中的代表性增加得最多。有色人种女性管理代表的增加最为突出。与关系不平等理论一致，这些发现表明，当法律和组织政策都为她们的主张提供合法性时，女性可能会发现更容易提出休假和职业发展的要求。更广泛地说，本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异。