In this manuscript we review research on the effectiveness of work-life balance (WLB) policies in improving employee and organizational outcomes. We find that while WLB policies are often implemented with good intentions, their effects are generally small or inconsistent. We identify eight barriers to policy inclusivity that we theorize are linked to reduced effectiveness—a narrow definition of family, focusing on work-family rather than work-nonwork balance, low policy awareness, the practical constraints of access, overlooking vulnerable workers, the nature of the job, supervisor attitudes and behaviors, and unsupportive organizational cultures—and make recommendations for addressing these barriers. We also highlight the importance of considering individual differences and cultural contexts when implementing WLB policies. We conclude by proposing future research directions, such as examining coworker support and the impact of national culture on policy effectiveness.

中文翻译：

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工作与生活平衡政策的效果如何？包容性的重要性


在这份手稿中，我们回顾了关于工作与生活平衡 （WLB） 政策在改善员工和组织成果方面的有效性的研究。我们发现，虽然 WLB 政策的实施通常是出于善意，但它们的效果通常很小或不一致。我们确定了政策包容性的八个障碍，我们从理论上认为这些障碍与有效性降低有关——家庭的狭隘定义，关注工作与家庭而不是工作与非工作的平衡、政策意识低、准入的实际限制、忽视弱势工人、工作性质、主管的态度和行为，以及不支持的组织文化——并提出解决这些障碍的建议。我们还强调了在实施 WLB 政策时考虑个体差异和文化背景的重要性。最后，我们提出了未来的研究方向，例如研究同事支持和国家文化对政策有效性的影响。