Parenting Support in the Workplace
Demographic changes over the last 40 years means the majority of parents are now employed in some capacity. This chapter outlines some of the challenges parents face in balancing competing work and family demands. The concept of work and family conflict is defined, and the impact of work and family conflict on individuals and families is discussed. A rationale is provided for the provision of parenting support via the workplaces as a means of improving the lives of employees and as a way of increasing population-level access to parenting support. A brief review of the efficacy of workplace parenting support is provided alongside practical examples of how to ensure successful program delivery in an organizational context. The chapter concludes with a discussion about the implications and provides some directions for future research.