Work and well-being in a comparative perspective: The role of family policy

"The present study investigates whether associations between well-being and paid work and housework, respectively, differ between European family policy models, and whether any such differences can be attributed to differences in the experience of work - family conflict. Analysing data on mothers and fathers in 18 European countries, the study finds that the traditional family policy model shows the most positive association between women's well-being and paid working hours, although this association is concealed by work - family conflict. Possibly, the selection into long paid working hours of women with rewarding jobs is greater here than elsewhere. Women's housework hours are also most positively associated with well-being in the traditional model, although well-being decreases when housework hours become too long. In the market-oriented model, women's paid working hours and housework hours are instead associated with decreasing well-being, the former association appearing to be caused by work - family conflict. The strongest positive association between men's paid working hours and well-being is found in the market-oriented model, but again, control for work - family conflict reveals positive associations in this and other models. Hence, among both mothers and fathers, work - family conflict appears to be one important reason why paid working hours are not more clearly associated with high levels of well-being." Die Untersuchung enthält quantitative Daten. Forschungsmethode: empirisch-quantitativ; empirisch; Querschnitt. Die Untersuchung bezieht sich auf den Zeitraum 2004 bis 2005. (author's abstract, IAB-Doku).