'I Just Juggle': Work and Family Balance in Australian Organisations

Abstract

The workforce share of women has increased but they still carry the predominate share of unpaid work in the home. What conditions and workplace support do women workers require to facilitate the integration of work and family responsibilities? To what extent does an organisation's equal employment opportunity (EEO) program and workplace bargaining address the integration of work and family care issues? How do women workers fill the commitment gap between work and care? This paper analyses the EEO reports and industrial agreements of six organisations and interviews a range of managers and staff. Findings suggest that having an EEO program and workplace agreement is no guarantee that work and family measures will be introduced. Heavily dependent on a business case, such measures are unevenly distributed within and across workplaces. The commitment gap is generally met through a variety of informal and ad hoc measures from the workplace and the home.