Work-family conflict

This entry focuses on work-family conflict – or incompatibilities between work and family domains – using a gender lens. We start by reviewing work-family conflict research conducted in samples of traditional, heterosexual couples and families. We then shift our focus to examining research that has been conducted outside of heteronormative family structures. Perceptions of work-family conflict vary according to gender, sexual orientation, and other identities, with downstream implications for work and family outcomes. As organizations seek to be more inclusive of the myriad ways that people may construct their families, we encourage scholars to further examine how to best support diverse types of family structures, particularly for LGBTQ+ employees and those participating in novel caregiving arrangements that fall outside “typical” organizational policies.