Introduction

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The issues associated with balancing work and family are of paramount importance to individuals, their employers, their families, their unions and governments concerned with global competitiveness, citizen well-being and national health. Although much has been written about the topic, only a handful of "high impact" studies have been conducted on this subject in Canada. Despite the fixation of the popular press on the topic (reflecting its readers' interest) there is, at this time, little sound empirical data available to inform the debate. This is unfortunate, as credible research in this area has the power to change how governments and employers think about the issue and how they formulate and implement human resource, social and labour policy.

A decade ago we, along with our colleagues Dr. Catherine Lee at the University of Ottawa and Dr. Shirley Mills at Carleton University, conducted a national study of work-life conflict in Canada to "explore how the changing relationship between family and work affects organizations, families and employers." In total, 14,549 employees from 37 medium-sized and large private sector organizations and 15,921 employees from seven federal public service departments participated in this research.

A lot has happened with respect to work and family life in the 10 years since we conducted our first study on work-family balance. Academic research on the topic has burgeoned. Nationally, the 1990s was a decade of turbulence for working Canadians as companies downsized, rightsized, restructured and globalized. The recession of the early nineties was followed by the "jobless recovery" of the mid-nineties, and job security was the issue that absorbed many working Canadians and their families. Organizations, faced with a glut of competent employees from which to choose, often paid little attention to becoming "best practice" with respect to human resource management.

Throughout the nineties, technological change and the need to be competitive globally increased the pressures on organizations and employees alike. Time in employment increased for many, as did the use of non-standard types of employment. Non-work demands also increased over the decade as family structures continued to change and the percentage of working Canadians with childcare, eldercare or both (the sandwich generation) continued to rise.

Paradoxically, as we enter the new millennium there has been a complete about-face with respect to this issue as employers, faced with impending labour shortages, have become preoccupied with recruiting and retaining "knowledge workers." Such employers have recognized that a focus on "human capital" is one key to increased productivity for the workforce of 2002 and beyond.

Taken together, these changes suggest it is time for another rigorous empirical look at the issue of work-life conflict. This report presents data collected during such an endeavour.