In October 2019, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced the end of a six-year telework pilot program affecting about 12,000 employees. Although the decision was made in 2019, the official termination date was set for March 2020. Following the program's end, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the U.S. Congress to request a review of the SSA's telework policy, questioning if it should be reinstated as a measure to slow the virus's spread.

Social Security Administration's 2019-2020 Telework Program Termination and Subsequent Review

Lapierre and Allen (2006) found that telecommuting made coping with work-family conflict worse, perhaps because being at home makes family demands more evident.

Telecommuting Can Worsen Work–Family Conflict

Telecommuting refers to a situation where an employee is working off-site but still is required to come into the office at some points for purposes such as taxation. The employee is able to establish their own schedule, enabling them to work at various times of the day and spend part of the day with their family. Team building occurs more frequently in telecommuting than traditional remote work because employees are less globally located.

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- Telecommuting
- Distance Working
- Telework
- Working From Home (WFH)
- Mobile Work
- Remote Job
- Work from Anywhere (WFA)
- Virtual Work

Remote Work (other names)

Methods to reduce work-family conflict and improve job satisfaction include home support and workplace support. Home support can include emotional support, such as listening, and practical support, such as help with chores. Workplace support can include understanding supervisors, flextime, paid leave, telecommuting, and onsite facilities such as daycare centers, fitness centers, and health clinics.

Ways to Enhance Work–Family Balance

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Telecommuting

Flextime is a flexible work arrangement where an employee's schedule is built around a set of mandatory core hours at the workplace. This allows the employee to adjust their arrival and departure times to better manage family responsibilities.

Flextime

Some corporations have policies designed to reduce work-family conflict. Examples include IBM offering three years of job-guaranteed leave after the birth of a child, Lucent Technologies offering one year of childbirth leave at half pay, and SC Johnson offering concierge services for daytime errands.

Examples of Corporate Policies for Work-Family Balance

A mid-sized tech company is experiencing high turnover among employees who are also parents of young children. Exit interviews reveal that these employees feel overwhelmed by the conflict between their work schedules and family responsibilities, such as childcare drop-offs/pick-ups and attending school events. The company wants to implement a single, high-impact policy to improve this situation. Based on the information provided, which of the following two options would likely be a more effective initial strategy for the company to adopt? Justify your choice by comparing the potential impact of each option on the specific problem described.

Optimizing Work-Family Support

Workplace support to reduce work-family conflict can include understanding supervisors, flextime, paid leave, telecommuting, and onsite facilities such as daycare centers, fitness centers, and health clinics.

Workplace Support for Work-Family Balance

Home support helps mitigate work-family conflict through various personal accommodations. This includes emotional support, such as family members actively listening, and practical support, such as assisting with household chores.

Home Support for Work-Family Balance

In a study of coping methods, Lapierre and Allen (2006) found practical support from home more important than emotional support.

Practical Home Support More Important Than Emotional Support

Practical home support, such as help with chores, is one form of support used to reduce work–family conflict. In a study comparing coping methods, practical support from home was more important than emotional support.

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