Work-Life Balance in Times of Recession, Austerity and Beyond Routledge Research in Employment Relations Series

This book reflects the enormous interest in work-life balance and current pressing concerns about the impacts of austerity more broadly. It draws on contemporary research and practitioner experiences to explore how work-life balance and related workplace and social policy fare in turbulent economic times and the implications for employees, employers and wider societies. Authors consider workplace trends, practices and employment relations and the impacts on work, care and well-being of diverse workers. A guiding theme throughout the book is a triple agenda of supporting employee work-life balance, workplace effectiveness and social justice. The final chapters present case studies of innovative processes and organizational practices for addressing the triple agenda, note the important role of social policy context and discuss the challenge of extending debates on work-life balance to include a social justice dimension.

This book will be of interest to academics and postgraduate students of organisational psychology, sociology, human resource management, management and business studies, law and social policy, as well as employers, managers, HR managers, trade unions, and policy makers.

1. Working Time Trends and Work-Life Balance in Europe since the Onset of the Great Recession

Colette Fagan and Greet Vermeylen

2. Work-Life Balance, Health and Well-Being in Times of Austerity

Gail Kinman and Almuth McDowall

3. Employer Support for Work-Life Balance in Recession: Findings for Britain from the Workplace Employment Relations Survey

Lucy Stokes and Stephen Wood

4. Work-Life Balance and Austerity: Implications of New Ways of Working in British Public Sector Organisations

Clare Lyonette, Deirdre Anderson, Suzan Lewis, Nicola Payne and Stephen Wood

5. Regulating Work and Care Relationships in a Time of Austerity: A Legal Perspective

Nicole Busby and Grace James

6. Trade Unions and Work-Life Balance: The Impact of the Great Recession in France and the UK

Susan Milner

7. Work-Life Balance and Class: In Search of Working-Class Work-Lives.

Tracey Warren

8. Self-Employment in Times of Economic Crisis: Work-Life Challenges

Laura den Dulk, Anne Annink and Bram Peper

9. The Physical Workplace and Work-Life Balance: Perspectives from Practice

Ziona Strelitz

10. Revisiting the Dual Agenda: Why Companies Miss the Point if they Retract Flexible Work Arrangements during Bad Times

Hyosun Kim, Lotte Bailyn and Deborah M. Kolb

11. Towards a Triple Agenda for Work-Life Balance Beyond Recession and Austerity

Deirdre Anderson, Jonathan Swan and Suzan Lewis

Suzan Lewis is Professor of Organizational Psychology at Middlesex University, London, UK.

Deirdre Anderson is a Senior Lecturer in Organizational Behaviour at Cranfield University School of Management, UK.

Clare Lyonette is a Principal Research Fellow at the Warwick Institute for Employment Research (IER), UK.

Nicola Payne is a Health Psychologist and Associate Professor in Psychology at Middlesex University, UK.

Stephen Wood is Professor of Management, School of Business, University of Leicester, UK.