Managing Work-Life Policies in the European Workplace

Abstract

In this paper we focus on the implementation and management of work-life policies in the workplace and the key role of managers in this context. We review the existing literature, enabling us to set a research agenda focused on explaining managerial attitudes and behavior toward work-life policies in different organizational and national contexts. The evidence found in several studies suggests that managers often receive mixed messages about the implementation of work-life policies because these policies are not embedded in the workplace; managers are often unaware of such policies and lack training in them, leading to inconsistency in implementation and short-term thinking rather than a long-term perspective that cherishes human capital. Our review points to the need for more research allowing a full understanding of managerial attitudes and behaviour in different organizational and national contexts. Although a few interesting studies do exist, research in the field is still in its infancy. More research is needed, in particular systematic studies with well-developed theoretical frameworks.

Keywords: Line managers, work-life policies, allowance decisions, European workplace