Coming to grips with work hours requires difficult choices by individuals, families, organizations and society at large. This title examines the effects of work hours on individual, family and organizational health. It also considers why some people work long hours and the potential costs and benefits of this investment.

UK employees work more than ten hours over their contracted hours. The European Community's Working Time Directive has made UK employers look at the matter of long hours. This report supported by the IES Research Club of leading UK employers, includes case studies from five organizations.

Work-life integration is an increasingly hot topic in the media, social research, governments and in people’s everyday lives. This volume offers a new type of lens for understanding work-family reconciliation by studying how work-family dynamics are shaped, squeezed and developed between consistent or competing logics in different societies in Europe and the US. The three institutions of "state", "family" and "working life", and their under-explored primary logics of "regulation", "morality" and "economic competitiveness" are examined theoretically as well as empirically throughout the chapters, thus contributing to an understanding of the contemporary challenges within the field of work-family research that combines structure and culture. Particular attention is given to the ways in which the institutions are confronted with various moral norms of good parenthood or motherhood and ideals for family life. Likewise, the logic of policy regulation and gendered family moralities are challenged by the economic logic of working life, based on competition in favour of the most productive workers and organizations. Demonstrating different aspects of what is behind and between the logics of state regulation, morals and market, this innovative volume will appeal to students, teachers and researchers interested in areas such as family studies, welfare state studies, social policy studies, work life studies as well as and gender studies.

This volume seeks to address the rising expectations of working parents in advanced Western welfare states for work-life balance and quality of life, and the tensions that ensue from these expectations within individual lives, households, work organizations, and policy frameworks.

In this book Linda Holbeche offers an historical narrative on the changing landscape of work since the 1980s and considers how definitions of organizational effectiveness have changed over time. She considers the characteristics and effects of the neo-liberal work culture of new capitalism, and how HRM practices have contributed to shaping this work culture. Influencing Organizational Effectiveness challenges mainstream thinking around business strategy, change and organizational effectiveness, and about the roles of HRM and management. While the overall tone of the book is critical, Holbeche argues that HRM can play an active role in giving voice to employees and advancing organizational effectiveness. Grounded in research, this book includes reflective questions, case studies and helpful guidelines to support HRM and organizational development professionals and master's-level students. It illustrates what ‘better’ might look like and how HRM can contribute to a new definition of effectiveness which is aligned to the needs of modern organizations.