|
|
[Conference Home] [Conference Agenda]
Background: Demographic, sociological, technological, and economic changes occurring in the U.S. since the 1950s have radically altered family life, the nature of work, and the conditions of employment. The contemporary situation presents new challenges for men and women attempting to balance the ever more complex demands of family and work and for employers attempting to adjust to changes in the economy, the nature of work, and the workforce. All of these changes can act independently or in concert to positively or negatively affect worker health. Examining the interaction of these factors and their effects on workers, families, communities, and employers is important for the long-term social, economic, and physical health of our society.
Work and family are arguably the two most important domains of adulthood. Despite the myth of the separate spheres of work and family, there are a myriad of ways in which work spills over and affects family life and vice versa. Occupations differ in the level of absorption - or commitment - they require on the part of the person who fills them. Some occupations require the unpaid assistance and cooperation of family members. The number of work hours, shifts, and schedules tend to define the pace of family life and determine when family members can all be together. Work provides the income for consumption and income determines how family members allocate their time between breadwinning and home and leisure activities. Income can be variable, too; some jobs do not pay a living wage, others are temporary, and still others do not have steady hours. The nature of work-- including other job characteristics and work settings that come with "cultures"-- affects workers' physical health and social and psychological well-being. How successfully people organize their work lives can directly affect their health and well-being. Through the effects of workplaces on workers, job characteristics and work cultures can then affect the health and well-being of children and other family members as well as communities.
But, family life also affects work. During periods of particularly intense family demands, such as the birth of a child or the illness of a family member, workers may tend to "scale back" their commitment to long work hours by seeking a temporary period of reduced hours, taking a family leave, or, in the event of a lack of workplace accommodations, may end up increasing their absenteeism, letting their work slip, or as a last resort quitting and looking for a position that provides more accommodation. Increased home demands can also affect the worker’s physical health and social and psychological well-being. Thus, increasing family demands can affect employer well-being, along with the well-being of workers and their families, both directly and indirectly through feedback loops.
Employers and employees have attempted to address these competing demands with a number of strategies. For example, some employers have introduced policies designed to permit greater flexibility in scheduling of work and allow work at home or in telecommuting centers to reduce commuting time. Workers, particularly women, may choose jobs that allow part-time schedules in order to accommodate the needs of their families.
The effects of work and family on health and well-being vary by race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. Concerning differentials by race and ethnicity, demographers have shown that non-white workers disproportionately occupy jobs with lower pay, fewer benefits, and less flexible conditions. At the same time, minorities have on average larger families and thus greater levels of family responsibility. African American women, in particular, spend less of their lifetimes within marriage than white women while having slightly higher fertility rates; thus, they tend to be particularly vulnerable as sole wage earners with multiple dependents. Concerning gender differentials, sociologists of the family have documented that women continue to shoulder a disproportionate amount of the burden of housework and child care even as their responsibilities in the labor market increase. Labor economists have shown that the gender gap in wages persists for all but select sectors of the labor force and that women face a wage penalty for motherhood that continues for years after childbirth. Workers with lower levels of income and education tend to occupy jobs with fewer benefits and have fewer financial resources with which to purchase solutions to work-family conflict, such as child care. Regarding health, disparities exist in such areas as overall ratings of health, coronary heart disease, and hypertension, with African Americans faring the worst. Workers at the lower end of the scale on socioeconomic status measures tend to experience poorer health outcomes, even within the same occupational categories. Given the striking differences across race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status in various work, family, and health dimensions, it is imperative to examine how these dimensions are interrelated.
Objectives: The ultimate goal of this initiative is to conduct studies that employ experimental design methodologies to test which types of workplace policies and practices are the most beneficial for the health and well-being of workers, their families and children, communities, and workplaces within a variety of workplace settings. Examples of potential workplace interventions include changes in schedule flexibility, benefits, workplace atmosphere, and potential for career growth.
This initiative builds on a solid foundation of prior research funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, NIH, NSF, and others. However, it also charts new territory by taking as its goal the development of experimental studies. Therefore, the initiative will require coalition building among researchers from a variety of disciplines who specialize in work and family issues from the employee and workplace perspectives, as well as, employers in different types of work places with diverse workforces. It will also require assembling and integrating scientific knowledge from diverse areas of science to provide the necessary background for the development of the experimental studies. NICHD has tentative plans for the following activities to facilitate progress toward these goals:
In conference 1 we will review the state of science pertaining to how different dimensions of work and family act independently and interact to affect the health and well-being of workers, families, children, communities and workplaces from numerous disciplinary perspectives. We will identify the theories, methodologies, key concepts, and constructs used in research across numerous disciplines. This conference is necessary to ensure that we incorporate all relevant domains of work, family, health, and well-being research in designing the model(s) to be used in the experimental protocols. This conference is planned for Summer 2003.
In conference 2 we will examine current workplace policies and practices, state and federal laws and policies pertaining to work, and employees’ notions about workplace policies and practices. Employers are concerned about productivity, performance, and absenteeism among their workers. Businesses need to remain healthy in order to continue to function as sources of employment. This conference will provide us with knowledge about the most significant health and well-being domains for employers. It will also inform us about the most important workplace policies and programs from the employee’s point of view. Another goal of this conference is provide the opportunity for researchers and employers to begin to foster partnerships.
We plan to issue a request for Applications (RFA) based on input received from conferences 1 and 2 soliciting exploratory/developmental applications to develop model protocols to identify the best workplace policies and practices to improve health and well-being. Grantees will be asked to: 1) develop conceptual models to guide the experimental studies; 2) identify workplace specific issues and barriers for employers and employees, and craft appropriate intervention models; and 3) study the feasibility of implementing the specific site-appropriate interventions.
The last stage in this initiative is to issue an RFA to form a network of research teams that will use the most successful of these experimental designs to produce a common protocol to measure the same inputs and outcomes to test across a variety of workplace settings.
NICHD seeks to build a broad coalition of funders, researchers, policy makers, work-life professionals, and employers to participate in this initiative. For inquiries or to become involved, contact:
Lynne M. Casper, Ph.D. or Rosalind B. King, Ph.D.
Program Director Associate Director
casperl@mail.nih.gov rozking@mail.nih.gov
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 8B07
Bethesda, MD 20892-7151 (Regular Mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (Express Mail)
Phone: 301-496-1174
Fax: 301-496-0962