Authors: Anna Kurowska, Agnieszka Kasperska, Gayle Kaufman. Published in: Journal of Family issues
The new normal of working from home (WFH) brought by the COVID-19 pandemic enabled parents to manage increased childcare demands while working remotely. Using multi-country data from the Familydemic Harmonized Dataset (n = 9364), this study examines how WFH was related to perceived changes in work–life balance (WLB) among mothers and fathers, considering the moderating role of childcare- and work-related demands. Overall, WFH was positively associated with improved WLB, regardless of partnership status. However, this relationship weakened for mothers whose children were out of formal childcare for over a month and when they increased their working hours. Furthermore, we found that fathers who extended their working hours while WFH were more likely to report worsened WLB than those working in the office. These findings, though based on mid-2021 data, remain relevant post-pandemic as parents continue to navigate the challenges of WFH, childcare, and demanding work schedules.
Were Parents Synchronizing Their Home-Based Working Arrangements During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Authors: Ilyar Heydari Barardehi, Anna Kurowska. Published in: Social Indicators ResearchLittle research has been done on parents’ coordination of their work arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic. Synchronized work arrangements (e.g., both parents work from home)...
The Work/Care Interface and Parents’ Mid-pandemic Mental Health: Inequalities at the Intersection of Gender and High-risk Household Status
Authors: Sylvia Fuller, Manlin Cai, Donna Lero. Published in: Society and Mental HealthThe COVID-19 pandemic generated mental health stressors for parents as they faced new health risks and navigated disruptions to employment, schooling, and care arrangements. Drawing...
Covid-19 as an Engine of Family Reshuffling. Gender Equality and Relationship Quality during the Pandemic
Authors: Daniele Vignoli, Raffaele Guetto, Daniela Bellani. Published in: Econometrics Working Papers ArchiveThe consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic are not limited solely to health and economics; couples’ relationships are also affected. There is, though,...
