This study explores the experience of time flexibility and its relationship to work-life balance among married female teleworkers with school-aged children. Drawing from a larger study of teleworkers from a Canadian financial corporation, 18 mothers employed in professional positions discussed work, leisure and their perceptions of work-life balance in in-depth interviews. Telework was viewed positively because flexible scheduling facilitated optimal time management. A key factor was the pervasiveness of caregiving, which could result in ongoing tensions and contradictions between the ethic of care and their employment responsibilities. The ideology of 'intensive mothering' meant that work schedules were closely tied to the rhythms of children's school and leisure activities. The different temporal demands of motherhood and employment resulted in little opportunity for personal leisure. Time 'saved' from not having to commute to an office was reallocated to caregiving, housework or paid employment rather than to time for their self. The women also experienced a traditional gendered division of household labour and viewed telework as a helpful tool for combining their dual roles. Time flexibility enhanced their sense of balancing work and life and their perceived quality of life. At the same time, they did not question whether having the primary responsibility for caregiving while engaged in paid employment at home was fair or whether it was a form of exploitation.

This paper explores whether and in what ways telework is associated with a reconfiguration or remixing of daily work, family and leisure activities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 51 teleworkers employed in a financial organisation in Canada. For some, telework was a condition of employment, while others negotiated part-time telework arrangements with managers. Using interpretive thematic analysis techniques, intersections and inter-relationships between experiences of work, family and leisure were identified. Three main themes emerged, including the need to not only protect, but also containing work time and space; the significance of family and being available for children; and, the relative devaluation of leisure. Although it was anticipated that differences between involuntary and voluntary teleworkers would be evident, gender and family stage were more influential in structuring daily life. The flexibility of telework was valued, but there was little evidence of a reconfiguration of life spheres except for women with children at home.Keywords: telework, flexibility, work-leisure relationship, intensive motherhood, work-life balance, leisure, involuntary telework, telecommute.With the emergence of digital technologies and the subsequent widespread use of and dependence on computerisation, telework is a realistic option for workers in a range of occupations. It is an attractive possibility for companies seeking to reduce costs and for employees who are seeking to avoid daily commutes to work and have more control Margo Hilbrecht (ciwmargo@uwaterloo.ca) is the Associate Director of Research for the Canadian Index of Wellbeing, University of Waterloo. Her research interests centre on the relationship of nonstandard work arrangements to gendered experiences of time use, leisure, health and well-being, particularly in the context of family life. Susan M. Shaw is a Distinguished Professor Emerita in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo. Her research focuses on the intersection of work, leisure, and family for women and men, including changing ideologies of parenthood and the implications of this and other forms of social change for leisure and life quality. Laura C. Johnson is a professor in the University of Waterloo School of Planning where she teaches social planning and social research methods. Her research has addressed the social impacts of telework and other home-based work.

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Using a stratified sample of Canadian adolescents residing in Ontario (n=2,154) time use patterns and perceptions of time pressure are explored to determine gender differences among younger (12-14 years) and older adolescents (15-19 years). For both age groups, girls report a higher total workload of schoolwork, domestic activities and paid employment and spend more time on personal care while boys have more free time, especially during early adolescence. Feelings of time pressure for teens increase with age and are significantly higher for girls in both age categories. Gender differences are less pronounced on school days when time is fairly structured, but become more consistent with traditional gender schema on the weekend when time use is more discretionary.

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