Combining employment and family in Europe: the role of family policies in health

Abstract

The combination of employment and family demands is largely unassociated with health status in countries with dual-earner family policy models, but is associated with poorer health outcomes in countries with market-oriented models, mainly among men. This association is more consistent among women in countries with traditional models, where males are the breadwinners and females are responsible for domestic and care work.

Gender and socio‐economic inequalities in health and living conditions among co‐resident informal caregivers: a nationwide survey in Spain

“…Indeed, even when incorporated into the labour market, it is still the women who bear the greatest responsibility for balancing a paid job with work in the home (Artazcoz et al . ). Furthermore, it has been reported that there is an unequal distribution of the type and intensity of care provided; women often take charge of the psychologically and physically more demanding activities in contrast to men (García Calvente et al .…”

Contemporary employment arrangements and mental well-being in men and women across Europe: a cross-sectional study

“…In the Southern European countries, family economic needs may have pushed women, who were initially full-time caregivers, into the labour market in order to guarantee a second income. In such a scenario, their employment adds to their greater domestic workload in the context of both minimal public childcare support and men’s limited contribution to housework [40]. …”

Il divario di genere nel lavoro di cura e la conciliazione famiglia-lavoro retribuito

“…Questi risultati sono maggiormente evidenti nei paesi in cui prevale una distribuzione dei ruoli di genere tradizionalista (Artazcoz et al, 2014).…”