Work-family balance in times of COVID-19: a survey-study

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has led transformative changes worldwide, significantly affecting work-family balance. This cross-sectional survey study conducted during the early stages of the global pandemic (April-to-May 2020) presents findings from a snowball convenience sample of 383 employed adults with children in Spain. It delves into the evolving dynamics of work-family conciliation during confinement. The study findings unveil two distinct family profiles: those grappling with substantial work-family challenges (63.9%) and those experiencing minimal disruptions (36.3%). Noteworthy are the significant gender-related differences, family size, and the perception of personal freedom as pivotal factors shaping these profiles. The current study underscores the urgency of democratizing family life and elevating work-family conciliation as a core element of values education in a post-pandemic world.

Keywords:

• Work-family balance
• COVID-19
• teleworking
• gender differences
• non-formal education
• values education
• co-responsibility

Reviewing Editor:

• John Lee
• Education University of Hong Kong
• Hong Kong

Subjects:

• Childhood
• Continuing Professional Development
• Open & Distance Education and eLearning

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in this study (involving human participants) were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee.

Note

Informed Consent. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Juan Llanes-Ordóñez

Juan Llanes Ordóñez is Professor in Education at the University of Barcelona, Coordinator of the INTERMASTER Teaching Innovation Consolidated Group and researcher in the Academic and Labour Transitions (TRALS) Consolidated Research Group. His research interests are in career counselling, entry routes into the labour market, employability, skills training at university and professional identity.

Angelina Sánchez-Martí

Angelina Sánchez Martí is Professor of Research Methods and Diagnosis in Education in the Department of Applied Pedagogy, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). She holds a PhD in Education and Society and has undertaken investigations mainly in the field of education and children of migrants, as a member of ATLAS and CER-Migracions.

Maria Rosa Buxarrais-Estrada

Maria Rosa Buxarrais Estrada is Professor in the Department of Theory and History of Education in the Faculty of Education at the University of Barcelona (UB). She holds a PhD in Pedagogy and a BA in Psychology from the UB. She is the Lead Researcher of the Research Group on Moral Education (GREM) at the UB, recognized by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Regional Government) in 1995. Some of her most important publications are: Teacher Training in Values Education; Families and Education in Democratic Values: Current challenges and perspectives; Work, Family, Social and Personal Conciliation: An ethical question. She has taught on numerous courses and participated in many conferences on values education and related issues.