Work‐life policy: does it do exactly what it says on the tin?

Policies which help employees balance their work and non‐work priorities have become increasingly popular among UK employers in recent years. Along with a legislative imperative for family leave‐related policies, employers are being encouraged to introduce work‐life policies and make them more inclusive in order to enhance their business performance. This paper looks at how four financial services organisations have approached the work‐life balance agenda and examines the fit between the organisational intentions for work‐life policy and actual outcomes for both organisations and employees. Culture played a large part in determining the experience of policies but so did resources. What managers were being asked to achieve in the business was often incompatible with formal work‐life policies. Despite the rhetoric, work‐life balance was still viewed as a tool for, and was used by female parents, limiting its potential to achieve the promoted business benefits.