Work to Live or Live to Work? Work-Life Programs and Career Consequences: The Role of Supervisor Perception

Abstract

Work-life programs are a growing topic of interest among work-life researchers. There is evidence to suggest that work-life programs provide positive outcomes for employees and organizations, including increased job satisfaction and organizational commitment. However, there continues to be an underutilization of work-life programs. Some researchers have theorized this may be due to backlash and negative attitudes that develop towards employees using these programs. In addition, there is limited evidence on if these negative outcomes occur due to certain types of work-life programs, or if it is the reasoning behind why they are used. The purpose of the current study is to determine how the type of work-life program, the reason for its use, and the perceived work commitment of employees affect career outcomes. Participants were placed into the role of a supervisor and asked to make career decisions for employees using work-life programs. I hypothesized that employees who were portrayed as using a work-life program would receive higher career penalties and lower career rewards through their perceived commitment to work, with this effect being moderated by the reason for using a work-life program. In general, the findings did not support the hypotheses proposed. A discussion of the results follows, along with directions for future research.