Availability and use of work-life benefits: what’s in between?

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between the availability and the real use of work-life (WL) benefits by employees. Most research focuses on adoption, and some studies have analysed the levels of use. However, it is yet to be explained why some firms offer formal WL benefits, which ultimately are not used by employees.

Design/methodology/approach

The hypotheses developed here are tested using data from a sample of 146 Spanish private firms, which is very relevant because findings from research developed in Anglo-Saxon contexts cannot necessarily be extended elsewhere.

Findings

The results reveal that availability significantly influences the level of use of WL programmes. Both the proportion of women employees in the organization and the formalization of the WL balance culture moderate the relationship between availability and use.

Practical implications

These findings hold lessons for practitioners and researchers interested in WL balance and its actual diffusion among employees. Practitioners should consider WL balance in an unrestrictive way, thinking about different kinds of employees and not only women with caring responsibilities. The mere provision of benefits to a small part of the workforce does not guarantee any of the positive outcomes related to WL balance.

Originality/value

Aside from exploring the availability-use gap, this research was conducted in a non-Anglo-Saxon context.

Citation

Pasamar, S. (2015), "Availability and use of work-life benefits: what’s in between?", Personnel Review, Vol. 44 No. 6, pp. 949-969. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-03-2014-0054