Reconciling work and family life - policy and practice in Ireland.

The tenn 'work-life balance', virtually unheard of ten years ago, has rapidly entered the lexicon of managers, employers, professionals and journalists alike. Better described as 'reconciling work and family life' in respect of the view that life includes work and that work and life are not two opposing forces, it is usually defined as the implementation of policies that assist workers in combining employment with other responsibilities. The topic has received considerable policy and research interest in recent years, and is one of the criteria for assessing quality of working life (European Foundation for the Improvement in Working and Living Condition, 2002) and continues to receive emphasis across Europe as a means of promoting equity and health in society.peer-reviewe