Abstract: This chapter examines difficulties of reconciling work and family demands in six European countries; looks at divergences in experiences among different sectors of the workforce, different family types, and household employment patterns; and gauges the extent to which such experiences are mediated by different institutional structures. It considers the extent to which successful conciliation between paid work and family life may be facilitated by ‘family-friendly’ social and employment policy and explores alternative explanations of cross-country variations, focusing on national variations in the system of employment regulation. Finally, it examines whether there are general trends towards higher or lower levels of work-family conflict.

Keywords: work-family conflict, family life, work demands, institutional structures, family-friendly policy, employment regulation,